Part I — The United States Takes Over the German Merchant Ship, “Vaterland”
Repairing the “Vaterland”
Organization and Trial Trip
O. J. H.
When the Vaterland of the Hamburg-American Line was taken over by the United States Navy it was found to be in urgent need of repairs throughout and the work of fitting the ship out for service as a Navy Transport was accomplished by civilian labor and the ship’s force. The force at that time consisted of men of the Regular Navy and the United States Naval Reserve Force. These men worked long and faithfully to accomplish a task which the Germans claimed could not be done.
One of the hardest propositions that was accomplished aboard the ship was the repairing and the tracing up of the plumbing of the ship, i. e., the fresh water and salt water lines. The plans of this plumbing could not be found and had evidently been destroyed by the German crew. In a great many instances it was found that lead fresh water lines had been cut and the ends squeezed together. In other instances entire sections of lines were cut out altogether and from investigation it looked as if this was done maliciously when it was rumored that these vessels were to be seized by the United States Government. These pipe lines are all installed behind the panelling of the ship and when the water was first turned on numerous floods were caused throughout the ship. An amusing incident occurred on the trial trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, when the entire forward section of the ship’s officers’ rooms on the starboard side was flooded with about fourteen inches of water.
The work of refitting deck gear and getting in shape lifeboat equipment was accomplished entirely by the ship’s force and when the ship was finally ready for oversea service she carried more lifeboats than any other ship afloat. The outboard lifeboats, except in a few cases, are fitted with the Welin gear. This gear is electrically operated and when a boat is sent out over the ship’s sides it can be dropped from the highest deck, i. e., “A” deck, to the water with safety within sixty seconds. There is life equipment aboard, consisting of lifeboats and the latest type of life rafts for over 17,000 persons, so that a landsman sailing on board the Leviathan is well provided for and need not worry.
The Leviathan is without doubt the most wonderfully constructed vessel below the water-line in the world. The ship is subdivided into fourteen water-tight compartments and every precaution was taken from the time the ship sailed from the Port of Embarkation until her return, to safeguard the vessel. The officers and men were untiring in their efforts. During a period of ten months and twenty-six days, this vessel carried over 100,000 persons, a total of approximately one-twentieth of the entire American Expeditionary Forces which were landed overseas. Four or five thousand additional troops could have been carried on board, but for the health and comfort and safety of all concerned, this additional number were not transported.
The Leviathan is the only vessel in the American Transport Service which can sustain a speed of twenty knots across the Atlantic regardless of weather conditions. A vessel, one of the Navy Transports, claims that she beat the Leviathan by three hours in a homeward bound voyage, but the Leviathan steamed 100 more miles in return than this other ship and also had to slow down when within fourteen hours of New York on account of the height of the tide, as she can only go through the Ambrose Channel, the entrance to New York, at high tide.
The Leviathan made a round trip in sixteen days and eighteen hours; this included a stop of forty-eight hours overseas to coal ship. At that time she took on board over 1,500 tons of fresh water and 4,500 tons of coal. This coal was placed alongside in lighters and was discharged by a working force of Army stevedores on the starboard side and the ship’s company on the port side. In addition to this the cargo was handled and discharged by the ship’s force, this being a creditable record. The commanding officer, officers and crew received a telegram of commendation from Vice-Admiral H. B. Wilson and Admiral Sims.
According to a New York newspaper the credit was given to an Army Quartermaster officer. This officer had nothing to do with the handling of the cargo, the coaling of the vessel, or debarkation of troops, except to supply a working party of stevedores to assist the ship’s force in coaling. The coaling of this vessel by the ship’s force, when from 4,500 to 5,000 tons of coal are taken on, is a large task, the largest coaling proposition ever accomplished by a Navy crew, as our largest battleships only carry about 2,800 tons of coal and they coal from colliers which are fitted with modern machinery for handling coal cargoes.
Too much credit cannot be given to the crew of the Leviathan. They worked faithfully, earnestly and cheerfully. The men were all young, the probable average age being not more than twenty years. They were clean cut Americans, well behaved and willing and anxious to carry out orders and to whip the Germans.