Matsonia, a 9728 gross ton passenger steamship, was built in 1913 at Newport News, Virginia. She operated between the U.S. west coast and Hawaii during most of her active career. Taken over by the Navy during World War I, she served as USS Matsonia (ID # 1589) until returned to her civilian owners in 1919. In 1932, she was laid up at Antioch, California, but was briefly employed as a cargo ship in 1936-37.
In March 1937, Matsonia was sold to Alaskan interests
and renamed Etolin. The U.S. Army chartered her for troopship
service in August 1940 and kept her through World War II, retaining
the name Etolin. In 1940-41, she made voyages to Alaska,
the Philippines and Hawaii and in early 1942 steamed down to South
America before returning to the Hawaiian transport route. Later
in that year, Etolin went to Baltimore, Maryland, where
she was extensively overhauled. After arriving back at San Francisco,
California, in July 1943, she operated from the U.S. to Australia
and Hawaii. After repairs that lasted from the last part of 1944
through first seven months of 1945, Etolin twice crossed
the Pacific to Japan and Okinawa. During early 1946, she served
between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Panama, before being turned
over to the War Shipping Administration in late April 1946 for
layup in the James River (Virginia) Reserve Fleet. Etolin
was scrapped at Baltimore, Maryland, in 1957.
This page features and provides links to our only views of the passenger steamship Matsonia, which was USS Matsonia (ID 1589) during 1918-1919, and of the U.S. Army Transport Etolin.
For pictorial coverage of this ship while she was in U.S.
Navy service, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
The following image shows Matsonia during her World War II service as the U.S. Army Transport Etolin:
For pictorial coverage of Matsonia while she was
in World War I U.S. Navy service, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 12 January 2002
New image added 14 August 2006