WWI Ship Name Index
Return to WWI Auxiliaries.
U.S. NAVY TEMPORARY AUXILIARY SHIPS, 1917-1919
WORLD WAR I ERA TRANSPORTS --
Former Coastal and River Passenger Steamships
The U.S. Navy employed four former coastal passenger steamers to transport
personnel between the British Isles and France during World War
I and in the months following the 11 November 1918 Armistice.
Of these, just USS Yale
is included in the 1919 Secretary of the Navy's Report listing
of 125 ships employed on trans-Atlantic transport duties, since
she carried troops during her own homeward-bound voyage in 1919.
The three others had UK-France service as U.S. Navy ships, but
seem not to have executed Atlantic transport missions.
In addition to these four, the Navy employed nine other coastal and Great Lakes
passenger steamships as seagoing auxiliary ships. These can be subdivided
as follows:
One relatively large steamer, formerly active in New England
waters, that was acquired by the Navy and taken to the United
Kingdom, where she was transferred to the British for conversion to a minelayer;
(Two other ships with the same hull design though with different machinery became U.S. Navy
minelayers and were retained in the postwar Navy);
Two more coastal steamers that were converted into minelayers;
Three former Great Lakes passenger steamers
that were being prepared for UK-France duty when the "Great
War" ended, but did not see service there plus one that was never commissioned;
One coastal steamer that served as a training ship plus one that was never commissioned.
This page features larger coastal and river passenger steamers
that were employed by the World War I era U.S. Navy for transport
and other duties. Where available, a photograph of each ship is
also provided.
Ships in this group:
THIRTEEN SHIPS with typical American coastal and Great Lakes
passenger steamer characteristics: VERY LONG SUPERSTRUCTURES and
ONE or TWO SMOKESTACKS. They are subdivided below into several
sub-groupings.
Click the small photographs
to prompt a larger view of the same image with a descriptive header.
ONE SHIP (to have been a British minelayer) -- Two Smokestacks:
Old
Colony, USN 1917-1918 (ex-American S.S. Old Colony,
1907).
4779 Gross Tons, Length 375.0', Beam 52.2', Acq. 12 Nov 17, Trf. 31 May 18, ID # 1254
Transferred to the British after brief U.S. Navy service.
This ship had turbine machinery and triple screws.
Her two former sisters had reciprocating engines and twin
screws.
TWO SHIPS (both employed as transports) -- Two Smokestacks:
Charles,
USN 1918-1920 (ex-American S.S. Harvard, 1907).
3737 Gross Tons, Length 376.0', Beam 61.0', Comm. 9 Apr 18, Decom. 10 Jun 20, ID # 1298
Employed in UK-France service.
Yale,
USN 1918-1920 (ex-American S.S. Yale, 1906).
3731 Gross Tons, Length 376.0', Beam 61.3', Comm. 25 Mar 18, Decom. 10 Jun 20, ID # 1672
Made one trans-Atlantic transport voyage following
UK-France service.
TWO SHIPS (both employed as transports) -- Two Thin Smokestacks
and Higher Superstructure:
Narragansett,
USN 1918-1920 (ex-American S.S. Narragansett, 1913).
3539 Gross Tons, Length 320.2', Beam 48.1', Comm. 9 Feb 18, Decom. 12 Sep 19, ID # 2196
Employed in UK-France service.
Nopatin,
USN 1918-1920 (ex-American S.S. Manhattan, 1913).
3539 Gross Tons, Length 320.2', Beam 48.1', Comm. 2 Feb 18, Decom. 12 Sep 19, ID # 2195
Employed in UK-France service.
TWO SHIPS (originally operated on the Great Lakes) -- Two
Smokestacks:
Theodore
Roosevelt, USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Theodore
Roosevelt, 1906).
1955 Gross Tons, Length 275.6', Beam 40.0', Acq. 6 Apr 18, Disp. 1 Jul 19, ID # 1478
Though acquired, this ship did not enter Navy service.
City of South
Haven, USN 1917-1919 (ex-American S.S. City of South
Haven, 1903).
1719 Gross Tons, Length 247.7', Beam 40.3', Comm. 9 Nov 18, Decom. 3 Dec 19, ID # 2527
Did not reach European waters.
TWO SHIPS (originally operated on the Great Lakes) -- One
Smokestack:
Blue Ridge,
USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Virginia, 1891).
1606 Gross Tons, Length 269.2', Beam 48.3', Comm. 17 Oct 18, Decom. 27 Aug 19, ID # 2432
Did not reach European waters.
Puritan,
USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Puritan, 1901).
1762 Gross Tons, Length 259.0', Beam 40.5', Comm. 20 Nov 18, Decom. 30 Sep 19, ID # 2222
Did not reach European waters
TWO SHIPS (both converted to minelayers) -- Flush-Deck Hull
and One Tall Smokestack:
Quinnebaug,
USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Jefferson, 1899).
3723 Gross Tons, Length 351.8', Beam 42.0', Comm. 23 Mar 18, Decom. 1 Apr 19, ID # 1687
Saranac,
USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Hamilton, 1898).
3723 Gross Tons, Length 350.0', Beam 42.0', Comm. 9 Apr 18, Decom. 1 Apr 19, ID # 1702
TWO SHIPS -- Former coastal passenger steamers of differing
appearance:
Berkshire,
USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Berkshire, 1881).
2014 Gross Tons, Length 250.0', Beam 38.5', Comm. 24 Apr 18, Decom. 22 Mar 19, ID # 1578
One Smokestack. Employed as a minesweeper training
ship
Cambridge,
USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Cambridge, 1890).
1694 Gross Tons, Length ???.?', Beam ??.?', Acq. 22 Oct 17, Stk. 1 Mar 18, ID # 1651
Two Smokestacks. Though acquired, this ship did not
enter Navy service.
Return to WWI Auxiliaries.