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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 43287:  USS Santa Ana off New York City, 1919

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIP TYPES --

WORLD WAR I ERA TRANSPORTS --
with One Smokestack and Two Masts

Twenty-Seven of the U.S. Navy's plumb-bow WWI era transports had one smokestack and two masts. In origin, size and configuration they were a very diverse bunch. One was the first ship specifically built as a U.S. Navy transport. Another was an older vessel long employed by the Army. Eleven were ex-German steamers, some commissioned by the Navy during the war and others entered service in 1919 after U.S. merchant marine service. Another eleven were American-built former merchantmen, and three had been Dutch.

The largest of the twenty-seven measured more than 12,000 gross tons, while others were of less than 5000 gross tons. Many of them, originally designed to carry both passengers and a significant amount of cargo, had relatively more length devoted to holds than was typical of specialized passenger liners.

To facilitate identification, these vessels have been placed in ten sub-groupings, some containing ships of essentially identical design ("sister ships"), while others consist of quite different designs. To distinguish among them, additional features are introduced, including deck profiles, superstructure height and length, and kingposts.

This page features a table (with links to individual ships) of World War I era U.S. Navy passenger liner type transports with one smokestack and two masts, plus a photograph of each ship in this group.


Ships in this group:

TWENTY-SEVEN SHIPS with ONE SMOKESTACK (Funnel) and TWO MASTS, subdivided as shown below:

Note: Some of these ships also had KINGPOSTS, as noted below in entries for individual ships.

Appearance Coding: Passenger liner type transports with one funnel and two masts, and freighters converted to transports (all of which had one smokestack), have their arrangement of masts, kingposts and funnels coded similarly to other widely-used merchant ship identification schemes. Since a "M-F-M" arrangment is typical of the great majority of ships on this page, coding is not given for those vessels. It is, however, provided for all transports fitted with kingposts.


Click each ship name to access that ship's complete Online Library entry.

Click the small photographs to prompt a larger view of the same image, and the words "Picture Data" to access the Picture Data Sheet for that image.


TWO SHIPS -- Flush Main Deck and Three Superstructure Levels (plus pilothouse):

  • Henderson, USN 1917-1948 (built by USN, 1917).
    10,000 Tons (displacement); Length 483.8'; Breadth 61.1'
    Smokestack aft of amidships. Heavy mainmast with crane (after March 1918).
  • Henry R. Mallory, USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Henry R. Mallory, 1916).
    6200 Gross Tons; Length 424.3'; Breadth 54.5'

     USS Henderson, April 1918:

    Picture Data

     USS Henry R. Mallory, 1919:



    Picture Data


    SIX SHIPS -- Flush Main Deck and Two Superstructure Levels (plus pilothouse).

    Otherwise quite different from each other:
  • Rijndam, USN 1918-1919 (ex-Dutch S.S. Rijndam, 1901).
    12,527 Gross Tons; Length 550.3'; Breadth 62.3'
    Three kingpost pairs. Arrangement: K-M-K-F-M-K
  • Philippines, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Bulgaria, 1898).
    11,440 Gross Tons; Length 501.4'; Breadth 62.2'
    Rather short midships superstructure, with long deck houses forward and aft
    of the main superstructure block.
    Several cargo-handling booms with no closely-associated masts or kingposts
  • Ancon, USN 1919-1919 (ex-American S.S. Ancon, 1902).
    9332 Gross Tons; Length 489.5'; Breadth 58.0'
    Three kingpost pairs. Arrangement: K-M-KF-K-M
  • Buford, USN 1919-1919 (ex-U.S. Army Transport Buford, 1890).
    5050 Gross Tons; Length 371'; Breadth 44.1'
    Midships superstructure sides notably high.
  • Sierra, USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Sierra, 1900).
    5989 Gross Tons; Length 400.0'; Breadth 50.2'
    Very long superstructure.
  • Amphion, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Köln, 1899).
    7409 Gross Tons; Length 428.9'; Breadth 54.3'
    Very short original superstructure.
    One kingpost pair. Arrangement: M-K-F-M

     USS Rijndam, circa 1919:

    Picture Data

     USS Philippines, 1919:

    Picture Data

     USS Ancon, 1919:

    Picture Data

     USS Buford, 1919:

    Picture Data

     USS Sierra, July 1918:

    Picture Data

     USS Amphion, circa 1919:

    Picture Data


    TWO SHIPS -- Wells in Main Deck fore and aft of a two or three level Midships Superstructure:

  • Madawaska, USN 1917-1919 (ex-German S.S. König Wilhelm II, 1907).
    9410 Gross Tons; Length 490.4'; Breadth 55.3'
    Long superstructure, three levels high (including pilothouse).
    Two kingpost pairs. Arrangement: M-K-F-M-K.
  • Zeelandia, USN 1918-1919 (ex-Dutch S.S. Zeelandia, 1910).
    7995 Gross Tons; Length 440.0'; Breadth 55.7'
    Superstructure two levels high, plus a long pilothouse forward of funnel).
    Two short wells aft of superstructure.

     USS Madawaska, circa late 1918 or early 1919:

    Picture Data

     USS Zeelandia, circa late 1918 or early 1919:

    Picture Data


    THREE nearly identical SHIPS -- Wells in Main Deck fore and aft of a quite long one-level Midships Superstructure (plus pilothouse forward of stack, and upper deckhouse aft of it). Rather thick Smokestack:

  • Calamares, USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Calamares, 1913).
    7782 Gross Tons; Length 470.4'; Breadth 55.3'
  • Pastores, USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Pastores, 1913).
    7781 Gross Tons; Length 470.4'; Breadth 55.3'
  • Tenadores, USN 1918-1918 (ex-American S.S. Tenadores, 1913).
    7782 Gross Tons; Length 470.4'; Breadth 55.3'. Wrecked 28 Dec. 1918

     USS Calamares, June 1918:

    Picture Data

     USS Pastores, 1919:



    Picture Data

     USS Tenadores, 1918:



    Picture Data


    ONE SHIP -- Raised Forecastle and Poop, with Midships Superstructure inset from hull side:

  • Koningin der Nederlanden, USN 1918-1919 (ex-Dutch S.S. Koningin der Nederlanden, 1911).
    8225 Gross Tons; Length 455.2'; Breadth 55.2'
    Long midships superstructure, two levels high (plus a long pilothouse).
    Paired kingposts close to superstructure face. Arrangement: M-K-F-M.

     USS Koningin der Nederlanden, 1919:

    Picture Data


    TWO SHIPS -- Well in Main Deck forward of a two-level (plus pilothouse) Midships Superstructure:

  • Black Arrow, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Rhaetia, 1904).
    6600 Gross Tons; Length 409.5'; Breadth 52.7'
    Two kingpost pairs. Arrangement: K-M-F-M-K.
  • Eten, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Eten, 1907).
    6982 Gross Tons; Length 435.7'; Breadth 53.2'
    Relatively short midships superstructure.
    One kingpost pair. Arrangement: M-K-F-M.

     USS Black Arrow, 1919:

    Picture Data

     S.S. Eten, 1919:

    Picture Data


    ONE SHIP -- Short well in Main Deck forward of a three-level superstructure. Separate deck houses extending to hull sides below masts. Very tall smokestack. Arrangement: M-F-M

  • General G.W. Goethals, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Grunewald, 1911).
    4707 Gross Tons; Length 353.1'; Breadth 48.7'

     S.S. General G.W. Goethals, circa 1917-19:

    Picture Data


    FIVE SHIPS -- Well in Main Deck forward of a one-level (plus pilothouse) Midships Superstructure:

  • Paysandu, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Bahia, 1898).
    4817 Gross Tons; Length 375.7'; Breadth 46.6'
  • General W.C. Gorgas, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Prinz Sigismund, 1902).
    4689 Gross Tons; Length 370.2'; Breadth 45.3'
  • Otsego, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Prinz Eitel Friedrich, 1901).
    4650 Gross Tons; Length 371.0'; Breadth 45.3'
  • Freedom, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Wittekind, 1894).
    5640 Gross Tons; Length 383.4'; Breadth 46.0'
    Long superstructure. Funnel aft of amidships.
  • Arcadia, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Arcadia, 1896).
    5454 Gross Tons; Length 399.2'; Breadth 49.2'

     USS Paysandu, 1919:

    Picture Data

     USAT General W.C. Gorgas during World War II:


    Picture Data

     USAT Otsego, circa 1942-1944:

    Picture Data

     USS Freedom, 1919:



    Picture Data

     USS Arcadia, 1919:

    Picture Data


    ONE SHIP -- Well in Main Deck forward of the Midships Superstructure, and the After Deck one level lower than Main Deck:

  • Lenape, USN 1918-1918 (ex-American S.S. Lenape, 1912).
    5179 Gross Tons; Length 376.7'; Breadth 50.1'. Left service October 1918
    Very long superstructure.

     USS Lenape, 1918:

    Picture Data


    FOUR essentially identical SHIPS (plus one used as a cargo ship) -- Raised Forecastle and High (four levels) Superstructure:

  • Santa Teresa, USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Santa Teresa, 1918).
    5103 Gross Tons; Length 360.2'; Breadth 51.6'
  • Santa Leonora, USN 1919-1919 (ex-American S.S. Santa Leonora, 1918).
    5102 Gross Tons; Length 360.5'; Breadth 51.5'. Later: USS Canopus (AS-9)
  • Santa Ana, USN 1919-1919 (ex-American S.S. Santa Ana, 1918).
    4942 Gross Tons; Length 360.2'; Breadth 51.6'
  • Santa Elisa, USN 1919-1919 (ex-American S.S. Santa Elisa, 1919).
    4942 Gross Tons; Length 360.5'; Breadth 51.5'
  • Note: USS Santa Luisa, USN 1918-1918 (ex-American S.S. Santa Luisa, 1918). 4944 Gross Tons; Length 360.2'; Breadth 51.6'), whose appearance was essentially identical to the four ships listed immediately above, served in the U.S. Navy as a cargo ship, and was not employed as a personnel transport.

     USS Santa Teresa, 1919:



    Picture Data

     USS Santa Ana, 1919:



    Picture Data

     USS Santa Elisa, 1919:

    Picture Data

     S.S. Santa Leonora, 1919:




    Picture Data

     S.S. Santa Luisa, circa 1919:

    Was USN cargo ship, not transport.
    Picture Data



    NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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    Page made 21 March 2007
    New image and ship data added 28 February 2008