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Photo # NH 102133:  USS Polar Bear in 1918

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

WORLD WAR I ERA SUPPLY SHIPS AND REFRIGERATED CARGO SHIPS --
with Three Hull Islands

Ten of the U.S. Navy's WWI era supply ships and refrigerated cargo ships had three hull islands.

To facilitate identification, these vessels have been placed in four sub-groups, consisting of two multi-ship classes and two single ships.

This page features a table (with links to individual ships) of World War I era U.S. Navy supply ships and refrigerated cargo ships with three hull islands, plus a photograph of each ship in this group.


Ships in this group:

TEN SHIPS, subdivided as shown below:


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


ONE SHIP -- with One Smokestack, Two Single Masts, Three Raised Hull Islands, and No Paired Kingposts: Baltimore DD 340-foot refrigerated type. (This ship is a sister to the North Pole type below except for her rig)

  • Luella, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Luella, 1917).
  • 4152 Gross Tons, Length 340', Beam 49', Comm. 1 Jun 18, Decom. 26 Sep 19, ID # 2691

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     S.S. Luella, 1918:

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    SIX SHIPS -- with One Smokestack, No Single Masts, and Three Raised Hull Islands: Baltimore DD 340-foot refrigerated type. (See also Luella, an early refrigerated ship of this type but with two single masts, and Elinor, another early ship of this type with two single masts but without refrigerated holds. Luella is listed above and Elinor is listed with the cargo ships.)

  • North Pole, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. North Pole, 1918).
  • 4297 Gross Tons, Length 340.0', Beam 49.0', Comm. 11 Jan 19, Decom. 14 Apr 19, ID # 3791
  • Polar Bear, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Polar Bear, 1918).
  • 4130 Gross Tons, Length 340.0', Beam 49.0', Comm. 3 Dec 18, Decom. 10 Mar 19, ID # 3666
  • Polar Land, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Polar Land, 1918).
  • 4130 Gross Tons, Length 340.0', Beam 49.0', Comm. 5 Nov 18, Decom. 10 Jun 19, ID # 3651
  • Polar Sea, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Warrenton, 1918).
  • 4120 Gross Tons, Length 340.0', Beam 49.0', Comm. 23 Oct 18, Decom. 12 Jun 19, ID # 3301
  • Polar Star, USN 1919-1919 (ex American S.S. Polar Star, 1918).
  • 4297 Gross Tons, Length 340.0', Beam 49.0', Comm. 4 Jan 19, Decom. 14 May 19, ID # 3787
  • South Pole, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. South Pole, 1918).
  • 4116 Gross Tons, Length 340.0', Beam 49.0', Comm. 2 Dec 18, Decom. 12 May 19, ID # 3665

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     USS North Pole, 1919:

     S.S. Polar Bear, 1918:

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     USS Polar Land, 1919:

     USS Polar Sea, circa 1918:

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     USS Polar Star, 1919:

     S.S. South Pole:

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    THREE SHIPS -- with One Smokestack, No Single Masts, and Three Raised Hull Islands: Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1063. (Hickman and Morristown, listed with the cargo ships, were sisters except that they did not have refrigerated holds.)

  • Ice King, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Passaic, 1917).
  • 4715 Gross Tons, Length 377.0', Beam 52.0', Comm. 3 Jul 18, Decom. 26 May 19, ID # 3160 (refrigerated)
  • Montclair, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Montclair, 1918).
  • 4773 Gross Tons, Length 377', Beam 52', Comm. 19 Aug 18, Decom. 7 Jul 19, ID # 3497 (refrigerated)
  • Muscatine, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Muscatine ex S.S. Scandinavic, 1917).
  • 4730 Gross Tons, Length 377', Beam 52', Comm. 2 May 18, Decom. 16 Jul 19, ID # 2226 (refrigerated)

     S.S. Ice King, 1919:

     USS Montclair, circa 1918:

     S.S. Scandinavic, 1918:

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