Return to Naval History
and Heritage Command home page.
Return to Online
Library listing
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE
COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:
-- CIVILIAN SHIPS --
El Oriente (American Freighter, 1910).
Served as USS El Oriente (ID # 4504) in 1918-1919
El Oriente, a 6008 gross ton steel steam freighter,
was built at Newport News, Virginia, in 1910. She was taken over
by the Navy in late July 1918 and placed in commission as USS
El Oriente (ID # 4504). From then until April 1919 she
made four round-trip voyages to France, carrying U.S. Army cargo.
The ship was then converted to a troop transport, beginning operations
as such in June. In September 1919, after the completion of two
trips bringing service personnel home from France, USS El Oriente
was decommissioned and returned to her owners.
This page features the only views we have concerning the
freighter El Oriente and USS El Oriente (ID # 4504).
Click on the small photograph to prompt
a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 70455
S.S. El Oriente (American Freighter, 1910)
Underway in harbor, prior to World War I.
This ship served as USS El Oriente (ID # 4504) in 1918-1919.
U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Online Image: 68KB; 740 x 480 pixels |
 |
Photo #: NH 103918
USS El Oriente (ID # 4504)
In a U.S. East Coast port at the end of a voyage bringing troops
home from France, circa mid-1919.
The original image was printed on postal card ("AZO")
stock.
Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006.
U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 470 pixels |
 |
The following photograph is of a ship that may be USS El Oriente, though it is more likely her sister, USS El Occidente (ID # 3307):
Photo #: NH 106039
U.S. Navy Cargo Ship
Photographed circa early 1919. Location may be the Gironde River,
France, off the American Bassens port facility.
This ship is either USS El Oriente (ID # 4504), USS El
Occidente (ID # 3307), or USS El Sol (ID # 4505).
What may be a name board on her bridge face indicates, from its
length, that El Occidente is the more likely identification.
Note that the ship still carries her bow gun, and is still in
freighter configuration. El Oriente and El Sol
were converted to transports in the Spring of 1919, while El
Occidente was decommissioned in March of that year.
The original photograph is printed on post card ("AZO")
stock.
Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008.
U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 470 pixels |
 |
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".
Return to Naval History
and Heritage Command home page.
Page made 30 November 2003
New image added 3 January 2009