Pretoria was the second of HAPAG's four P-class ocean liners, which were built in the latter half of the 1890s. Harland and Wolff launched the first of them, Pennsylvania, in 1896. AG Vulcan Stettin launched the last of the four, Patricia, in 1899. Blohm & Voss in Hamburg built the second and third of the sisters, launching Pretoria in 1897 and Graf Waldersee in 1898.
Pretoria was launched on 9 October 1897 and completed in February 1898.[1] Her registered length was 561.0ft (171.0m), her beam was 62.2ft (19.0m) and her depth was 37.9ft (11.6m).[2] She had berths for 162 first classpassengers, 197 second class and 2,382 third class, and her tonnage was 12,800GRT[3] and 14,130 tons displacement.[citation needed]
Pretoria made her maiden voyage in 1898. She left Hamburg on 12 February[1] and reaching New York on 24 February.[4]
In March 1899 HAPAG announced that the regular route for Pretoria and her three sisters would be Hamburg – Cherbourg – Plymouth – New York.[5] HAPAG also announced a reduction in its transatlantic fares. On Pretoria and her sisters the rate for a first class cabin was reduced from $65 to $50, and that for a second class cabin was reduced from $47.50 to $38.[6]
On 9 October 1908 in fog in the North Sea southwest of Texel in the Netherlands, Pretoria collided with the German cargo steamship Nipponia.[3]Nipponia sank, and her captain and 12 members of his crew were lost.[7]
In 1910 Pretoria was refitted as a two-class ship. First class was abolished, second class was increased to 400 berths and third class to 2,200 berths. The refit increased her tonnage to 13,234GRT and 8,415NRT.[3]
A painting of New York, with which Pretoria collided in 1914
On the night of 12–13 June 1914, in fog about 180 miles from the Nantucket lightvessel, Pretoria collided with the American Line ship New York. Pretoria tore a 15 by 32 feet (4.6 by 9.8m) hole in New York's hull and left Pretoria's port anchor embedded in New York's structure.[9][10] The hole was 15 feet (4.6m) above the water line, and New York was able to complete her voyage to New York unaided.[11] American Line alleged Pretoria was off-course. Pretoria's Captain Dugge denied this.[9]
Pretoria returned to Hamburg for repairs. While she was in Hamburg the First World War began. Pretoria remained in Hamburg for the duration.[1]
US service
On 28 March 1919 HAPAG surrendered Pretoria to the US Navy. The next day at Cowes, Isle of Wight she was commissioned as USS Pretoria.[12] On 17 April she left Brest, France for New York carrying 300 officers and 1,785 men of the American Expeditionary Forces and 41 civilian passengers.[13] The troops included the 151st Field Artillery Regiment of the Minnesota Army National Guard. Pretoria reached New York on 26 April, two days ahead of schedule.[14]
On 6 June 1919 Pretoria reached New York carrying 2,986 troops of the 36th Infantry Division.[15] On 12 July she reached New York carrying troops including the 1st Censor and Press Company, which included the staff of the Stars and Stripes newspaper.[16]
On 12 August 1919 Pretoria left Brest carrying members of the 3rd Infantry Division, including the 8th Machine Gun Battalion. Two days later a private of the 104th Wagon Train attempted suicide by jumping overboard. Another private made fast a rope, jumped overboard with the rope and rescued him. On 19 August a fire was discovered in one of Pretoria's bunkers. Soldiers helped the crew to move coal away from the fire, which was extinguished the next day.[17]
On 25 November 1919 Pretoria was transferred from the US Navy to the United States Shipping Board.[12] Later she was transferred to the UK Shipping Controller, who contracted Ellerman Lines to manage her.[3] In the first week of January 1920 in New York Harbor she suffered three fires in as many days. The third was on 4 January, when she was moored at Staten Island Pier waiting to sail in cargo. The fire broke out in her forward hold, and caused damage estimated at $100,000.[19]
SS Cleveland was a German transatlantic ocean liner that was launched in 1908 and scrapped in 1933. Cleveland was built for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) as a sister ship for Cincinnati.
USAT Thomas was a United States Army transport ship purchased on 26 July 1898 for Spanish–American War service. Thomas served with the Army Transport Service (ATS) until retired in 1929.
USS Patricia was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Germany in 1899 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was the last to be built of a class of four HAPAG sister ships that came from shipyards in the United Kingdom and Germany between 1896 and 1899.
SS Fürst Bismarck was a Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) ocean liner. She was launched in Scotland in 1905. In 1914 she was renamed Friedrichsruh. In 1919 the United Kingdom seized her as World War I reparations. In 1921 Messageries Maritimes acquired her and renamed her Amboise. She was scrapped in Italy in 1935.
SS Pennsylvania was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Ireland in 1896 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was the first of a class of four HAPAG sister ships that were built in the United Kingdom and Germany between 1896 and 1899.
USS Covington (ID-1409) was a German transatlantic ocean liner that was launched in 1908 for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) as Cincinnati. In 1917 the United States seized her, had her converted into a troop ship and renamed her Covington. In 1918 SM U-86 torpedoed her, killing six of her complement. Three tugs towed her about 1/3 the way to Brest, but she sank the afternoon of 2 July 1918.
USS Shoshone (ID-1760) was a German-built cargo liner that the United States Navy chartered during the First World War. She was launched in 1911 for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) as Wasgenwald. The Kerr Steamship Company bought her in 1917 and renamed her Shoshone. In 1919 she spent six months in the United States Navy, in which she made two round trips to and from France to repatriate US troops.
SS Ypiranga was a cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1908 for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). In 1919 the United Kingdom seized her for World War I reparations. In 1921 Anchor Line acquired her and renamed her Assyria. In 1929 the Companhia Colonial de Navegação (CCN) bought her and renamed her Colonial. In 1950 she was sold for scrap, but she sank off the coast of Scotland while being towed to a scrapyard.
USS Moccasin (ID-1322) was a cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1903 as Prinz Joachim. The US seized her in 1917. In 1918–19 she was renamed Moccasin and briefly served in the United States Navy. In 1920 she was returned to US merchant service and renamed Porto Rico. She was scrapped in 1933 or 1934.
USS General W. C. Gorgas (ID-1365) was a cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1902 as Prinz Sigismund for the Hamburg America Line. In 1917 the USA seized her and renamed her General W. C. Gorgas. In 1945 she was transferred to the Soviet Union, which renamed her Mikhail Lomonosov. She was scrapped in March 1958.
USS General G. W. Goethals (ID-1443) was a German cargo liner that the United States seized during the First World War. She was launched in 1911 for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) as Grunewald. In 1917 the US seized her in Panama, and the Panama Canal Railway (PCR) operated her for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). In 1919 she spent six months in the United States Navy, in which she made three round trips to and from France to repatriate US troops. In 1920 the PRC bought her from the USSB. In 1925 the Black Star Line owned her. In 1926 the Munson Steamship Line bought her and renamed her Munorleans. She was scrapped in Scotland in 1937.
SS Pisa was a cargo and passenger steamship that was built in Scotland in 1896. She was in German ownership until 1917, when the United States seized her and renamed her Ascutney.
Kronprinzessin Cecilie was a Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) ocean liner. She was launched in Schleswig-Holstein in 1905. Her scheduled route was between Hamburg and Mexico.
USS Arcadia (ID-1605) was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Ireland in 1896 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was one of a series of at least five HAPAG sister ships that were built in the United Kingdom in 1896 and 1897.
SS Otsego was a cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1901 as Prinz Eitel Friedrich. The USA seized her in 1917 and renamed her Otsego. In 1919 she served in the United States Navy as USS Otsego (ID-1628). She spent the 1920s and 30s in merchant service as Otsego. In 1941 she became the United States Army ship USAT Otsego. In 1945 she was transferred to the Soviet Union, which renamed her Ural. In 1947 she may have been renamed Dolinsk. She was either hulked or scrapped in 1955.
SS Bulgaria was a passenger-cargo steamship built in 1898 for the Hamburg American Line ("Hapag"). During World War I, she operated as a United States Army animal and cargo ship under the names USAT Hercules and USAT Philippines, and after the war was converted into the troop transport USS Philippines (ID-1677).
SS Reliance was one of a pair of transatlantic steam ocean liners that were launched in 1914 in Germany for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG), sold to a Dutch shipping line in 1916, and seized by the United States as World War I reparations in 1922. United American Lines (UAL) operated her until 1926, when HAPAG bought her back.
SS Lombardia was one of a pair of transatlantic steam ocean liners that were launched in 1914 in Germany for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG), sold to a Dutch shipping line in 1916, and seized by the United States as World War I reparations in 1922. United American Lines (UAL) operated her until 1926, when HAPAG bought her back.
SS Graf Waldersee was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Germany in 1898 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was the third of a class of four HAPAG sister ships that were built in the United Kingdom and Germany between 1896 and 1899.
SS Prinz Oskar was a twin-screw cargo liner that was launched in Germany in 1902 for Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She served various transatlantic routes between Europe and the Americas until the First World War began.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
