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WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 65091:  S.S. Edgar F. Luckenbach in 1916.  Note her four masts and single smokestack.

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

WORLD WAR I ERA CARGO SHIPS --
with ONE SMOKESTACK and THREE or FOUR SINGLE MASTS

Eight of the U.S. Navy's WWI era cargo ships had one smokestack and three or four single masts. Deck line features in these ships varied, and some of the ships had kingpost pairs in addition to their masts.

To facilitate identification, these vessels have been placed in five sub-groups, some containing ships of essentially identical design ("sister ships"), while others consist of quite different designs. The latter are further subdivided as to whether they were built in the United States or abroad.

This page features a table (with links to individual ships) of World War I era U.S. Navy cargo ships with one smokestack and three or four single masts, plus a photograph of each ship in this group.


Ships in this group:

EIGHT SHIPS with ONE SMOKESTACK (Funnel) and THREE or FOUR SINGLE MASTS, subdivided as shown below:


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.



ONE SHIP -- Three masts: Foreign built

  • Pensacola, USN 1917-1925 (German built, ex German S.S. Nicaria, 1901).
    3974 Gross Tons; Length 339.1'; Breadth 51.2'.
    Note: This ship had a "three island" deckline and cowl-type kingposts aft of the bridge.


     USS Pensacola, 1917:

    Picture Data


    TWO SHIPS -- Four masts: Foreign built

  • Oosterdijk, USN 1918-1918 (British built, ex Dutch S.S. Oosterdijk, 1913).
    8251 Gross Tons; Length 450.3'; Breadth 55.0'
  • Westerdijk, USN 1918-1919 (British built, ex Dutch S.S. Westerdijk, 1913).
    8261 Gross Tons; Length 450.3'; Breadth 55.0'.
    Note: These ships had a flush deckline, with a high bulwark forward, and
    kingpost pairs forward and aft of the midships superstructure and at the bow and stern.


     USS Oosterdijk, 1918:

    Picture Data
     S.S. Westerdijk, 1918:

    Picture Data


    ONE SHIP -- Four masts: Sparrows Point 492-foot type. Later served as a transport.

  • Virginian, USN 1919-1919 (ex American S.S. Virginian, 1903).
    7914 Gross Tons; Length 492.0'; Breadth 58.25'.
    Note: This ship had a raised hull island amidships.


     S.S. Virginian:

    Picture Data


    ONE SHIP -- Four masts: Luckenbach 425-foot type built by Newport News. Later served as a transport.

  • Edgar F. Luckenbach, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Edgar F. Luckenbach, 1916).
    7923 Gross Tons; Length 425.0'; Breadth 57.25'.
    Note: This ship had a flush deckline, with raised bulwarks forward and amidships.


     S.S. Edgar F. Luckenbach, 1916:

    Picture Data


    THREE SHIPS -- Four masts: Precursors to Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1044, rigged as lumber schooners.
    NOTE:
    these ships' forward and after masts were stepped quite close to their bows and sterns.

  • Lake Bridge, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Lake Bridge, ex War Rifle, 1917).
    1977 Gross Tons; Length 251'; Breadth 43.5'.
  • Lake Superior, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Lake Superior, ex War Bayonet, 1917).
    1977 Gross Tons; Length 251'; Breadth 43.5'
  • Lakeshore, USN 1918-1919 (ex American S.S. Lakeshore, ex War Shell, 1917).
    1977 Gross Tons; Length 251'; Breadth 43.5'.
    Note: These ships' forward and after masts were stepped quite close to their bows and sterns.
    Their decklines were of the "three island" type.

     S.S. War Rifle and War Bayonet, 1917:

    Picture Data
     USS Lake Superior, circa 1918:

    Picture Data
     S.S. War Shell, 1917:

    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 23 December 2007
    Edited and reposted 22 September 2009