Moving the US Troops in 1917-19

Updated May 15, 2013

This page is part of my web pages concerning the picture postcards of WW I troopships. This page describes the troopships themselves and a bit about their history.

I have a copy of a book entitled A History of the Transport Service by Vice Admiral Albert Gleaves, U.S.N. It was published in 1921 and describes the incredible effort needed to transport millions of American troops both over to France and back home again. Several tables and illustrations from the book are available from my Flickr account, by following the links on this page. This information may help if you are looking for a particular ship or wish to see the statistics behind this major war effort. Many of the ships shown on JWB postcards are present in these listings.

The contents of this book are available online: Online copy of A History of the Transport Service by Vice Admiral Albert Gleaves, U.S.N. You can download your own copy and learn more about this fascinating history, and the ships and men that were part of it.

Listings of Ships

The following images were scanned from the book mentioned above. These pages list the ships used to take troops over to France. These ships also took part in the return of the troops. Any of the German ships listed here were seized by the US after it's entrance into the War in 1917. (Note that other German ships were used to return troops, but those ships were given to the US as part of the post-War reparations.)

Ship	Tonnage	Nationality/Organization	Number of Turnarounds Made	Number of Passengers Carried to Europe	Start Date of Operation
Aeolus	22000	Ex-German	8	24770	Aug. 4-17
Agamemnon	30000	Ex-German	10	36097	Aug. 21-17
America	41500	Ex-German	9	39768	Aug. 6-17
Antigone	15000	Ex-German	8	16526	Sep. 5-17
Calamares	10000	Am-Passenger	5	7657	Apr. 9-18
Covington	41500	Ex-German	6	21628	Jul. 28-17
De Kalb (Aux. Cruiser)	14280	Ex-German	11	11334	May 12-17
Finland	22000	Am-Passenger	5	12654	Apr. 26-18
Geo. Washington [George Washington]	39435	Ex-German	9	48373	Sep. 6-17
Great Northern	14000	Am-Passenger	10	28248	Nov. 1-17
Hancock	10000	Marine Transport	2	1438	---
Harrisburg	15000	Am-Passenger	4	9855	May 29-18
Henderson	10000	Marine Transport	10	16352	May 24-17
Huron	15000	Ex-German	8	20871	Jul. 25-17
K. der Nederlanden [Koningin der Nederlanden]	13600	Dutch Chartered	3	6283	Apr. 4-18
Kroonland	22000	Am-Passenger	5	14125	Apr. 25-18
Lenape	7000	Am-Passenger	6	8975	Apr. 24-17
Leviathan	69000	Ex-German	10	96804	Jul. 25-17
Louisville	14000	Am-Passenger	4	9247	Apr. 27-18
Madawaska	15000	Ex-German	9	17931	Aug. 27-17
H. R. Mallory	11000	Am-Passenger	6	9756	Apr. 17-18
Manchuria	26500	Am-Passenger	4	14491	Apr. 25-18
Martha Washington	14500	Ex-German	8	22311	Jan. 2-18
Matsonia	17000	Am-Passenger	6	13329	Mar. 1-18
Maui	17500	Am-Passenger	4	11042	Mar. 6-18
Mercury	16000	Ex-German	7	18542	Aug. 3-17
Mongolia	26695	Am-Passenger	5	19013	May 8-18
Mount Vernon	32130	Ex-German	9	33692	Jul. 28-17
Northern Pacific	12500	Am-Passenger	9	20711	Nov. 1-17
Orizaba	13000	Am-Passenger	6	15712	May 27-18
Pastores	13000	Am-Passenger	6	9928	May 6-18
Plattsburg	10000	Am-Passenger	4	8776	May 25-18
Pocahontas	14500	Ex-German	9	20503	Jul. 25-17
Powhatan	17000	Ex-German	7	14613	Aug. 16-17
Pres. Grant [President Grant]	33000	Ex-German	8	39974	Aug. 2-17
Pres. Lincoln [President Lincoln]	29000	Ex-German	5	20143	Jul. 25-17
Princess Matoika	17500	Ex-German	6	21216	May 27-18
Rijndam	22070	Dutch Chartered	6	17913	May 1-18
Siboney	11250	Am-Passenger	7	20219	Apr. 8-18
Sierra	10000	Am-Passenger	1	1712	Jul. 1-18
Susquehanna	16950	Ex-German	8	18345	Sep. 5-17
Tenadores	10000	Am-Passenger	13	15698	Apr. 17-18
Von Steuben	22000	Ex-German	9	14347	Jun. 9-17
Wilhelmina	13500	Am-Passenger	6	11053	Jan. 26-18
Zeelandia	12950	Dutch Chartered	5	8349	Apr. 3-18

Page Images:

Part 1 of a table describing the ships used at the start of the US troop transport effort. [Flickr]

Part 2 of the table of troop transports. [Flickr]

Part 3 of the table of troop transports. [Flickr]

Map of North Atlantic showing routes and ports used by the United States for troopships. [Flickr]

The same table as above, but sorted by the number of troops handled. This information may be of use to collectors, since there may be a relationship between the number of troops, and the number of possible postcards and letters purchased and/or mailed from these ships. Some of these ships carried very, very few passengers during the War.

Ship	Tonnage	Nationality/Organization	Number of Turnarounds Made	[SORT] Number of Passengers Carried to Europe	Start Date of Operation
Leviathan	69000	Ex-German	10	96804	Jul. 25-17
Geo. Washington [George Washington]	39435	Ex-German	9	48373	Sep. 6-17
Pres. Grant [President Grant]	33000	Ex-German	8	39974	Aug. 2-17
America	41500	Ex-German	9	39768	Aug. 6-17
Agamemnon	30000	Ex-German	10	36097	Aug. 21-17
Mount Vernon	32130	Ex-German	9	33692	Jul. 28-17
Great Northern	14000	Am-Passenger	10	28248	Nov. 1-17
Aeolus	22000	Ex-German	8	24770	Aug. 4-17
Martha Washington	14500	Ex-German	8	22311	Jan. 2-18
Covington	41500	Ex-German	6	21628	Jul. 28-17
Princess Matoika	17500	Ex-German	6	21216	May 27-18
Huron	15000	Ex-German	8	20871	Jul. 25-17
Northern Pacific	12500	Am-Passenger	9	20711	Nov. 1-17
Pocahontas	14500	Ex-German	9	20503	Jul. 25-17
Siboney	11250	Am-Passenger	7	20219	Apr. 8-18
Pres. Lincoln [President Lincoln]	29000	Ex-German	5	20143	Jul. 25-17
Mongolia	26695	Am-Passenger	5	19013	May 8-18
Mercury	16000	Ex-German	7	18542	Aug. 3-17
Susquehanna	16950	Ex-German	8	18345	Sep. 5-17
Madawaska	15000	Ex-German	9	17931	Aug. 27-17
Rijndam	22070	Dutch Chartered	6	17913	May 1-18
Antigone	15000	Ex-German	8	16526	Sep. 5-17
Henderson	10000	Marine Transport	10	16352	May 24-17
Orizaba	13000	Am-Passenger	6	15712	May 27-18
Tenadores	10000	Am-Passenger	13	15698	Apr. 17-18
Powhatan	17000	Ex-German	7	14613	Aug. 16-17
Manchuria	26500	Am-Passenger	4	14491	Apr. 25-18
Von Steuben	22000	Ex-German	9	14347	Jun. 9-17
Kroonland	22000	Am-Passenger	5	14125	Apr. 25-18
Matsonia	17000	Am-Passenger	6	13329	Mar. 1-18
Finland	22000	Am-Passenger	5	12654	Apr. 26-18
De Kalb (Aux. Cruiser)	14280	Ex-German	11	11334	May 12-17
Wilhelmina	13500	Am-Passenger	6	11053	Jan. 26-18
Maui	17500	Am-Passenger	4	11042	Mar. 6-18
Pastores	13000	Am-Passenger	6	9928	May 6-18
Harrisburg	15000	Am-Passenger	4	9855	May 29-18
H. R. Mallory	11000	Am-Passenger	6	9756	Apr. 17-18
Louisville	14000	Am-Passenger	4	9247	Apr. 27-18
Lenape	7000	Am-Passenger	6	8975	Apr. 24-17
Plattsburg	10000	Am-Passenger	4	8776	May 25-18
Zeelandia	12950	Dutch Chartered	5	8349	Apr. 3-18
Calamares	10000	Am-Passenger	5	7657	Apr. 9-18
K. der Nederlanden [Koningin der Nederlanden]	13600	Dutch Chartered	3	6283	Apr. 4-18
Sierra	10000	Am-Passenger	1	1712	Jul. 1-18
Hancock	10000	Marine Transport	2	1438	---

Seized German Liners

A number of German ocean liners were interned by the US at the start of the European war (1914). They were seized when the US entered the war (1917) and converted to troopships as quickly as possible, since the US did not have sufficient capacity to carry troops. The ships were renamed from their German names, when appropriate. The listings are headed by the city in which they were interned.

NEW YORK

Former Ship Name	New Ship Name	Tonnage
Grosser Kurfurst	Aeolus	13102
Kaiser Wilhelm II	Agamemnon	19361
George Washington	Agamemnon	19361
Frederich der Grosse	Huron	10771
Vaterland	Leviathan	52820
Koenig Wilhelm	Madawaska	9410
Barbarossa	Mercury	10984
Prinzess Irene	Pocahontas	10893
Hamburg	Powhatan	10531
President Grant	President Grant	33000 (book in error gives 18172)
President Lincoln	President Lincoln	29000 (book in error gives 18172)

BOSTON

Former Ship Name	New Ship Name	Tonnage
Amerika	America	22622
Cincinnati	Covington	16339
Kronprinzessin Cecile	Mount Vernon	19503

NORFOLK

Former Ship Name	New Ship Name	Tonnage
Neckar	Antigone	9835
Rheim	Susquehanna	7797

PHILADELPHIA

Former Ship Name	New Ship Name	Tonnage
Kronprinz Wilhelm	Von Steuben	14008

Page Image:

Book page listing German ships seized by the US in the First World War, and used as troopships.

The following tables show the names of the ships, both the original German and U. S. renaming. NOTE that this table does not show German ships taken as post-War reparations.

Ex-German (Early) Troopship Names

Original German Name	New US Name
Amerika	America
Barbarossa	Mercury
Cincinnati	Covington
George Washington	George Washington
Frederich der Grosse	Huron
Grosser Kurfurst	Aeolus
Hamburg	Powhatan
Kaiser Wilhelm II	Agamemnon
Koenig Wilhelm	Madawaska
Kronprinz Wilhelm	Von Steuben
Kronprinzessin Cecile	Mount Vernon
Neckar	Antigone
President Grant	President Grant
President Lincoln	President Lincoln
Prinzess Irene	Pocahontas
Rheim	Susquehanna
Vaterland	Leviathan

The same table, but sorted by the US ship name:

Original German Name	New US Name
Grosser Kurfurst	Aeolus
Kaiser Wilhelm II	Agamemnon
Amerika	America
Neckar	Antigone
Cincinnati	Covington
George Washington	George Washington
Frederich der Grosse	Huron
Vaterland	Leviathan
Koenig Wilhelm	Madawaska
Barbarossa	Mercury
Kronprinzessin Cecile	Mount Vernon
Prinzess Irene	Pocahontas
Hamburg	Powhatan
President Grant	President Grant
President Lincoln	President Lincoln
Rheim	Susquehanna
Kronprinz Wilhelm	Von Steuben

Foreign Ships

A number of foreign ships were also used to move US troops to and from France.

Ship Name	Nationality
Kursk	British
Czar	British
Czaritza	British
Dwinsk	British
Vauban	British
Caserta	Italian
Dante Alighieri	Italian
Duca D'Aosta	Italian
Duca Degli Abruzzi	Italian
Re D'Italia	Italian
America	Italian
Patria	French
France	French
Lutetia	French
Sobral	Brazilian

Page Image:

List of foreign ships used by the US as troopships during the First World War.

Ships Used for Troop Returning Only

These lists are long, so they have been moved to their own web page. See: ships used to return American troops after the First World War.

Some images are available of these ships. The Naval Historical Center keeps a list of all known ships used by, or part of, the U. S. Navy. The links to some of their ship images follow: