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Photo # NH 89530: USS Nopatin at Brest, France, circa May 1919

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.

    .

     S.S. Old Colony, circa 1917:



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    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.

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     USS Charles, June 1918:

     S.S. Yale, later USS Yale:




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    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.

    .

     USS Narragansett stranded, 1919:

     S.S. Manhattan,
    later USS Nopatin:




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    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.

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     S.S. Theodore Roosevelt:

     USS City of South Haven:


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    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

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     USS Blue Ridge with bow removed, 1918:

     S.S. Puritan underway, prior to World War I:

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    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

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     USS Quinnebaug, 1919:

     USS Saranac, 1918:

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    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.

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     S.S. Berkshire:

     S.S. Cambridge:


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