USS Patricia was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Germany in 1899 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was the last to be built of a class of four HAPAG sister ships that came from shipyards in the United Kingdom and Germany between 1896 and 1899.
Later, in 1919, she was transferred from the US government to the UK Shipping Controller. She was scrapped in England in 1921.
Building
Patricia was the last to be built of HAPAG's four P-class ocean liners, all of which were completed in the second half of the 1890s. Harland and Wolff launched the first of them, Pennsylvania, in 1896. Blohm & Voss launched Pretoria in 1897 and Graf Waldersee in 1898.
AG Vulcan Stettin launched Patricia on 20 February 1899 and completed her that May.[1] Her registered length was 560.3ft (170.8m), her beam was 62.3ft (19.0m) and her depth was 37.1ft (11.3m).[2] As built, she was assessed as 13,023GRT. She had berths for 162 passengers in first class, 184 in second class and 2,143 in third class.[3]
In March 1899 HAPAG announced that the regular route for Patricia and her three sisters would be Hamburg – Cherbourg – Plymouth – New York.[4] HAPAG also announced a reduction in its transatlantic fares. On Patricia and her sisters the rate for a first class cabin was reduced from $65 to $50, and that for a second class cabin was reduced from $47.50 to $38.[5]
On 7 May 1899 Patricia began her maiden voyage from Hamburg via Boulogne to New York.[1] She reached New York on 19 May, and was opened for public inspection at Hoboken Terminal, New Jersey on 25 May.[6]
In the Elbe on 2 January 1910 Patricia rammed the lightvesselElbe V, sinking her. Afterwards Patricia was refitted as a two-class ship. First class was abolished, and second class berths were increased to 408.[3] The refit increased her tonnages to 14,466GRT and 9,073NRT.[1]
On 27 November 1913 Patricia began what became her last voyage from Hamburg to New York. On 12 January 1914 the German government requisitioned her as a troop ship to the Jiaozhou Bay Leased Territory on the coast of China.[1]
On 30 March 1919 Patricia left Brest, France carrying members of the American Expeditionary Forces home to New York. This was the first of four voyages that Patricia made from France to the USA, in which she repatriated a total of 8,865 servicemen.
In one voyage in April 1919 Patricia brought home from Brest to Boston almost 3,000 troops of the 26th Division, including the 102nd and 103rd machine gun battalions. On 15 April 1919, while Patricia was in mid-Atlantic, Julius Fischer, a HAPAG agent, locked himself in one of her state rooms and set fire to it by causing an electrical short-circuit. Members of her crew broke down the door, put out the fire and arrested Fischer. Other HAPAG agents said that Fischer was mentally unwell at the time. Patricia reached Boston on 17 April.[8]
A brass band playing to a crowd of troops aboard Patricia, 26 June 1919
On the night of 11–12 June 1919, as Patricia was leaving New York for France, the cargo shipRedondo accidentally rammed Patricia's sister ship Graf Waldersee in fog about 86 nautical miles (160km) off Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Graf Waldersee reported 6 feet (2m) of water in her engine room,[10] and Redondo shipped water in her forward hold. Patricia received Graf Waldersee's wireless distress signal and came to assist.[11]
Patricia took off Graf Waldersee's passengers and half of her crew and then took the damaged liner in tow. Late on the morning of 12 June Graf Waldersee's crew beached her on a sandbar on Long Island. Graf Waldersee was refloated on the afternoon of 14 June and four tugs towed her to Brooklyn Navy Yard.[11]
SS Cleveland was a German transatlantic ocean liner that was launched in 1908 and scrapped in 1933. Cleveland was built for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) as a sister ship for Cincinnati.
SS Fürst Bismarck was a Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) ocean liner. She was launched in Scotland in 1905. In 1914 she was renamed Friedrichsruh. In 1919 the United Kingdom seized her as World War I reparations. In 1921 Messageries Maritimes acquired her and renamed her Amboise. She was scrapped in Italy in 1935.
SS Pennsylvania was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Ireland in 1896 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was the first of a class of four HAPAG sister ships that were built in the United Kingdom and Germany between 1896 and 1899.
USS Covington (ID-1409) was a German transatlantic ocean liner that was launched in 1908 for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) as Cincinnati. In 1917 the United States seized her, had her converted into a troop ship and renamed her Covington. In 1918 SM U-86 torpedoed her, killing six of her complement. Three tugs towed her about 1/3 the way to Brest, but she sank the afternoon of 2 July 1918.
USS Shoshone (ID-1760) was a German-built cargo liner that the United States Navy chartered during the First World War. She was launched in 1911 for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) as Wasgenwald. The Kerr Steamship Company bought her in 1917 and renamed her Shoshone. In 1919 she spent six months in the United States Navy, in which she made two round trips to and from France to repatriate US troops.
SS Ypiranga was a cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1908 for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). In 1919 the United Kingdom seized her for World War I reparations. In 1921 Anchor Line acquired her and renamed her Assyria. In 1929 the Companhia Colonial de Navegação (CCN) bought her and renamed her Colonial. In 1950 she was sold for scrap, but she sank off the coast of Scotland while being towed to a scrapyard.
USS Moccasin (ID-1322) was a cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1903 as Prinz Joachim. The US seized her in 1917. In 1918–19 she was renamed Moccasin and briefly served in the United States Navy. In 1920 she was returned to US merchant service and renamed Porto Rico. She was scrapped in 1933 or 1934.
USS General W. C. Gorgas (ID-1365) was a cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1902 as Prinz Sigismund for the Hamburg America Line. In 1917 the USA seized her and renamed her General W. C. Gorgas. In 1945 she was transferred to the Soviet Union, which renamed her Mikhail Lomonosov. She was scrapped in March 1958.
USS General G. W. Goethals (ID-1443) was a German cargo liner that the United States seized during the First World War. She was launched in 1911 for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) as Grunewald. In 1917 the US seized her in Panama, and the Panama Canal Railway (PCR) operated her for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). In 1919 she spent six months in the United States Navy, in which she made three round trips to and from France to repatriate US troops. In 1920 the PRC bought her from the USSB. In 1925 the Black Star Line owned her. In 1926 the Munson Steamship Line bought her and renamed her Munorleans. She was scrapped in Scotland in 1937.
USS Pretoria was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Germany in 1897 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was the second of a class of four HAPAG sister ships that were built in the United Kingdom and Germany between 1896 and 1899.
SS Pisa was a cargo and passenger steamship that was built in Scotland in 1896. She was in German ownership until 1917, when the United States seized her and renamed her Ascutney.
Kronprinzessin Cecilie was a Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) ocean liner. She was launched in Schleswig-Holstein in 1905. Her scheduled route was between Hamburg and Mexico.
USS Arcadia (ID-1605) was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Ireland in 1896 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was one of a series of at least five HAPAG sister ships that were built in the United Kingdom in 1896 and 1897.
SS Prinz Adalbert was a twin-screw cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1902 for Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). In 1914 the United Kingdom Admiralty seized her and renamed her Prince. In 1916 she was renamed Princetown. On 1917 she was transferred to the Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique and renamed Alesia. Later in 1917 a U-boat sank her.
SS Otsego was a cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1901 as Prinz Eitel Friedrich. The USA seized her in 1917 and renamed her Otsego. In 1919 she served in the United States Navy as USS Otsego (ID-1628). She spent the 1920s and 30s in merchant service as Otsego. In 1941 she became the United States Army ship USAT Otsego. In 1945 she was transferred to the Soviet Union, which renamed her Ural. In 1947 she may have been renamed Dolinsk. She was either hulked or scrapped in 1955.
SS Bulgaria was a passenger-cargo steamship built in 1898 for the Hamburg American Line ("Hapag"). During World War I, she operated as a United States Army animal and cargo ship under the names USAT Hercules and USAT Philippines, and after the war was converted into the troop transport USS Philippines (ID-1677).
SS Lombardia was one of a pair of transatlantic steam ocean liners that were launched in 1914 in Germany for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG), sold to a Dutch shipping line in 1916, and seized by the United States as World War I reparations in 1922. United American Lines (UAL) operated her until 1926, when HAPAG bought her back.
SS Graf Waldersee was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Germany in 1898 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was the third of a class of four HAPAG sister ships that were built in the United Kingdom and Germany between 1896 and 1899.
SS Prinz Oskar was a twin-screw cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1902 for Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She served various transatlantic routes between Europe and the Americas until the First World War began.
SS Lima was a passenger and cargo steamship that was launched in England in 1907 as Westerwald for Hamburg America Line (HAPAG)'s Caribbean services. Portugal seized her in 1916, renamed her Lima, and used her as a troopship. By 1926 the Empresa Insulana de Navegação (EIN) had bought her for its service to Madeira and the Azores. She was scrapped in Portugal in 1969.
Photo gallery of United States Patricia at NavSource Naval History no nationality or prefix;
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