SS Pennsylvania (1896)

For other ships with the same name, see SS Pennsylvania.

History
Name	SS Pennsylvania
Owner	Hamburg America Line
Builder	Harland and Wolff
Yard number	302
Launched	10 September 1896
Completed	30 January 1897
Maiden voyage	January 30, 1897 (Belfast to New York)
Fate	Scrapped, 1924
General characteristics
Tonnage	13,726 GRT
Length	558.5 ft (170.2 m)
Beam	62 ft (19 m)
Speed	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Capacity	Passengers: (as built) 162 - 1st Class, 197 - 2nd, 2,382 - 3rd (as modified) 404 - 2nd, 2,200 - 3rd
Crew	250
Notes	Straight bow, one funnel, four masts, steel construction, twin-screw propulsion

SS Pennsylvania was a cargo liner built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast and launched in 1896 for the German Hamburg America Line for the transatlantic trade, particularly German emigration to the United States. She took refuge in the United States upon the outbreak of the First World War and upon the U.S. joining hostilities was seized and renamed the SS Nansemond. She was briefly commissioned as USS Nansemond in 1919, and used by the U.S. military to transport American troops and supplies to Europe. After the war ended, the SS Nansemond transported over 20,000 troops back across the Atlantic. She was then laid up in the Hudson River before scrapping in 1924.

Pennsylvania was the first in a four-ship "P class" built for the Hamburg America Line; the other ships were SS Pretoria, SS Graf Waldersee and SS Patricia.

History

Rescue and accident

The Pennsylvania rescued the 13-man crew of the sinking barque Bothnia on September 24, 1902, while on March 8, 1910, near the mouth of the Elbe river, SS Pennsylvania rammed and sank the Hamburg-registered schooner Gertrud, with the loss of five of the schooner's crew of six.

U.S. Navy service

Main article: USS Nansemond (1896)

SS Nansemond was commissioned on January 20, 1919, as USS Nansemond, ID # 1395. She made several voyages to Europe as a cargo carrier and troop transport, returning many servicemen to U.S. soil. The ship was decommissioned on September 16, 1919, and returned to the U.S. Shipping Board.

Laid up and scrapped

Following its service, the SS Nansemond was laid up in the lower Hudson River along with many other vessels of the U.S. Shipping Board; over 250 ships were laid up in Eastern estuary waters. Many of these ships were found to have been extensively vandalized during this period. The vessel was broken up in 1924, having seen no further service.