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Photo # NH 65137-A: S.S. Newton

U.S. NAVY TEMPORARY AUXILIARY SHIPS, 1917-1919

WORLD WAR I ERA COLLIERS --
of Specialized Mercantile Types

During World War I the U.S. Navy acquired nine specialized mercantile colliers that had been built primarily for the coastal coal trade. These tended to be bulk cargo ships with large hatch covers, sometimes handled by numerous pairs of short kingposts, to allow rapid loading at coal piers. Although designed to carry coal in bulk, the Navy used them (along with some of its own specialized colliers) to carry oversized cargo to the Army in France.

This page features a table (with links to individual ships) of World War I era U.S. Navy colliers of specialized mercantile types, plus a photograph of each ship in this group.


Click the small photographs to prompt a larger view of the same image with a descriptive header.


TWO SHIPS -- Miscellaneous American built with ENGINES AND SMOKESTACKS AFT

  • Middlesex, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Middlesex, 1912).
    • 4727 Gross Tons, Length 369', Beam 50.1', Comm. 21 Jan 18, Decom. 7 Feb 19, No ID #
  • Newton, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Newton, 1911).
    • 5122 Gross Tons, Length 373.2', Beam 52.7', Comm. 6 Aug 18, Decom. 24 Feb 19, ID # 4359

    .
     S.S. Middlesex, 1912:
     S.S. Newton:

    		 .


    TWO SHIPS -- Newport News 360-foot type with ENGINES AND SMOKESTACKS AFT

  • Munalbro, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Munalbro, 1916).
    • 4293 Gross Tons, Length 359.6', Beam 49', Comm. 17 Sep 18, Decom. 21 Mar 19, No ID #
  • Stephen R. Jones, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Stephen R. Jones, 1915).
    • 4387 Gross Tons, Length 360' wl, Beam 49', Comm. 3 May 18, Decom. 8 Mar 19, ID # 4526

    .
     S.S. Munalbro, 1916:
     S.S. Stephen R. Jones, 1919:

    		 .


    FIVE SHIPS -- New York Shipbuilding Co. 377-foot collier type. These ships had up to six pairs of short posts on deck for handling their oversized collier hatch covers.

  • Fairmont, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Fairmont, 1917).
    • 5400 Gross Tons, Length 377.3' wl, Beam 55', Comm. 19 Feb 18, Decom. 28 Feb 19, ID # 2429
  • Glen White, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Glen White, 1918).
    • 5438 Gross Tons, Length 377.3', Beam 55', Comm. 22 Jul 18, Decom. 6 Mar 19, ID # 2068
  • Plymouth, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Plymouth, 1915).
    • 5266 Gross Tons, Length 377.3', Beam 55.2', Comm. 2 Aug 18, Decom. 25 Feb 19, ID # 3308
  • William N. Page, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. William N. Page, 1918).
    • 5438 Gross Tons, Length 377.3', Beam 55', Comm. 18 Dec 18, Decom. 31 May 19, ID # 3844
  • Winding Gulf, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Winding Gulf, 1918).
    • 5438 Gross Tons, Length 377.3', Beam 55', Comm. 19 Aug 18, Decom. 26 Mar 19, ID # 3379

     USS Fairmont, circa 1919:
     S.S. Glen White, 1918:
     S.S. Plymouth, 1915:
    .
     S.S. William N. Page, 1918:
     S.S. Winding Gulf:

    		 .

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