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USS Mexican (ID-1655)
Encyclopedia
USS Mexican (ID-1655) was a United States Navy
cargo ship
and troop transport in commission from 1917 to 1919.
SS Mexican was built in 1907 at San Francisco
, California
, by the Union Iron Works
as a commercial cargo ship for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company
of New York City
. The United States Department of War
acquired Mexican for World War I
service on a bareboat charter
basis on 10 December 1917. On 23 December 1917, the Department of War transferred Mexican to the U.S. Navy, which gave her the naval registry Identification Number (Id. No.) 1655 and commissioned
her the same day as USS Mexican.
Manned by U.S. Navy personnel and operated on a United States Army
account, Mexican was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service and served as a animal
transport through the end of World War I.
Mexican was in port at St. Nazaire, France
on 13 May 1918 when a fire broke out aboard her. Lookouts aboard cargo ship USS Alaskan (ID-4542)
, lying directly astern of Mexican, spotted the fire breaking out. Alaskan called away her fire and rescue
party, which aided Mexicans men in controlling the blaze before it did serious damage.
On 13 December 1918, Mexican was transferred to the Cruiser and Transport Force
for use as a troop transport. Refitted for that purpose by the U.S. Army, she steamed on round-trip voyages from the United States East Coast to Europe
for several months in 1919, bringing American troops who had completed their war service in Europe
home to the United States
.
The Navy returned Mexican to the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company on 4 August 1919. She returned to commercial service as SS Mexican until she was scrapped in 1948.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
and troop transport in commission from 1917 to 1919.
SS Mexican was built in 1907 at San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, by the Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works
Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries.-History:...
as a commercial cargo ship for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company
American-Hawaiian Steamship Company
The American-Hawaiian Steamship Company was founded in 1899 to carry cargos of sugar from Hawaii to the United States and manufactured goods on return trips...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The United States Department of War
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
acquired Mexican for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
service on a bareboat charter
Bareboat charter
A bareboat charter is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel from the owner are responsible for taking care of such things....
basis on 10 December 1917. On 23 December 1917, the Department of War transferred Mexican to the U.S. Navy, which gave her the naval registry Identification Number (Id. No.) 1655 and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
her the same day as USS Mexican.
Manned by U.S. Navy personnel and operated on a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
account, Mexican was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service and served as a animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
transport through the end of World War I.
Mexican was in port at St. Nazaire, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 13 May 1918 when a fire broke out aboard her. Lookouts aboard cargo ship USS Alaskan (ID-4542)
USS Alaskan (ID-4542)
USS Alaskan was a United States Navy cargo ship and troop transport in commission from 1918 to 1919.-Construction and commercial service, 1902-1918:...
, lying directly astern of Mexican, spotted the fire breaking out. Alaskan called away her fire and rescue
Rescue
Rescue refers to responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or prevention of injury during an incident or dangerous situation....
party, which aided Mexicans men in controlling the blaze before it did serious damage.
On 13 December 1918, Mexican was transferred to the Cruiser and Transport Force
Cruiser and Transport Force
The Cruiser and Transport Service was a unit of the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet during World War I that was responsible for transporting American men and materiel to France.- Composition :...
for use as a troop transport. Refitted for that purpose by the U.S. Army, she steamed on round-trip voyages from the United States East Coast to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for several months in 1919, bringing American troops who had completed their war service in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
home to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Navy returned Mexican to the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company on 4 August 1919. She returned to commercial service as SS Mexican until she was scrapped in 1948.