Thirteen of the U.S. Navy's WWI era transports were converted from freighters originally constructed for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company, or built to a design typical of that firm's ships. These had flush deck hulls, low superstructures and a single tall smokestack, making them relatively easy to distinguish from freighters employed by other companies. Two of them, built early in the Twentieth Century with split superstructures, are visually different from the other eleven. The latter were all quite similar in appearance. With one exception, these ships had the "state or country resident" names for which the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company was well-known.
Ten of these ships entered U.S. Navy service in 1917 and 1918, operating as cargo ships or animal transports until after the 11 November 1918 Armistice. They were then modified for troop transport duties, with externally visible additions including portholes in hull sides and temporary houses installed on the weather deck. The other three ships were commissioned as transports, and did not have wartime Navy service.
This page features a table (with links to individual ships) of World War I era U.S. Navy transports converted from freighters built for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company, or of a design similar to that company's ships, plus one photograph of each ship in this group.
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.
THIRTEEN SHIPS, all having single tall smokestacks and flush-deck
hulls with small bulwarks (of differing shapes) at the bow. They
have counter sterns
and relatively low superstructures.
==> Two of the ships have split superstructures, with a hatch
and kingposts
between the bridge and stack, which is reflected in the "M-K-KF-K-M"
coding of their masts,
kingposts and smokestack arrangement.
==> The other eleven ships have identical "M-K-F-K-M"
arrangements, but other details help separate ships constructed
at different times by different builders.
==> In addition, in pictures taken during their service as
Navy transports, these ships can sometimes be distinguished by
their differing arrangements of temporary deckhouses, mast lookout
positions and other features.
Arrangement of kingposts, masts and smokestacks (funnels):
M-K-KF-K-M:
Picture Data |
Picture Data |
Arrangement of kingposts, masts and smokestacks (funnels):
M-K-F-K-M:
Picture Data |
Picture Data |
Arrangement of kingposts, masts and smokestacks (funnels):
M-K-F-K-M:
Picture Data |
Picture Data |
Picture Data |
Picture Data |
Picture Data |
Picture Data |
Arrangement of kingposts, masts and smokestacks (funnels):
M-K-F-K-M:
Picture Data |
Picture Data |
Picture Data |
Note: Another American-Hawaiian Steamship Company freighter also served as a U.S. Navy Transport. However, her appearance was significantly different from the ships listed above. Accordingly, USS Virginian is treated in the Miscellaneous and Unidentified Types section of this presentation.
NOTES:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 25 March 2007
Link revised 30 November 2009