USS Mercy (AH-4)

USS "Mercy" (ID-1305/AH-4) was a hospital ship in the United States Navy during World War I. She was the first U.S. Navy ship of that name. The ship was previously known as SS "Saratoga", a steamer for the Ward Line on the New York to Havana route, and considered the fastest steamship in coastal trade. Menocal would later serve as President of Cuba from 1913 to 1921.] In 1913, Cipriano Castro, the former President of Venezuela (1899–1909), sailed to Havana for his health in 1913. A report in "The New York Times" speculated that Castro was going to meet with associates and "professional revolutionaries" in Havana in an attempt to regain power in Venezuela (which never occurred). [, transport/auxiliary cruiser hole. "Saratoga" began to list almost immediately, and the abandon ship signal was given soon after. The passengers, including nurses in various states of undress, reported to their assigned lifeboats and evacuated the ship in an orderly fashion. The close proximity to shore, and the large number of smaller craft in the vicinity, allowed all on board to be rescued without loss of life or injury. "Panama" had only superficial damage; "Saratoga" raised anchor and was towed near the Morse Dry Dock & Repair Company where she was allowed to settle in the mud. The erstwhile "Saratoga" passengers were collected from the various rescue craft and were loaded onto , (p. 603).]

USS "Mercy"

On 27 September 1917, the U.S. Navy purchased "Saratoga" from the War Department. On 30 October 1917, she began conversion to a hospital ship at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York, and was commissioned USS "Mercy" on 24 January 1918. "Mercy" and USS|Comfort|AH-3|2 (former Ward Line mate, "Havana") were the first Navy hospital ships to have female nurses aboard. Both ships were outfitted with state-of-the-art operating rooms and X-ray labs and could accommodate 500 patients each. [cite news | url = http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A0DE7DA163AE532A25750C1A9679C946996D6CF | format = pdf | title = Army and Navy notes | work = The New York Times | date = 1918-01-13 | accessdate = 2008-01-24 | page = ]

Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, "Mercy" operated in the Chesapeake Bay area with Yorktown, Virginia, as her home port, attending the war wounded and transporting them from ships to shore hospitals. In October 1918 she sailed for New York to join the Cruiser and Transport Service. On 3 November the hospital ship departed New York on the first of four round trips to France, returning 1,977 casualties by 25 March 1919.cite DANFS | title = Mercy | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m9/mercy-i.htm | short = on ]

For most of the next 15 years following World War I, "Mercy" served off the east coast based at Philadelphia. In July 1920, she was redesignated "AH-4".

From 1 December 1924, until 1 September 1925, she was in reserve at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. On 25 November She went into reduced commission, returning to full commission 1 September 1926. In early 1927, "Mercy" was painted white with no hospital markings, but by the time of a 1931 visit to Vancouver, the markings had been restored.cite web | first = Gary P. | last = Priolo | url = http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/12/1204.htm | title = ID-1305 / AH-4 Mercy | work = NavSource Online | publisher = NavSource Naval History | date = 2007-10-05 | accessdate = 2008-01-24 ]

"Mercy" remained in commission until loaned to the Philadelphia branch of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration on 23 March 1934. Anchored at Girard Point, the ship served as a home for up to 300 homeless men. [cite news | title = $6,000 missing in relief fund | work = The New York Times | date = 1935-05-04 | page = 18 ] On 20 April 1938, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register and on 16 March 1939 sold for scrapping to Boston Iron & Metals Company of Baltimore.

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