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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAT Somme

Transport

Laid down, circa 1919, as the Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1024 (Hog Island Type B) Siskowit at American International Shipbuilding Corp. (AISC), Hog Island Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.

Launched, 17 March 1920

Delivered to the U.S. Shipping Board (USSB), 24 November 1920

Transferred to the War Department, 24 December 1920

Renamed Somme in honor of the U.S. Army’s participation in the Battle of the Somme in World War I

Assigned to the U.S. Army Transport Service

Additionally assigned to the A.T.S. Atlantic Fleet with home port at Army Supply Base, Brooklyn, N.Y.

USAT Somme generally serviced the New York—Antwerp and the New York—San Juan—Panama routes 1920-22

Performed her first voyage for the Army Transport Service, 24 December 1920

On 17 March 1921, the Somme repatriated 1,609 bodies of U.S. servicemen who died in France in World War I and landed them at Hoboken, N.J.

Decommissioned and laid, 12 August 1921, at Pier No. 1, Army Supply Base, Norfolk, VA.

Recommissioned, 23 December 1921

Transferred to the A.T.S. Pacific Fleet about August 1922

Assigned to service the San Francisco—Honolulu and the San Francisco—New York routes 1922-31

Made occasional voyages to Manila, Nagasaki, and Yokohama

Laid up, 7 October 1922, at San Francisco

Recommissioned, 7 September 1923

Transported earthquake relief supplies to Yokohama after the disastrous earthquake that hit Japan in September 1923

Laid up in February 1925 at San Francisco

Recommissioned in August 1925

Provided occasional support to the U.S. Marine expedition and the U.S. Army topographic survey mission to Nicaragua 1928-31

Turned over to the U.S. Shipping Board, 27 October 1931, at New York harbor and sold to the United States Line, renamed SSAmerican Importer

Shortly thereafter renamed SS American Traveler

Sold to the Société Maritime Anversoise, a Belgian shipping firm, reflagged Belgian, renamed SS Ville de Gand

Final disposition, sunk, 19 August 1940, by U-48 off the northwest coast of Ireland

Specifications:
Displacement 12,275 t.(fl)
Length 448'
Beam 58' 3"
Draft 26' (limiting)
Speed 14.5 kts. (trial)

Complement

Officers unknown

Enlisted unknown

Armament

one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 10,000 Bbls

Diesel 360 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric geared turbine

six Babcock and Wilcox boilers, 200psi Sat.

double General Electric Main Reduction Gear

three 200Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	89k	*Namesake* The Battle of the Somme was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire the United States and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place on both sides of the upper reaches of the River Somme in France. The battle was largest battle of the First World War on the Western Front. More than three million men fought in the battle and one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history. Photo - A German trench occupied by British Soldiers near the Albert-Bapaume road at Ovillers-la-Boisselle, July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. The men are from A Company, 11th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment., July 1916. John Warwick Brooke - This photograph Q 3990 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 1900-13)	Tommy Trampp
301307507	389k		Tommy Trampp
	150k	USAT Somme underway, date and location unknown. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 67880	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	69k	USAT Somme at anchor, date and location unknown. US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Vol. 4	US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Vol. 4.
301307506	74k	Post Card image of USAT Somme entering/leaving a port, date and location unknown.	Tommy Trampp
	107k	USAT Somme arriving at San Francisco, CA. in 1925.	David Wright
	116k	USAT Somme entering the Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal, circa the 1920s or 1930s. Photographed by J. Fisher. The original image is printed on postcard (AZO) stock. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 105098. Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2007.	US Naval History and Heritage Command

The history for USAT Somme is from US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Vol 4

Army Transportation Service Ship's Masters
01	1st Off. Quinn, Thomas F., A.T.S.	25 November 1920 - 30 November 1920
02	1st Off. DeVere, Louis, A.T.S.	30 November 1920 -14 December 1920
03	CAPT. Rague, W. J., A.T.S.	14 December 1920 -9 January 1921
04	CAPT. Scott, James W., A.T.S.	9 January 1921 - 15 August 1921
05	CAPT. Bartlett, William S., A.T.S.	15 August 1921 - 25 January 1922
06	CAPT. Poole, Harry K., A.T.S.	23 March 1922 - 7 October 1922
07	CAPT. McLellen, Edgar S., A.T.S.	7 October 1922 - 7 September 1923
08	CAPT. Olsen, Carl A., A.T.S.	7 September 1923 - October 1923
09	CAPT. McLellan, Edgar S., A.T.S.	July 1924 - 20 December 1924
10	1st Off. Brevick, John, A.T.S.	20 December 1924 - 4 April 1926
11	CAPT. Hall, Frank, A.T.S.	4 April 1926 - February 1927
12	CAPT. Scott, James W., A.T.S.	February 1927 - October 1927
13	1st Off. Pumphrey, Daniel, A.T.S.	February 1928 - Aug 1928
14	CAPT. Olsen, Carl A., A.T.S.	August 1928 - 30 August 1931
15	CAPT. Oliver, Woodbridge T., A.T.S.	30 August 1931 - 27 October 1931

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Last Updated 15 September 2023