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UNITED STATES NAVY
TEMPORARY AUXILIARY SHIPS
WORLD WAR I

Photo # NH 102521: SS West Grama underway


Online Library of Selected Images:
-- CIVILIAN SHIPS --

S.S. West Grama (American Freighter, 1918)
Served as USS West Grama (ID # 3794) in 1919

West Grama, a 12,225-ton (displacement) freighter, was built in 1918 at Los Angeles, California, as part of the World War I merchant ship construction program. Taken over by the Navy in early 1919 and commissioned as USS West Grama (ID # 3794), she carried a cargo of flour from California to the East Coast, arriving at the end of February, then went on to the Mediterranean, where she unloaded the flour at Constantinople, Turkey, and Varna, Bulgaria. Returning to Norfolk, Virginia, in mid-June 1919, she was soon decommissioned and returned to the U.S. Shipping Board. As a commercial freighter West Grama saw intermittant service during the 1920s and 1930s, and was actively employed during World War II. On 8 June 1944, during the Normandy Invasion, she was deliberately sunk as part of the "Gooseberry" breakwater off "Omaha" Beach.

This page features all available views concerning the freighter West Grama and USS West Grama (ID # 3794).


Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: None

S.S. West Grama (American Freighter, 1918)

Photographed on 7 January 1919 by her builder, the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co, San Pedro, Calif.

Source: U.S. National Archives, RG-32-S.

 
Photo #: NH 102521

S.S. West Grama (American Freighter, 1918)

Underway, possibly while in Naval service in 1919.
This ship was acquired by the Navy and placed in commission on 9 January 1919 as USS West Grama (ID # 3794). She was returned to the U.S. Shipping Board on 16 June 1919.
Note that she wears a peacetime paint scheme, but flies a Jack at her bow.

The original print is in National Archives' Record Group 19-LCM.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 70KB; 740 x 525 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 102522

S.S. West Grama (American Freighter, 1918)

Underway, possibly while in Naval service in 1919.
This ship was acquired by the Navy and placed in commission on 9 January 1919 as USS West Grama (ID # 3794). She was returned to the U.S. Shipping Board on 16 June 1919.
Note that she wears a peacetime paint scheme, but flies a Jack at her bow.

The original print is in National Archives' Record Group 19-LCM.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 72KB; 740 x 500 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 106600

USS West Grama (ID # 3794)

Photographed on 11 March 1919.

Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2009.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 64KB; 900 x 555 pixels

 


S.S. West Grama is partially visible at the far right in the following photograph of another ship:

Photo #: NH 51323

USS Lexington (CV-2)

In the final states of fitting out, at the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts, in November 1927.
Merchant ship partially visible at right is the S.S. West Grama, which served as USS West Grama (ID # 3794) in 1919.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 93KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 


NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


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    Page made 16 June 2004
    New image add 23 December 2009