USS Gulfport, a 3800 ton cargo ship, was built at Bremerhaven, Germany, in 1902 as the commercial freighter Andree Rickmers and was renamed Locksun in 1906. Upon the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 she became the tender and collier for the small German cruiser Geier. In October 1914 Geier entered Honolulu, Hawaii Territory in unseaworthy condition, followed closely by Locksun. Both ships were interned there in November 1914. In February 1917 the crews of the two ships tried to burn them, and the Navy seized the vessels and moved them to Pearl Harbor for refitting. Locksun was renamed Gulfport (ID # 2989) in June and was placed in commission in September 1917.
Gulfport departed Pearl Harbor in October 1917 carrying a full cargo of pineapples and escorting four submarines. She discharged her cargo at Key West, Florida in January 1918, then proceeded to New York for repairs. Gulfport spent nearly all of the rest of her Navy career carrying cargo and a few passengers between the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast (primarily Charleston, South Carolina and New York), sometimes alternating schedules with USS Kittery. She was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service between January 1918 and October 1919 and subsequently served under the jurisdiction of the Commandant, 6th Naval District, Charleston. Gulfport was classified as a cargo ship (AK-2) when hull numbers were first assigned to Navy ships in July 1920. In 1921 her authorized passenger capacity was set at twelve first-class passengers and 54 officers and troops. She returned to New York from her last Caribbean voyage in November 1921, was replaced in the fleet by USS Capella (AK-13) and placed out of commission in March 1922. The ship was sold in July 1922 and became the merchantman Commercial Scout. Renamed Lok Sun in 1924, she was wrecked near Hong Kong in July 1929 and later scrapped.
This page features the only views we have concerning USS Gulfport and S.S. Locksun.
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.
NOTES:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 12 October 2008
Text edited and coding updated 13 January 2009