USS Pocahontas (ID-3044)

USS Pocahontas (SP-3044) was a transport ship for the United States Navy in World War I. She was originally the Reichspostdampfer Prinzess Irene, a Barbarossa-class ocean liner built in 1900 by AG Vulcan of Stettin, Germany, for Norddeutscher Lloyd.[1]

At the beginning of World War I, the ship was in New York. Later, she was interned by the United States. She was seized when that country entered the conflict in 1917 and converted to a troop transport. As USS Pocahontas, she carried 24,573 servicemen to Europe, and after the war returned 23,296 servicemen to the United States. Decommissioned by the U.S. Navy, the United States Shipping Board sold her back to the North German Lloyd line, where she saw mercantile service until being scrapped in 1932.

Prinzess Irene

She was launched as Prinzess Irene on 19 June 1900 by Aktiengesellschaft Vulkan, Stettin, Germany for North German Lloyd

SS Pocahontas

In 1920, SS Pocahontas was chartered to the United States Mail Steamship Company of New York and began commercial services between the United States and Italy in 1921.[3]

Pocahontas was the subject of widespread media coverage between May and July 1921 due to mechanical problems, sabotage and mutiny. The vessel left New York on 23 May 1921 en route to Naples. On 25 May, she was anchored off Nobska Point in Vineyard Sound in need of repair.[4] A gang of boilermakers and mechanics boarded the ship to make repairs en route to Boston.[4] Further repairs were undertaken in the Azores in June.[5] The vessel did not arrive in Naples until 4 July, spending 43 days at sea. It was later reported that the vessel had been subject to sabotage and that some of the crew "began to threaten the commander and to damage the machinery and the electric light apparatus and even attempt ... to sink the steamer"[6] Just before entering Naples, the assistant engineer drowned when he jumped overboard.[7][8] On arrival in Naples, the ship's captain submitted a full report to the American consul, who conducted an investigation.[7] The crew, in turn, filed charges of cruelty against the captain with the Italian authorities.[7] While the crew were returned to the United States,[9][10] the ship was repaired in Naples. A "great deal" of cotton waste was found in the steamer's pumps, but otherwise it suffered only minor damage.[11] Although she was due to sail for New York on 31 July,[11] the ship was ordered to stay in port pending payment of debts incurred in relation to the repair work.[12] The total repair bill amounted to 2,700,000 lire.[13] Despite intervention from the American consul,[14] the ship did not sail until 8 September.[15] Due to frequent bunker fires, however, the ship was considered to be in worse condition "than when it was in drydock".[16] The vessel was again laid up on 22 September, this time in Gibraltar, having suffered further damage to her machinery.[17]

The then future Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir, was on board Pocahontas in May 1921, while emigrating from the United States to Palestine. She recounts the events of the journey in her autobiography, My Life.[18]

class	Barbarossa-class ocean liner
tonnage	,
displacement	18000 LT
length	564 ft overall 523.5 ft registered
beam	60.2 ft
draft	28 ft
depth	34.7 ft
decks	4
power	2 × quadruple-expansion engines; 1,016 NHP
propulsion	*2 × screws
speed	16 kn
complement	610 officers and enlisted
sensors	submarine signalling
armament	4 × 6 in guns 2 × 3 in guns 3 × 1-pounder guns 1 × machine gun

USS Pocahontas (ID-3044)

Prinzess Irene

USS Pocahontas

SS Pocahontas

SS Bremen

SS Karlsruhe

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References