SS Finland
Finland in New York Harbor 1906
| |
History | |
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United States | |
Name | SS Finland |
Namesake | Finland |
Operator |
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Port of registry | |
Builder | William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia |
Yard number | 312 |
Launched | 21 June 1902 |
Fate | chartered by War Department for the U.S. Army |
United States | |
Name | USS Finland (ID-4543) |
Acquired | 24 April 1918 |
Commissioned | 26 April 1918 |
Decommissioned | 15 November 1919 |
Stricken | 15 November 1919 |
Fate | Transferred to War Department, 15 November 1919; returned to Red Star Line |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | 22,400 (full) |
Length | 580 ft (180 m) |
Beam | 60 ft 2 in (18.34 m) |
Draft | 31 ft 4 in (9.55 m) |
Propulsion | 2 × triple-expansion steam engines, twin screw propellors |
Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
Complement | 414 |
Armament |
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SS Finland was an American-flagged ocean liner built in 1902 for the Red Star Line. During World War I she served as a transport for the United States Navy named USS Finland (ID-4543). Before her Navy service in 1917, she was also USAT Finland for the United States Army.
SS Finland sailed for several subsidiary lines of
At the entry of the United States into World War I in April 1917, the liner was chartered by the
After her Navy service ended, she was returned to International Mercantile Marine, resumed her original name of SS Finland, and served on New York to Europe routes until 1923, when she returned to New York–San Francisco service. Finland was scrapped in 1928.
Launching and early career
Finland was launched on 21 June 1902 by
Finland sailed on her maiden voyage from New York to Antwerp on 4 October under the American flag, and remained on this route for the next seven years.[1] In November 1907, as the liner neared Antwerp, a gale in the English Channel almost drove Finland ashore. The timely assistance of two tugs kept the big ship from grounding on the breakwater at Dover.[2] By January 1909, Finland had been reflagged under the Belgian flag, but remained on the New York–Antwerp route.[1]
On 19 January 1908, Finland collided with the Greek cargo ship SS Epirus off Terneuzen, sinking Epirus.[3] In March 1909, the liner was chartered to the White Star Line, another IMM subsidiary, for three round-trip voyages between Naples and New York.[1] On 25 December 1910, she rammed and sank the SS Baltique which was anchored in the Flushing Roads sheltering from a storm. Six crew were lost from Baltique.[3] Returning to the Red Star Line's New York–Antwerp service, Finland was reflagged in January 1912, sailing under the American flag once again.[1] During this time, noted German-American psychologist Hugo Münsterberg sailed on Finland to Europe to attend a Psychological Congress in Berlin in April 1912.[4]
1912 Olympics
The
The AOC, aided by Finland's crew,[9] made several accommodations for shipboard training en route to the Games. A cork track, 100 yards (91 m) long and wide enough for two men running abreast, was installed on the top deck, especially for the sprinters.[8] Longer distance runners would practice their starts on the track, and train by running laps around the deck, which was about one-tenth of a mile (160 m) for one circuit.[10] Swimmers practiced in a canvas tank, 15 feet (4.6 m) long by 5 feet (1.5 m) wide, constructed on deck. While practicing their strokes, they would wear a belt suspended from an overhead rope that kept them in the middle of the tank.[10] The cycling team worked on the forward deck with bikes secured to the ship's structure.[11]
Some of the individual athletes came up with ideas to further their training while at sea.
Finland arrived at Antwerp on the morning of 24 June after a ten-day voyage over smooth seas. While the ship took on stores, the athletes completed their training at a local athletic club. Sailing at noon on 26 June, Finland reached Sweden four days later.[9] There were no injuries during the entirety of the voyage,[8] and, unlike the trip of the next American Olympic delegation in 1920[12]—when the so-called "Mutiny of the Matoika" took place—no threats of a strike because of bad conditions aboard the ship.
World War I
After her Olympic charter ended, Finland returned to her usual New York–Antwerp route until the outbreak of war in Europe in August 1914.[1] The Red Star liner, still sailing from New York, shifted to call at Liverpool beginning 22 August for two roundtrips. Next moved to Mediterranean service, Finland sailed from New York to Naples and Piraeus starting in November 1914. To complete her third and final circuit to the Mediterranean, she began her last voyage from Italy back to New York on 24 March 1915.[1]
By early May, Finland and sister ship Kroonland had both been chartered to the IMM subsidiary
Finland was next chartered to the
On 18 December 1916, during an eastbound journey, Finland was halted by a French warship. According to Marjorie Crocker, an American woman headed for refugee work in Paris, the cruiser had fired a shot across the bow of Finland, and then queried the officers of the liner. After allowing Finland to go on her way, the French ship circled around several times, then headed off first in one direction and then another, as if, according to Crocker, it were searching for something.[14]
Finland was still in New York–Liverpool service when the United States declared war on the German Empire in April 1917. The United States Army, needing transports to get its men and materiel to France, had a select committee of shipping executives pore over registries of American shipping. On 28 May, the committee selected Finland and thirteen other American-flagged ships that were sufficiently fast, could carry enough coal in their bunkers for transatlantic crossings, and, most importantly, were in port or not far at sea.[16][17] After Finland discharged her last load of passengers, she was officially handed over to the Army at noon on 2 June, the last of the fourteen ships acquired.[18]
U.S. Army service
Before any troop transportation could be undertaken, all of the ships had to be hastily refitted—in two weeks in the case of Finland. Of the fourteen ships, ten, including Finland, were designated to carry human passengers; the other four were designated as animal ships. The ten ships designated to carry troops had to have all of their second- and third-class accommodations ripped out and replaced with berths for troops. Cooking and toilet facilities had to be greatly expanded to handle the large numbers of men aboard. Finland, uniquely among the fourteen ships, already carried guns and did not need to be refitted for them.[19] All the ships were manned by merchant officers and crews but carried two U.S. Navy officers, Navy gun crews, quartermasters, signalmen, and wireless operators. The senior Navy officer on board would take control if a ship came under attack.[20]
The American convoy carrying the AEF was broken into four groups;
After returning to the United States, Finland 's next convoy crossing began on 6 August in the company of
Finland began her return journey to the United States on 28 October in an 11-knot (20 km/h) convoy with cargo ships Buford and City of Savannah and escorted by
In the aftermath of the torpedoing incident, Commander Graham was awarded the
The deportment of the crew aboard Finland, as well as that of Antilles, while under attack demonstrated the problems with civilian-manned vessels. The Navy, led by the recommendations of Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves, insisted that all troop transports be manned entirely by Navy personnel. This was accomplished soon after so as to avoid the need for what Gleaves called "ignorant and unreliable men" who were "the sweepings of the docks".[35]
Finland was sufficiently repaired over the next two months and sailed for return to the United States on 5 January 1918.
Finland made one more crossing under Army charter. Leaving New York on 23 March, she convoyed with
Finland was
Finland next left New York on 15 June with
On 26 July, Finland, loaded with 3,879 officers and men,
After embarking 3,678 troops,
Finland began one last transatlantic crossing before the
As the flow of troops was reversed to bring American troops home, Finland made 8 round trips from Europe to the United States, returning 32,197 personnel to the United States.
Postwar career
After a refurbishment that outfitted her for 242 first-class, 310 second-class, and 876 third-class passengers, Finland resumed her civilian career in April 1920. The liner, sailing opposite her sister ship Kroonland, returned to her original route when she departed Antwerp on 28 April for
In 1925,
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Bonsor, p. 856.
- ^ Carson, p. 9.
- ^ a b c "Belgian Merchant A-G" (PDF). Belgische Koopvaardij. Retrieved 30 September 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Münsterberg, p. 228.
- ^ Sullivan, p. 33.
- ^ Sullivan, p. 246.
- ^ Halpin, p. 237.
- ^ a b c Sullivan, p. 37.
- ^ a b Halpin, p. 239.
- ^ a b c Sullivan, p. 39.
- ^ a b Sullivan, p. 41.
- ^ The 1916 Summer Olympics, slated for Berlin, were canceled because of World War I.
- ^ Panama Pacific Line (22 May 1915). Panama Pacific Line Passenger List. p. 2. Convenience copy of relevant page can be found here Archived 25 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
- ^ Root and Crocker, p. 42–43.
- ^ "King George V visits Finland troop ship Liverpool 1917". The Washington Post. 16 May 1917. p. 3.
- ^ Sharpe, p. 359.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 313–14.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 315–16.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 316.
- ^ Gleaves, p. 102
- ^ The individual groups of the first convoy were typically counted as separate convoys in post-war sources. See, for example, Crowell and Wilson, Appendix G, p. 603.
- Henry R. Mallorywas also referred to in sources as both H. R. Mallory and Mallory.
- ^ Gleaves, p. 38.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 23–24.
- ^ Gleaves, p. 34.
- ^ Gleaves, p. 42.
- ^ Gleaves, pp. 42–43.
- ^ Gleaves, p. 45.
- ^ a b c d Crowell and Wilson, p. 603.
- ^ Benson, p. 221.
- ^ Gleaves, p. 102.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 428.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Antilles". The U-boat War. Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
- ^ Gleaves, p. 106.
- ^ a b c d Gleaves, p. 108–110.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Finland". The U-boat War. Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
- Naval Historical Center. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
- ^ Bureau of Naval Personnel, Officers and Enlisted Men..., pp. 354, 359, 369.
- ^ "Eight on Finland Lost Their Lives". Evening Star (Washington DC). Part 1. 3 November 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Stringer, p. 26.
- ^ Stringer, p. 67.
- ^ Stringer, p. 192.
- ^ a b Crowell and Wilson, p. 605.
- ^ United States Army Quartermaster Corps, Cold Storage Branch, p. 35.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 431.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 606.
- ^ a b c "Finland". DANFS. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 608.
- ^ a b Cutchins and Stewart, p. 67.
- ^ a b c d Crowell and Wilson, p. 610–11.
- ^ Cutchins and Stewart, p. 68.
- ^ "Covington". DANFS. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 555.
- ^ a b Crowell and Wilson, p. 614.
- USS Calhoun ever was a former Confederate steamer captured during the American Civil War.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 559.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 617.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 620.
- ^ a b Gleaves, p. 246–47.
- ^ "The BLML–SS Finland Challenge". World Bridge Federation. 31 October 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
References
- Benson, Albert Emerson, ed. (1920). Saint Mark's School in the War Against Germany. OCLC 1904474.
- Bonsor, N. R. P. (1978) [1955]. North Atlantic Seaway, Volume 2 (Enlarged and completely revised ed.). OCLC 29930159.
- OCLC 1187918.
- Carson, Blanche Mabury (1909). From Cairo to the Cataract. OCLC 1824794.
- OCLC 18696066.
- Cutchins, John A.; George Scott Stewart, Jr. (1921). History of the Twenty-ninth division, "Blue and gray," 1917-1919. OCLC 3260003.
- Feuer, A. B. (1999). The U.S. Navy in World War I: Combat at Sea and in the Air. OCLC 40595325.
- OCLC 976757.
- Halpin, Matthew P. (1912). "How the team trained on the Finland". In OCLC 11031794.
- Münsterberg, Margarete Anna Adelheid (1922). Hugo Münsterberg: His Life and Work. New York: D. Appleton and Co. OCLC 519668.
- Naval Historical Center. "Covington". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
- Naval Historical Center. "Finland". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
- Root, Esther Sayles; Marjorie Crocker (1918). Over Periscope Pond: Letters from Two American Girls in Paris, October 1916–January 1918. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 1115265.
- OCLC 7980339.
- Stringer, Harry R. (1921). The Navy Book of Distinguished Service. OCLC 2654351.
- )
- OCLC 22367828.
External links
- Photo gallery of Finland at NavSource Naval History