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Photo # NH 65135: S.S. Montoso in 1911

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

WORLD WAR I ERA CARGO SHIPS --
with One Smokestack, Two Single Masts, Flush Decks, and No or One Kingpost Pairs

Twenty-eight of the U.S. Navy's WWI era cargo ships had one smokestack, two single masts, flush decks, and no or one kingpost pairs.

To facilitate identification, these vessels have been placed in sub-groups, some containing ships of essentially identical design ("sister ships"), while others consist of quite different designs. The latter are further subdivided as to whether they were built in the United States or abroad.

This page features a table (with links to individual ships) of World War I era U.S. Navy cargo ships with one smokestack, two single masts, flush decks, and no or one kingpost pairs, plus a photograph of each ship in this group.


Ships in this group:

TWENTY-EIGHT SHIPS with ONE SMOKESTACK, TWO SINGLE MASTS, FLUSH DECKS, AND NO OR ONE KINGPOST PAIRS, subdivided as shown below:


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


TWO SHIPS -- No kingpost pairs: Foreign built

  • Bella, USN 1918-1920 (British built, ex British S.S. Bella, 1906).
    • 1272 Gross Tons, Length 227.25', Beam 31.6', Comm. 15 Mar 18, Decom. 20 Feb 20, ID # 2211
  • Satsuma, USN 1918-1919 (British built, ex British S.S. Satsuma, 1901).
    • 4204 Gross Tons, Length 370.3', Beam 48.6', Comm. 1 Oct 18, Decom. 31 Jan 19, ID # 2038

    .
     USS Bella, circa 1918:
     S.S. Satsuma, circa 1917:

    		 .


    THREE SHIPS -- No kingpost pairs: Japanese built

  • Argonne, USN 1918-1919 (Japanese built, ex American S.S. Argonne, 1916).
    • 5870 Gross Tons, Length 385', Beam 51', Comm. 19 Oct 18, Decom. 29 Jan 19, No ID #
  • Eastern Queen, USN 1918-1919 (Japanese built, ex American S.S. Eastern Queen, 1918).
    • 5797 Gross Tons, Length 385', Beam 51', Comm. 26 Oct 18, Decom. 19 Apr 19, ID # 3406
  • Easterner, USN 1918-1919 (Japanese built, ex American S.S. Easterner, 1918).
    • 5840 Gross Tons, Length 385', Beam 51', Comm. 12 Nov 18, Decom. 14 May 19, ID # 3331

     S.S. Argonne:
     S.S. Eastern Queen, 1918:
     USS Easterner, 1918:


    FOUR SHIPS -- No kingpost pairs: Miscellaneous American built. El Oriente and El Sol later served as transports.

  • El Occidente, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. El Occidente, 1910).
    • 6008 Gross Tons, Length 405.5', Beam 53.1', Comm. 29 Aug 18, Decom. 18 Mar 19, ID # 3307
  • El Oriente, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. El Oriente, 1910).
    • 6008 Gross Tons, Length 405.5', Beam 53', Comm. 29 Jul 18, Decom. 15 Sep 19, ID # 4504
  • El Sol, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. El Sol, 1910).
    • 6008 Gross Tons, Length 402', Beam 53', Comm. 3 Aug 18, Decom. 18 Sep 19, ID # 4505
  • Macona, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Macona, 1903).
    • 5311 Gross Tons, Length 377.4', Beam 49', Comm. 19 Aug 18, Decom. 25 Mar 19, ID # 3305

     S.S. El Occidente:
     S.S. El Oriente as transport:
     S.S. El Sol, 1910:
    .
     USS Macona, 1918:

    		 .


    ONE SHIP -- No kingpost pairs: Cramp 404-foot type. The transport Santa Cecilia was a sister. Later served as transport.

  • Santa Clara, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Santa Clara, 1913).
    • 6300 Gross Tons, Length 404.5', Beam 53.75', Comm. 12 Oct 18, Decom. 19 Aug 19, ID # 4523

    .
     S.S. Santa Clara, 1913:

    		 .


    TWO SHIPS -- One kingpost pair aft of the bridge: Foreign built

  • Cacique, USN 1918-1919 (British built, ex British S.S. Cacique, 1910).
    • 6202 Gross Tons, Length 394.2', Beam 52.25', Comm. 19 Aug 18, Decom. 24 Mar 19, ID # 2213, Comm. 6 Apr 18, Decom. 2 May 19, ID # 2680
  • Celebes, USN 1918-1919 (British built, ex Dutch S.S. Celebes, 1907).
    • 5875 Gross Tons, Length 394', Beam 57.4', Comm. 6 Apr 18, Decom. 2 May 19, ID # 2680

    .
     S.S. Cacique, 1917:
     S.S. Celebes, 1918:

    		 .


    TWO SHIPS -- One kingpost pair aft of the bridge: Union IW/Bethlehem Alameda 410-foot type. Both later served as transports.

  • Peerless, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Peerless, ex Eagle, 1917).
    • 6273 Gross Tons, Length 410', Beam 56', Comm. 8 Dec 18, Decom. 22 Sep 19, ID # 1639
  • Tiger, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Tiger, 1917).
    • 6273 Gross Tons, Length 410', Beam 56', Comm. 23 Dec 18, Decom. 23 Aug 19, ID # 1640

    .
     S.S. Eagle, circa 1917:
     S.S. Tiger, circa 1917:

    		 .


    THREE SHIPS -- One kingpost pair aft of the bridge: Precursors to Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1018. Lancaster and Radnor later served as transports.

  • Lancaster, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Lancaster, 1918).
    • 7699 Gross Tons, Length 435', Beam 57.5', Comm. 19 Jun 18, Decom. 4 Oct 19, ID # 2953
  • Neponset, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Neponset, 1918).
    • 7435 Gross Tons, Length 435.0', Beam 57.5', Comm. 28 Oct 18, Decom. 4 Feb 19, ID # 3581
  • Radnor, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Radnor, 1918).
    • 7699 Gross Tons, Length 435', Beam 57.5', Comm. 13 May 18, Decom. 24 Oct 19, ID # 3023

     S.S. Lancaster, 1940:
     S.S. Neponset, 1918:
     S.S. Radnor, 1918:


    THREE SHIPS -- One kingpost pair aft of the bridge: Emergency Fleet Corporation Designs 1057A (cargo) and 1057B (Liberator, later transport)

  • Challenger, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Challenger, 1918).
    • 7955 Gross Tons, Length 410.0', Beam 56.0', Comm. 4 Oct 18, Decom. 2 May 19, ID # 3630
  • Liberator, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Liberator, 1918).
    • 7951 Gross Tons, Length 410', Beam 56', Comm. 2 Jul 18, Decom. 4 Oct 19, ID # 3134
  • Volunteer, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Volunteer, 1918).
    • 7955 Gross Tons, Length 410.0', Beam 56', Comm. 23 Aug 18, Decom. 27 Feb 19, ID # 3242

     S.S. Challenger, 1918:
     S.S. Liberator, 1918:
     S.S. Volunteer, 1918:


    TWO SHIPS -- One kingpost pair aft of the bridge: Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1079

  • Edenton, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Edenton, 1918).
    • 6992 Gross Tons, Length 410.5', Beam 54.0', Comm. 5 Dec 18, Decom. 12 May 19, ID # 3696
  • Edgecombe, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Edgecombe, 1918).
    • 6987 Gross Tons, Length 410.5', Beam 54', Comm. 24 Dec 18, Decom. 25 Apr 19, ID # 3894
    NOTE: Edgecombe was reacquired by the Navy from the Shipping Board in 1921 with two sisters. They served through World War II as USS Altair (AD-11), Denebola (AD-12), and Rigel (AD-13).

    .
     USAT Irvin L. Hunt, ex S.S. Edenton, 1941:
     USS Edgecombe, 1919:

    		 .


    ONE SHIP -- One kingpost pair forward of the bridge: Foreign built

  • Wabash (ex Seneca), USN 1918-1919 (British built, ex German S.S. Wartburg, 1900).
    • 5672 Gross Tons, Length 381', Beam 49.75', Comm. 16 Feb 18, Decom. 21 Apr 19, ID # 1824

    .
     S.S. Seneca, 1917:

    		 .


    ONE SHIP -- One kingpost pair forward of the bridge: Miscellaneous American built.

  • El Capitan, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. El Capitan, 1917).
    • 5216 Gross Tons, Length 364' oa, Beam 51', Comm. 22 Mar 18, Decom. 1 Feb 19, ID # 1407

    .
     S.S. El Capitan, 1917:

    		 .


    FOUR SHIPS -- One kingpost pair forward of the bridge: Newport News 335-foot type

  • Corozal, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Corozal, 1911).
    • 3063 Gross Tons, Length 335.0', Beam 46.75', Comm. 28 Mar 18, Decom. 28 Apr 19, No ID #
  • Isabela, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Isabela, 1911).
    • 3063 Gross Tons, Length 335', Beam 46.75', Comm. 12 Apr 18, Decom. 14 Feb 19, No ID #
  • Mariana, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Mariana, 1915).
    • 3129 Gross Tons, Length 334.4', Beam 46.75', Comm. 28 Jul 18, Decom. 4 Apr 19, ID # 3944
  • Montoso, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Montoso, 1911).
    • 3063 Gross Tons, Length 335', Beam 46.75', Comm. 9 Dec 18, Decom. 13 Mar 19, No ID #

     S.S. Corozal, 1911:
     S.S. Isabela, 1911:
     S.S. Mariana, 1915:
    .
     S.S. Montoso, 1911:

    		 .

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