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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 103144:  USS Manchuria underway in 1919

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

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

Ten of the U.S. Navy's plumb-bow WWI era transports had one smokestack and four masts. One, the smallest and by far the oldest, had been a Navy ship since 1902 and saw limited wartime trans-Atlantic service. Three were veterans of the U.S. merchant marine and the rest were former German commercial steamers. Half of the group entered Navy service in 1919, while the rest served both during and after the conflict.

Seven of these ten ships had blocky superstructures close to, or below, one-third of overall ship length, reflecting their commercial employment in the combined passenger and cargo trades. These vessels were of similar, though hardly identical appearance. Two others had lower and somewhat longer superstructures. The oldest of the group was of unique configuration.

One ship, at over 20,000 gross tons, was quite large by the standards of single-smokestack vessels. Six were in the 13,000 - 14,000 gross ton range, while the three measured 10,000 tons or less.

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 four masts, plus one photograph of each ship in this group.


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.


Ships in this group:

TEN SHIPS with ONE SMOKESTACK and FOUR MASTS, subdivided as follows:

One quite large ship:
  • Troy, USN 1919-1919 (ex-American S.S. Minnesota, 1904).
    20,566 Gross Tons; Length 622.0'; Breadth 73.5'
    This ship's superstructure was relatively short.

     USS Troy, 1919:

    Picture Data


    Two relatively large sister ships, built in the United States:

  • Manchuria, USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Manchuria, 1904).
    13,639 Gross Tons; Length 600.0'; Breadth 65.3'
  • Mongolia, USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Mongolia, 1911).
    13,639 Gross Tons; Length 600.0'; Breadth 65.3'

     USS Manchuria, 1919:

    Picture Data

     S.S. Mongolia, 1913:


    Picture Data


    One relatively large ship, built in the United Kingdom:

  • Nansemond, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Pennsylvania, 1896).
    13,333 Gross Tons; Length 559.4'; Breadth 62.2'
    This ship's superstructure was relatively short.

     USS Nansemond, 1919:

    Picture Data


    Three relatively large ships, built in Germany:

  • Graf Waldersee, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Graf Waldersee, 1898).
    13,193 Gross Tons; Length 561.2'; Breadth 62.2'
  • Pretoria, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Pretoria, 1897).
    13,234 Gross Tons; Length 561.0'; Breadth 62.2'
  • Patricia, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Patricia, 1899).
    14,466 Gross Tons; Length 560.3'; Breadth 62.3'
    These ships had relatively short superstructures.

     USS Graf Waldersee, 1919:

    Note: Armistice markings and bulwark at bow
    Picture Data

     USS Pretoria, 1919:

    Picture Data

     USS Patricia, April 1919:




    Picture Data


    Two medium-size ships, both built in Germany:

  • Antigone, USN 1917-1919 (ex-German S.S. Neckar, 1900).
    9835 Gross Tons; Length 499.3'; Breadth 58.1'
  • Susquehanna, USN 1917-1919 (ex-German S.S. Rhein, 1899).
    10,058 Gross Tons; Length 501.0'; Breadth 58.1'

     USS Antigone, circa 1919:



    Picture Data

     USS Susquehanna:

    Picture Data


    One relatively small ship, quite different from the others in this group:

  • Hancock, USN 1902-1926 (ex S.S. Arizona, 1879).
    8,500 Tons; Length 465.5'; Breadth 45.4'
    This ship's smokestack was located somewhat aft of amidships.

     USS Hancock, circa early 1920s:

    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 may 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 14 March 2007
    Link changed 21 December 2009