68-643: USAT Thomas was a United States Army transport ship purchased on 26 July 1898 for Spanish–American War service. Thomas served with the Army Transport Service (ATS) until retired in 1929. The ship was built by Harland & Wolff , Belfast and launched as Persia in May 1894 for the Hamburg-American Packet Company (Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfarhrt Aktien-Gesellschaft (HAPAG)) with service to New York. She
136-517: A 3,000-ton displacement and a crew complement of 60-plus men. They were seagoing diesel-electric hydraulic dredging vessels, normally functioning under the Army Corps of Engineers control, and used for maintaining and improving the coastal and harbor channels around the U.S. coasts. During World War II, five seagoing hopper dredges already in civil service, were fitted with 3-inch deck guns and 20-millimeter antiaircraft guns. Four were sent to
204-660: A complement of 13 officers and 172 men and home station of San Francisco. Persia , a Hamburg-American Packet Company ship, code letters RKBG, 5,796 GRT , 3,687 NRT , with three decks was registered in Hamburg, Germany. The ship was sold in 1897 to the British Atlantic Transport Company, LTD. Minnewaska , code letters PWMV, British Official Number 108287, was registered at 5,713 GRT , 3,653 NRT with port of registry London and owner as Atlantic Transport Company, LTD. The ship
272-576: A history of submarine cable work by the time of World War II operations, dating back to the 1899-1900 period. Much of this work had been in relation to communications with far flung Army forces in the Philippines and Alaska. The Army Signal Corps used a number of cable ships for that work including Burnside , Romulus , Liscum , Dellwood and two vessels intimately associated with the Coast Artillery Corps controlled mine work at
340-416: A large inventory of steel, sheet metal, lumber, aluminum, and other materials to manufacture needed parts. Each ship was also provided with two motor launches and two DUKWs or "ducks," amphibious trucks for carrying parts too heavy for the helicopters. Two personnel were trained as divers. Each was equipped with a 40 by 72 feet (12 m × 22 m) steel deck to support helicopter operations. Each ship
408-842: A result of the Allied intervention in Siberia . In association with that service the ship was one of ten Army transports involved in evacuation of the Czechoslovak Legion from Vladivostok to Trieste , Italy. The ship's last voyage for the service was in March 1928 after which Thomas was turned over to the United States Shipping Board for disposal and sold to the American Iron and Metal Company 14 May 1929 for scrapping at Oakland, California. Persia
476-492: A theater to perform third and minor fourth echelon maintenance and repairs to small boats, harbor craft, floating equipment, and in some cases repairs to larger vessels. The company is equipped with an especially converted ship or barge, fully equipped with machine, electric, engine, wood-working, rigging and paint shops. See "The Forgotten Voyage of the USARS Duluth : Recalling a Coast Guard-Manned Vessel That Fell Through
544-484: A total of 886 passengers. The ship's third and last voyage of the fiscal year departed San Francisco on 31 March 1905 with 46 officers, 754 enlisted, 87 civilians for a total of 887 passengers. On 20 May 1905 Thomas departed Manila with 81 officers, 1,064 enlisted, 284 civilians for a total of 1,429 passengers. Thomas completed a general overhaul and returned to service on 6 November 1911. Potential emergency use for transporting an expeditionary force to China interrupted
612-431: Is on the sixth, to enable mustering an payment of troops before sailings. Sailings from Manila to San Francisco via Nagasaki, Japan, and Honolulu were on the fifteenth, except when the date fell on Sunday so that sailing was on the sixteenth. Thomas , despite being withdrawn during the year for repairs, is shown as making three outward bound, San Francisco to Manila, trips during the fiscal year. Departure on 1 September 1904
680-477: The 5th and 8th Infantry Regiments. Expiration of service on 30 June 1901 for the volunteer army in the Philippines required their transport to the United States without seriously interrupting the transports regular schedule by adding sailings to the schedule. Replacements were delayed so the transport of the volunteers was not begun until December 1900. On 16 March 1901 Thomas sailed with 1,918 troops of
748-585: The American Expeditionary Force, Siberia . Thomas was active in withdrawal of troops from Siberia. For example, the 27th Infantry Regiment departed Vladivostok 10 March 1920 aboard Thomas arriving at Manila on 17 March 1920. Between 10 June and 22 September 1920 Thomas was one of ten Army transports evacuating members of the Czechoslovak Legion from Vladivostok and transporting them to Trieste, Italy. In October 1922
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#1732772683887816-681: The Anhui , the Yochow and the Hanyang , believed to be chartered by the British Ministry of War Transport (BMWT) for the U.S. Army, though no official information concerning their status had been received. Three of those vessels, Coast Farmer , Dona Nati and Anhui , out of a number sent, managed to run the Japanese blockade of the Philippines and deliver supplies. After the war came
884-673: The ETO and last one, Hains , was sent to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), along with the cutter dredge 'Raymond', additionally four new Hains -class armed dredges were constructed for use in the PTO. Hains -class hopper dredge Towed cutter dredge The U.S. Army Mine Planter Service (AMPS), under the Coast Artillery Corps , operated ships designated as U.S. Army Mine Planter (USAMP) to 'plant'
952-579: The IMO number , though flag states still use national systems, which also cover those vessels not subject to the IMO regulations. Beginning in 1855, with the implementation of the Merchant Shipping Act 1854 , all British seagoing vessels were assigned an official number to give each ship a unique identity, even after being renamed or changing the port of registry. After the passage of legislation in
1020-648: The Philippine Commission to establish an education system in the Philippines. Thomas transported the largest group of teachers with all, regardless of ship, subsequently being given the name Thomasites for the ship. From 1919 until 1928 the ship was based in San Francisco making routine trips to the Philippines on a regular route normally involving stops in Honolulu, Guam, Nagasaki , Japan and after World War I briefly serving Vladivostok as
1088-780: The South West Pacific Area during the emergency of the Japanese advance throughout Southeast Asia the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines even the chartering arrangements were often vague as ships arriving in Australia were retained by United States Forces in Australia (USFIA) for operations in Australia. Some of these ships, acquired and operating under United States Army Services of Supply , Southwest Pacific Area ( USASOS SWPA ), achieved some notability in military history in daring voyages to resupply
1156-485: The Thomas broke its propeller on a voyage from San Francisco to Manila and put into Honolulu for repairs. The floating dry dock that was available had a capacity of only 4,500 tons, while the Thomas was an 11,000-ton vessel, and 118 feet longer than the dry dock. Engineers allowed the bow to extend beyond the front of the dry dock granting them access to stern which was lifted out of the water, allowing them to replace
1224-561: The Thomas took aboard passengers and crew of the Los Angeles Steamship Company liner SS City of Honolulu , which had caught fire about 670 miles northeast of the Hawaiian Islands, and landed them at San Pedro, California . From 5 to 30 September 1923 Thomas was one of three Army transports involved in earthquake relief operations, Yokohama, Japan. In March 1928 Thomas made her final voyage for
1292-615: The U.S. Army operated about 127,800 watercraft of various types. Those included large troop and cargo transport ships that were Army-owned hulls, vessels allocated by the War Shipping Administration , bareboat charters, and time charters. In addition to the transports, the Army fleet included specialized types. Those included vessels not related to transport such as mine warfare vessels, waterway or port maintenance ships, and other service craft. For example: Limiting
1360-439: The controlled mines guarding approaches to coastal fortifications . Numerous smaller vessels, not designated as USAMP, worked with the planters in a mine flotilla. Mine Planters & Associated Ships 1904-1909 ; Mine Planters 1917-1919 ; Mine Planters 1937 ; Numbered Mine Planters 1942-1943 ; Note Cyrus W. Field was a Signal Corps ship closely associated with mine cable work and sometimes listed with
1428-524: The 28th and 35th Infantry Regiments returning them to the United States the middle of April. A second such voyage departing the Philippines 27 May returned 1,661 troops of the 47th, 49th and 38th Infantry Regiments on 26 June 1901. On 23 July 1901 Thomas departed San Francisco with 357 male teachers, about 200 female teachers, a few wives and about 30 children sent by the Philippine Commission to establish an education system extending beyond
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#17327726838871496-687: The Aleutians, was declared surplus while at Mariveles, Philippines and turned over to the Foreign Liquidation Commission in February 1946, reverted to U. S. Army Forces, Western Pacific (AFWESPAC) in April 1946, but was not used as a repair ship after being declared surplus. Army Marine Ship Repair Company (T/O & E 55-47): This is a mobile maintenance and repair unit capable of traveling from installation to installation in
1564-754: The Army Transport Service and was turned over to the United States Shipping Board for disposal and sold to the American Iron and Metal Company 14 May 1929 for scrapping at Oakland, California. She was the last of the more than 50 transports acquired by the U.S. Government in 1898 to remain in service. Passengers during the ship's Army service were roughly estimated to be 40,000 officers, 200,000 men and civilians including prominent military and government officials of which none were lost to accident. United States Army Transport Section 3062, Title 10, U.S. Code, states that
1632-487: The Army had 30 junior mine planters by 1919. Junior Mine Planters 1904–1909 Official Number Official numbers are ship identifier numbers assigned to merchant ships by their country of registration . Each country developed its own official numbering system, some on a national and some on a port-by-port basis, and the formats have sometimes changed over time. As an internationally recognized ship identifier, national official numbers have largely been superseded by
1700-429: The Army includes "land combat and service forces and such aviation and water transport as may be organic therein." Army water transport capabilities include operation of fixed port facilities, construction and emplacement of temporary ports, operation of a variety of logistics watercraft (including transport vessels, lighterage, harbor and ocean-capable tug boats), plus port clearance capabilities. During World War II ,
1768-652: The Corps has approximately 2,300 floating plant assets, including barges, tow boats, floating cranes, survey boats, patrol boats and dredges. A classified program named Operation Ivory Soap was conceived by the Air Technical Service Command to service aircraft close to the front in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. Six Liberty ships were converted at Point Clear, Alabama , near Brookley Field, outside Mobile, Alabama. Conversion began in
1836-466: The Cracks of World War II History" for one of the few descriptions of these vessels in service. The embarked Army repair units, where noted below, are from Masterson": Seven cargo vessels were converted to spare parts depot ships to facilitate the maintenance of military equipment in oversea areas. The 20 dry cargo barges originally intended for bauxite were taken by the Army and 17 were used in
1904-720: The Navy. Some of the Army's specialized vessels became Navy commissioned ships (USS) or non-commissioned utility vessels. Digital photographs of a few of these vessels in Army service are provided at the Naval History and Heritage Command . Others were sold commercially or simply scrapped. The Army heritage of civilian crewed transports and cargo ships continued in the operating model for MSTS and its "in service" non-commissioned ships designated as U.S. Naval Ship (prefix "USNS"). Some Army vessels, still crewed by Army civilians just transferred, were suddenly sailing before fully taking on
1972-526: The Pacific fleet's total large transports to eight, generally with as much troop transport capacity or larger than that of Thomas . In 1901 the Army Transport Service was engaged in troop movements to China in response to the Boxer Rebellion . The first troops were sent from the Philippines with later contingents from San Francisco. Thomas was involved in transport from San Francisco with parts of
2040-471: The Pacific for the purpose of transporting personnel, hauling supplies and cargo, or occasionally for towing fuel barges and water craft, to bases along the coasts or to nearby islands. Eleven of these small ships were built for the U.S. Army Air Corps/Army Air Forces in late 1942 through mid 1943. The official designation was "Design No. 210, 150 Foot Steel Diesel Retrieving Vessel", sometimes termed "Aircraft Retrieving Vessel" in later references. Name format
2108-542: The Quartermaster Corps and later the Transportation Corps. Technical management of the cable ships was under Signal Corps and the entire enterprise of undersea cable work was the very specialized realm of several large communications corporations which operated their own cable vessels and provided experts in handling cable equipment and cable. Each appears to have used familiar terms when noting
USAT Thomas - Misplaced Pages Continue
2176-587: The U.S. Maritime Commission in World War II The Army had its own program for small boat construction and directly procured vessels and water craft that were under 200 feet or under 1,000 gross tons. Army F-ships (100-dwt) were little freighters built on the lines of a Dutch wooden shoe and had a capacity of about 100 tons with a maximum speed of 8 knots. During the war these little ships plied back and forth between Navy PT boat bases, Crash Rescue Boat bases, and Engineer Special Brigade bases in
2244-611: The U.S. Navy or Lend Lease , were transferred to the Army for operation as Engineer Port Repair Ships . The other ship, first obtained for the purpose, was a commercial ship allocated by the War Shipping Administration (WSA). All the ships were managed and crewed by Army Engineers organized into Engineer Port Repair Ship Crew units, named for Army Engineers killed in action during WW II and heavily modified from their original design. N3-M-A1 types: Some of these were substantial vessels, 300 feet long, with
2312-533: The bridge deck. Emigrants in steerage were housed in twelve person rooms on three decks. The ship's cargo capacity included refrigerated space for carriage of fresh meat from the United States to Europe. Additionally the ship had the capability of transporting up to 380 head of live cattle. The ships were powered by two sets of triple expansion steam engines. The design was for a ship of 5,857 GRT . Under lists of refrigeration equipped ships in Lloyd's Register of 1897
2380-489: The bridge deck. Soldiers had access to a writing room. Located on the main deck were an ice plant with two tons a day capacity, a condenser with 10,000 US gallons (38,000 L) per day capacity, a carbonating machine for soda water, bakery, steam laundry and cold storage for meat. Thomas could accommodate 100 officers, 1,200 men and 1,000 horses, and also had refrigerated capacity for shipping 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of meat. In Fiscal Year 1900 (31 July 1899—30 June 1900)
2448-577: The coastal fortifications; Cyrus W. Field and Joseph Henry . That cable laying capability had been allowed to deteriorate to the point that the Army had to charter the C.S. Restorer in 1941. The Army entered the field of undersea cable work in connecting the military installations in the Philippine Islands. The transport Hooker was fitted as a cable ship for Philippine service arriving in Manila from New York 26 June 1899. On 11 August, on
2516-612: The damaged propeller. From 1919 until 1928 Thomas was based at the Army Transport Service Pacific terminal and home port at Fort Mason , California. Though in Pacific service with large troop capacity the ship did not see service in the war zone during World War I due to slow speed and lack of bunker capacity. Transports in the Atlantic were required to make a round trip without bunkering in Europe where coal
2584-460: The existing Spanish system. The group, the largest contingent of teachers for the Philippines, were termed "Thomasites]" taking the name of the ship. The group was recruited by David Barrows , director of the colonial education system, and included a mix from well known professors at high-ranking universities to applicants seeking employment in teaching. With a stop in Honolulu the ship reached Manila on 21 August 1901. After being vaccinated aboard ship
2652-499: The first seagoing helicopter-equipped ships, and provided medical evacuation of combat casualties in both the Philippines and Okinawa. Six ships, allocated by the War Shipping Administration, were converted to repair and spare parts ships. Five, from 350 ft (110 m) to 390 ft (120 m) in length, were built on the Great Lakes from 1901 to 1913. The sixth, James B. Houston (1900) at 202 ft (62 m)
2720-510: The first trip in November 1899 with 1,490 passengers. In 1900 the ship's capacity was officially given as 95 officers and 1,654 men. By 1901 Thomas was operating out of the ATS home port in San Francisco making routine trips to the Philippines. In July 1901 the ship made the popular press and history outside its military support duties when it departed San Francisco with about 557 teachers sent by
2788-613: The forces cut off in the Philippines from either Australia or the already collapsing Dutch East Indies. That situation is captured by Masterson on page 324: On 28 April General MacArthur reported that his fleet consisted of twenty-eight vessels—the twenty-one KPM vessels (the majority of which had not been delivered); the Dona Nati . The Admiral Halstead , the Coast Farmer , and the MS ; Sea Witch , chartered by WSA; and
USAT Thomas - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-407: The group landed and took positions throughout the islands. The ship's routine ATS Pacific fleet service between San Francisco and Manila is reflected in figures for the fiscal year 1905. The fleet's San Francisco departures for Manila via Honolulu and Guam changed during the fiscal year from the last day of each month to the fifth day of each month, except when the fifth falls on Sunday when sailing
2924-561: The new service's administrative functions and colors. The Army has a fleet of approximately 132 watercraft, operated by units of the U.S. Army Transportation Corps . (The Army's watercraft program is managed by the United States Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command . ) These craft are identified by the following hull code and type; The US Army Corps of Engineers has a total of 11 dredge vessels, divided into hopper and non-hopper dredges. In total
2992-471: The number to only the named and numbered vessels, discounting the various simple barges and amphibious assault craft, the remaining number is 14,044 vessels. This fleet and the Army's Ports of Embarkation operated throughout the war's massive logistics effort in support of worldwide operations. After the war the Army's fleet began to resume its peacetime role and even regain the old colors of gray hulls, white deck houses and buff trimming, masts and booms with
3060-461: The planters. Joseph Henry was a cable ship transferred to the Coast Artillery Corps. Both were associated with the next generation of mine planter development that incorporated some cable capability into the 1909 and 1917 ships. Smaller vessels known as, "junior mine planters", or "pup planters", were occasionally employed as mine planters, but for the most part they served as freight and passenger boats for river and harbor duty. One source states
3128-517: The red, white and blue stack rings. An example may be seen in the photographs of USAT Fred C. Ainsworth . Some confusion may exist in the precise definition of "Army ship" as many ships saw Army service during the Second World War that were never or only briefly (a brief Army time or voyage charter) part of the Army's fleet. Army owned vessels of the core fleet are quite clear, even though some of those switched between Army and Navy during
3196-491: The regular schedule for Thomas and Sherman with both seeing a month delay in schedule for December 1911 and January 1912. Sheridan was activated to fill a gap in January sailings to Manila and held about a month in the Philippines before returning to San Francisco with the 14th Cavalry. Logan transported the expeditionary force of 544 from Manila to Chinwangtao , China departing Manila 12 January 1912. In early 1916,
3264-466: The reorganization that led to the U.S. Department of Defense rather than a separate United States Department of War and Department of the Navy with the decision on maritime logistics going in favor of it being administered by the Navy. As a result, the Army lost almost all of its big vessels. Many of the Army vessels were transferred to Navy with the transport types becoming components of the new Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS, now MSC) under
3332-693: The same name) was under Army charter from the Pacific Coast Steamship Company before being lost in 1900. The first ship supplied by the Quartermaster Corps to the Signal Corps for cable work was the U. S. Army Transport Burnside . That Spanish–American War prize was replaced by the larger Dellwood for work with Alaskan cables. There is some confusion on ship designators within even official records. The conventional commercial and nautical term for such ships
3400-466: The ship is rated with 30,342 cu ft (859.2 m) refrigerated cargo capacity in two compartments. The 1902 U.S. register lists the ship as being 5,713 GRT , 3,653 NRT , 445.5 ft (135.8 m) registry length , 50.2 ft (15.3 m) beam and depth of 29.8 ft (9.1 m). In the 1928 register, under Quartermaster Corps, United States Army, Thomas is listed as 7,685 GRT , 5,644 NRT assigned signal GWBM with
3468-475: The ship was among the nineteen large transports of the U.S. Army Quartermaster's Department and listed as one of four of those transports refitting for the Service's Pacific fleet. Thomas is shown in the list of thirteen Atlantic fleet ships as having the largest troop transport capacity with 95 officers and 1,654 men. Before June 30, 1900, transports Thomas , Meade and Logan had been transferred bringing
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#17327726838873536-456: The ship was described while in dry dock. Troops were quartered in spaces with steel pipe berths in frames of three berths. Spaces forward on the lower deck had 786 berths and the 'tween deck had an additional 807 berths. Officers quarters were on the promenade deck which also had a smoking room and lounge. Quarters for ship's officers were above on the bridge deck. There was a hospital with special ventilation for contagious diseases also located on
3604-842: The ships in records as seen in the Quartermaster reference, and records elsewhere. The nature of the work is such that specialized crews are required to operate the cable machinery and perform the actual cable splicing and technical work. The ex- Coast Artillery ships involved in mine planting were military crewed. CS Restorer was under charter and used civilians, many from its commercial crew, under Army contract. The remaining ships were probably mixed crews. Eleven Transportation Corps ships under technical management of Signal Corps are known to have been active in WW II and after: Ten ships, nine being Maritime Commission type N3-M-A1 cargo vessel hulls being built at Penn Jersey Shipbuilding for
3672-531: The southwest Pacific for storehouses. Of the 24 steam cargo concrete vessels, 17 were converted by the Army into floating storehouses, 5 were used by the Army as training ships and 2 found an honorable end when sunk to form part of the breakwater protecting the American landing in Normandy at Omaha beach. A. D. Kahn, "Concrete Ship and Barge Program, 1941-1944" Ships for victory: a history of shipbuilding under
3740-413: The spring of 1944. The ships were fitted with machine tools, cranes, and all the equipment necessary for a machine shop, including welding, radiator, tank, wood, patterns, blue print, electrical, fabric and dope, paint, air-conditioned instrument and camera shops, radio, battery, propeller, tires and fuel cells, armament and turrets, plating, radar, carburetor, and turbo-super-charger. They were supplied with
3808-469: The war and was assigned to Army Transport Service's Atlantic fleet. The ship was purchased on 26 July 1898 for $ 660,000, renamed Thomas after General George Henry Thomas , a hero of the American Civil War battle of Chickamauga . The ship was engaged in transport between New York, Cuba and Puerto Rico until 12 July 1899. During 1899 Thomas was fitted for Pacific service. The refitting
3876-454: The war. Close to those were the ships that were bareboat chartered by the Army, meaning that only the hull itself was chartered and Army was responsible for crewing and all other operational aspects. Others were long term allocations to Army by the War Shipping Administration so that they operated as Army transports and cargo vessels for much of the war. The more confusing ships are those that were short-term or time or voyage chartered ships. In
3944-417: The way to Hong Kong for coaling, Hooker ran aground and became a total loss. Most of the cable was saved. The transport Burnside was fitted as a cable transport and layer for the Philippines with three cable tanks capable of storing 550 nmi (630 mi; 1,020 km) of cable. As with other cable work, some vessels were chartered. For example, the vessel Orizaba (not the later Army owned vessel of
4012-549: Was "CS (name)" for "Cable Ship." The mix of USAT, CS and even the simple "Steam Ship" (SS), as seen in postwar construction of the SS ; William H. G. Bullard , later the USS/USNS Neptune , can be somewhat confusing. All three terms are found in official usage. For example, Smithsonian Institution library records clearly show some of these Army ships as CS Dellwood and CS Silverado . Army ship management lay in
4080-777: Was "U.S. Army" over "H.A.# NAME" as indicated by a builder's model. Dimensions were 158' 3" LOA × 32' beam (moulded) at deck × 8' draft powered by two 300 hp diesels, and was equipped with a 30-ton jumbo lift boom along with regular cargo booms and had a cargo capacity of 500 measurement tons. These vessels were primarily used as supply ships, that could retrieve aircraft if needed. SWPA CP Fleet, Army CS ships provided communications relays and acted as command posts (CP) for forward elements ashore. CSM (Maintenance) ships, in addition to acting as CS ships, were also equipped for radio repair operations to supply floating maintenance. CSQ (Quarters) ships acted as floating dormitories. CSN (News) ships were used by civilian reporters. The Army had
4148-641: Was assigned a complement of 344 soldiers who were trained for marine operations. Nicknamed sailjers , They wore sailor dungarees on the ship, and Army uniforms on land. The ships were designated as Aircraft Repair Units, Floating (ARUs) and operated by the Army Transport Service , all of whose officers and men were merchant mariners. The ships provided mobile depot support for B-29 Superfortress and P-51 Mustangs based on Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa beginning in December 1944. They were also fitted with landing platforms to accommodate four R-4 helicopters , creating
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#17327726838874216-548: Was bought by the Atlantic Transport Line in 1897 because she was "practically a sister" to other Massachusetts class of ships already in service there. She was renamed Minnewaska by her new owners. The United States Army Transport Thomas served in the Atlantic until fitted for Pacific service during 1899. At first the ship transported troops from New York to the Philippines via the Suez Canal with
4284-439: Was critically short. The ship's Pacific routes had intermediate coaling stations available. The ATS Pacific transports in 1919 were engaged in monthly sailings to Honolulu, Vladivostok, Nagasaki, Manila, Guam and return via Honolulu. The ship did see service after the war in events related to the war. The Allied intervention in Siberia was the cause of the ATS ships, including Thomas , to begin voyages to Vladivostok in support of
4352-565: Was done by William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Company of Philadelphia under a contract for $ 239,500. The ship arrived in New York from Cramp and Sons 20 October 1899 and was placed in dry dock for hull painting in final preparation to transport troops to the Philippines transiting the Suez Canal. On 4 November 1899 Thomas sailed from New York bound for Manila via the Suez Canal with 1,490 passengers. While preparing for that voyage
4420-556: Was in service on the line's London—New York service making three round trips between March and May 1898 before sale. The Quartermaster Corps had chartered a large number of vessels during the Spanish-American War but released them as soon as possible after the war. By 30 June 1899 none remained in the Atlantic fleet. A number, including suitable troop transports, were purchased. Minnewaska was one of six Atlantic Transport Line ships obtained for service as transports during
4488-551: Was launched on 8 May 1894 as the second of two steamers, the first being Prussia launched 10 April 1894, built by Harland & Wolff for the Hamburg-American Packet Company at its Queens Island yard. The ships were steel, twin screw steamers intended for the North Atlantic service. About fifty cabin class passengers could be accommodated in steam heated, electric lit cabins and public rooms on
4556-566: Was the Army owned Kvichak which had grounded off Canada, slipped into 80 ft (24 m) of water and was then salvaged in 1941. All were U.S. Coast Guard -crewed with the Army in administrative and operational control as well as providing the repair detachments from the Army Marine Ship Repair Company (AMSR CO.). All served in the Southwest Pacific Area. Houston , which had first served in
4624-433: Was with 23 officers, 330 enlisted, 127 civilians for a total of 480 passengers. The ship departed Manila for San Francisco 15 October 1904 with 38 officers, 378 enlisted, 205 civilians for a total of 621 passengers. On 31 December 1904 the ship departed for Manila with 22 officers, 905 enlisted, 96 civilians for a total of 1,023 passengers. Return, departing 15 February 1905, was with 17 officers, 606 enlisted, 263 civilians for
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