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UNITED STATES NAVY
TEMPORARY AUXILIARY SHIPS
WORLD WAR I

Photo # NH 102582: S.S. Zuiderdijk in port, prior to her World War I era Naval service


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Steamship Zuiderdijk (Dutch Freighter, 1912).
Previously named Sharistan.
Served as USS Zuiderdijk (ID # 2724) in 1918-1919

S.S. Zuiderdijk, a 5208 gross ton freighter, was built in 1912 at West Hartlepool, England. Previously the British Sharistan, she was under the Dutch commercial flag when, in March 1918, she was seized by the U.S. Government at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Turned over to the Navy and placed in commission a few days later as USS Zuiderdijk (ID # 2724), she soon made a voyage from Puerto Rico to the Panama Canal Zone, then steamed to New York and loaded Army cargo. The ship next went to Le Havre, France, and returned to the U.S., between mid-May and early July 1918. Two more trips to France and back took place by late October. Following the 11 November Armistice Zuiderdijk made another round-trip voyage to France in November and December, and one more in March-May 1919, separated by a trip to Ecuador. On her final operation as a Navy ship, she carried cargo from New York to England in June and in July went on to Rotterdam, where she was decommissioned and returned to her owners, the Holland-America Line. During the following decade she was employed commercially as S.S. Zuiderdijk and after 1922 as the British Misty Law. She became the Italian Edera in 1931 and after being renamed Frin in 1956 and Mahfuz in 1957 was BU in 1958.

This page features all available views of the Dutch freighter Zuiderdijk, which served as USS Zuiderdijk (ID # 2724) in 1918-1919.


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

Photo #: NH 102582

Steamship Zuiderdijk (Dutch Freighter, 1912)

In port, prior to her World War I era Naval service.
Previously named Sharistan, this steamer was seized by the United States on 21 March 1918 and commissioned on 23 March as USS Zuiderdijk (ID # 2724). She was returned to her owner on 21 July 1919.

The original photograph is in Record Group 19-LCM in the National Archives.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 64KB; 520 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: None

Steamship Zuiderdijk (Dutch Freighter, 1912)

In Dutch commercial service with the Holland-America Line.

Source: www.arendnet.com/h39.htm

 


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Page made 19 November 2004