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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 43045:  USS George Washington, March 1919

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

WORLD WAR I ERA TRANSPORTS --
with Two Smokestacks and Four Masts

Seven WWI era U.S. Navy transports had two smokestacks and four masts. Five were taken into service during the war. Three of these were former German passenger liners seized in 1917 and commissioned later in that year. One of them was torpedoed and sunk during the conflict. Two U.S. flag liners were placed in commission in 1918, after initially operating with civilian crews under U.S. Army charter. The remaining two ships, which had spent the war in Germany, were taken over early in 1919 to convey U.S. service personnel home from Europe.

These seven ships varied significantly in size, with the largest having nearly twice the tonnage as the smallest. They can be readily separated into three groups: three large ex-German ships of over 20,000 gross tons; two ex-German ships of about 16,000 gross tons; and two American liners of about 12,000 tons.

Two of the larger ships were somewhat similar in appearance, though stack spacing and other design elements were different. The third ship had an additional superstructure level. The middle group were also fairly close in appearance, while the smaller American liners were nearly identical. The ships commissioned in 1917-1918 wore Navy-type color schemes: grey overall, with most having pattern camouflage during much of 1918. The 1919 acquisitions were both painted in civilian colors during their Naval service.

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


Ships in this group:

SEVEN SHIPS -- TWO SMOKESTACKS and FOUR MASTS --

Three Large Ships:

  • George Washington, USN 1917-1919 (ex-German S.S. George Washington, 1908).
    25,570 Gross Tons; Length 699.1'; Breadth 78.2'
  • America, USN 1917-1919 (ex-German S.S. Amerika, 1905).
    22,622 Gross Tons; Length 668.8'; Breadth 74.3'
  • Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, USN 1919-1919 (ex-German S.S. Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, 1905).
    24,581 Gross Tons; Length 677.5'; Breadth 77.3'

     USS George Washington, 1919:

    Picture Data

     USAT America, circa 1919:



    Picture Data

     USS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria:

    Picture Data


    Two Medium-sized Ships:

  • Covington, USN 1917-1918 (ex-German S.S. Cincinnati, 1908).
    16,339 Gross Tons; Length 582.3'; Breadth 65.4'. Lost 2 July 1918
  • Mobile, USN 1919-1918 (ex-German S.S. Cleveland, 1909).
    16,971 Gross Tons; Length 588.9'; Breadth 65.4'

     USS Covington, Oct. 1917:

    Picture Data

     USS Mobile, 1919:


    Picture Data


    Two Smaller Ships:

  • Finland, USN 1918-1919 (ex-American S.S. Finland, 1902).
    12,700 Gross Tons; Length 560.0'; Breadth 60.2'
  • Kroonland, USN 1918-1918 (ex-American S.S. Kroonland, 1902).
    12,241 Gross Tons; Length 560.0'; Breadth 60.2'

     S.S. Finland, circa 1917:

    Picture Data

     USS Kroonland, 1919:

    Picture Data


    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 March 2007