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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo #  NH 65065:  S.S. Santa Barbara underway, prior to her World War I Naval service


Online Library of Selected Images:
-- CIVILIAN SHIPS --

S.S. Santa Barbara (American Freighter, 1916).
Served as USS Santa Barbara (ID # 4522) in 1918-1919.

Santa Barbara, a 6621 gross ton freighter, was built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1916. Owned by the Atlantic and Pacific Steamship Company of New York City, in April 1918 she was taken over by the Navy for World War I service and placed in commission as USS Santa Barbara (with the Navy registry ID # 4522 probably being assigned later). Between then and January 1919, while assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, she completed four round-trip voyages between New York and France. Transferred to the Cruiser and Transport Force in February 1919, she was converted to a troop transport and, beginning at the end of March 1919, was employed bringing home American service personnel. By the latter part of July 1919, Santa Barbara had made four trips from France to the U.S. for this purpose. She was then decommissioned and, in early August, returned to her owner.

Santa Barbara resumed commercial service and was later renamed American. On 11 June 1942, while off Honduras, she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine off U-504. Four of her crew lost their lives as a result of this action.

This page features the only views we have concerning the steamship Santa Barbara (of 1916) and USS Santa Barbara (ID # 4522).


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.

Photo #: NH 65065

S.S. Santa Barbara
(American Freighter, 1916)

Underway, prior to her World War I era Naval service.
This steamer was placed in commission on 20 April 1918 as USS Santa Barbara (ID # 4522). She was returned to her owners, the Atlantic & Pacific Steamship Company, on 6 August 1919.
The original photograph is on the official data card for Santa Paula (ID # 1590).

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 460 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 106367

USS Santa Barbara
(ID # 4522)

Crowded with homeward bound troops, while arriving in a U.S. East Coast port in 1919.
The original image is printed on post card ("AZO") stock.

Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008.

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 76KB; 740 x 485 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".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

    Page made 19 March 2005
    New image added 28 February 2009