USSWesterner
 SSWesternerfitting outat theJ. F. Duthie and CompanyshipyardinSeattle,Washington,on 26 January 1918.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSWesterner |
| Builder | J. F. Duthie and Company,Seattle,Washington |
| Launched | 4 November 1917 |
| Completed | early 1918 |
| Acquired | 20 June 1918 |
| Commissioned | 20 June 1918 |
| Decommissioned | 21 August 1919 |
| Stricken | 21 August 1919 |
| Fate | Returned toU.S. Shipping Board21 August 1919 |
| Notes |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Cargo ship |
| Displacement | 12,200 tons |
| Length | 423 ft 9 in (129.16 m) |
| Beam | 54 ft 0 in (16.46 m) |
| Draft | 24 ft 1 in (7.34 m) (mean) |
| Depth | 29 ft 9 in (9.07 m) |
| Propulsion | One 2,500-ihp(1.864-mW)steam engine,one shaft |
| Speed | 10.5knots(19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) |
| Complement | 87 |
| Armament | 1 × 5-inch (127-mm) gun |
USSWesterner(ID-2890)was acargo shipof theUnited States Navythat served duringWorld War Iand its immediate aftermath.
Construction and acquisition
[edit]Westernerwas laid down as the steel-hulled, single-screwDesign 1013commercial cargo ship SSWesternerbyJ. F. Duthie and CompanyinSeattle,Washington,for theUnited States Shipping Board.She waslaunchedon 4 November 1917 and completed early in 1918. She then steamed to theUnited States East Coast,where she was transferred to the U.S. Navy on 20 June 1918 atNorfolk,Virginia,assigned the naval registry identification number 2890, andcommissionedthe same day as USSWesterner(ID-2890).[1][2]
Navy career
[edit]Assigned to theNaval Overseas Transportation Service(NOTS),Westernerdeparted Norfolk on 10 July 1918 carrying a cargo ofUnited States Armysupplies and steamed toNew York City.She departed New York on 24 July 1918 as part of aconvoybound forFrance.She developed engine trouble, forcing her to spend three days atHalifax,Nova Scotia,Canada,before resuming her voyage to France. She arrived atBrest,France, on 17 August 1918, then moved toSt. Nazaireto discharge her cargo.[3][4]
Westernerdeparted St. Nazaire on 22 September 1918 and made port at Norfolk on 10 October 1918, where she loaded another cargo of U.S. Army supplies. She subsequently conducted three additional cargo-carrying voyages under the control of NOTS: two toLa Pallice,France (on one occasion lifting supplies consigned to theFrench government), and one toTrieste,Italy,viaGibraltar.After her final NOTS voyage,Westernermade port at New York City on 6 August 1919.[5][6]
Decommissioning and disposal
[edit]Decommissionedon 21 August 1919,Westernerwas simultaneously struck from theNavy listand transferred back to the U.S. Shipping Board.Oliver J. Olson & Companybecame the operator of the ship for the U.S. Shipping Board.
Later career
[edit]Once again SSWesterner,the ship operated commercially under Shipping Board control until laid up in the late 1920s. After that, she never returned to service and was abandoned due to age and deterioration in either late 1932 or early 1933.
Notes
[edit]- ^Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships:Westerner(American Freighter, 1918). Served as USSWesterner(ID # 2890) in 1918-1919
- ^NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Westerner (ID 2890)
- ^Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships:Westerner(American Freighter, 1918). Served as USSWesterner(ID # 2890) in 1918-1919
- ^NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Westerner (ID 2890)
- ^Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships:Westerner(American Freighter, 1918). Served as USSWesterner(ID # 2890) in 1918-1919
- ^NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Westerner (ID 2890)
References
[edit]
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entry can be foundhere.- Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships:Westerner(American Freighter, 1918). Served as USSWesterner(ID # 2890) in 1918-1919
- NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Westerner (ID 2890)