USS Wilhelmina (ID-2168)

USS "Wilhelmina" (ID-2168) was a transport for the United States Navy during World War I. Built in 1909 for Matson Navigation Company as SS "Wilhelmina", she sailed from the West Coast of the United States to Hawaii until 1917. After her war service, she was returned to Matson and resumed Pacific Ocean service. In the late 1930s she was in San Francisco, California, until sold to a British company in 1940. While a part of a convoy sailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Liverpool, she was sunk by "U-94" on 2 December 1940.

Early history

"Wilhelmina"—a steel-hulled, single-screw, passenger and cargo steamer built at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. for the Matson Navigation Company—was launched on 18 September 1909 and departed her builders' yard on 7 December of that year. Under the Matson flag, "Wilhelmina" conducted regular runs between San Francisco, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii, carrying passengers and cargo between 1910 and 1917.

World War I

Inspected by the Navy at the 12th Naval District, San Francisco, on 18 June 1917—two months after the United States entered World War I—the steamship was later taken over by the United States Shipping Board on 1 December. Soon afterwards she sailed for Chile where she obtained a cargo of nitrates. Delivering that cargo at Norfolk, Va., "Wilhelmina" shifted to New York on 23 January 1918. Given Identification Number 2168, the ship was then taken over by the Navy and apparently commissioned on 26 January. Lt. Comdr. Joe W. Jory, USNRF, is listed as being in command in February. "Wilhelmina" was diverted to "special duty" and made her first voyage to France soon afterwards, departing New York with a general cargo on 1 February and returning on 26 March. Upon her return, she shifted to the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York, where she was taken in hand and converted to a troopship for service with the Cruiser and Transport Force. When her extant deck logs begin, her commanding officer is listed as Comdr. William T. Tarrant.

On 10 May 1918, "Wilhelmina" sailed out of New York on the first of six wartime voyages to France and back prior to the November armistice. During these passages, "Wilhelmina" carried 11,053 troops "over there" to strengthen the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). The transport's half-dozen trips were all made safely, as far as she was concerned, although not totally without incident.

While in convoy with six other troopships and four destroyers, "Wilhelmina" was present when the transport also fired several rounds at what was possibly a submersible with no apparent success.

"Wilhelmina" emerged from World War I unscathed, although near-missed by a torpedo on 1 September. After the armistice, she continued her troop-carrying activities, bringing back part of the AEF from France. She conducted seven postwar, round-trip voyages, returning 11,577 men home to the United States including 2,610 sick and wounded.

These postwar voyages were not made entirely without incident either. A fire broke out in a storeroom where blankets and pillows were kept, a little over six hours after the ship departed Bassens, France, standing down the Gironde River on 25 March 1919. The fire, reported at 21:52, was put out by 22:10. Slight damage had been caused in the fire.

"Wilhelmina" subsequently entered the Ambrose Channel on 4 April and docked at Pier 1, Hoboken, New Jersey, the following day. There, she disembarked the troops and patients carried back from France. She began her last voyage shortly afterwards, returning to New York on 6 August 1919. There, she was decommissioned, struck from the Navy list, and returned to her owners on 16 August.

Later career

"Wilhelmina" remained under the Matson house flag through the 1920s and 1930s. Sold to British interests in 1940, the steamship was sailing with Convoy HX-90, sailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool, in the North Atlantic, on 2 December 1940, when "U-94", part of a wolf pack that included "U-47" of Scapa Flow fame, drew a bead on a tanker and the steamer "W. Hendrik", and fired two torpedoes. Both missed but continued on to strike and sink "Wilhelmina".

References

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External links

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* [http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/697.html Profile of "Wilhelmina"] at [http://uboat.net uboat.net]