Troopship
On 6 April 1917 the US declared war against the Central Powers. The Netherlands were neutral in the First World War, but on 20 June 1917 the US detained Rijndam. She became one of 89 Dutch ships that the United States Customs Service seized under angary in March 1918. 31 of these were commissioned into the US Navy.[7]
Rijndam was converted into a troopship, with capacity for up to 3,000 troops.[7] Dozens of Carley floats were added to her lifesaving equipment. She was armed with four 6 in guns, two 1-pounder guns, and two machine guns. She was commissioned on 1 May, with the ID number ID-2505, and commanded by Commander John J Hannigan.[7]
As a troopship, Rijndam made 13 transatlantic round trips between the US and France: six before the Armistice of 11 November 1918 and seven afterward. Her first trip taking troops and supplies to France began from New York on 10 May 1918.[7] She sailed in convoy with the US troopships USS Covington (ID-1409) and USS President Lincoln (1907), British troopship SS Dwinsk, and Italian troopships SS Caserta and SS Dante Alighieri. Shortly after sailing, the convoy merged with a contingent from Newport News comprising the US troopships USS Antigone (ID-3007), USS Lenape, USS Pastores, USS Princess Matoika, USS Susquehanna (ID-3016) and USS Wilhelmina, Italian troopship SS Duca d'Aosta, and British troopship Kursk.[8][9] Together the two contingents formed the 35th US convoy of the war. It was escorted by the cruiser USS Frederick. On 21 May, 11 destroyers relieved Frederick as escorts. On 24 May the convoy reached Brest.
On 29 May Rijndam left Brest on her return voyage, in convoy with Antigone, President Lincoln, Susquehanna, and an escort of destroyers. At sunset the next day the destroyers detached, and the troopships continued unescorted. On the morning of 31 May, SMU U-90 attacked the convoy. Three torpedoes sank President Lincoln.[10] U-90 fired torpedoes at Rijndam, but the troopship took successful evasive action, and shortly afterward, nearly rammed a submarine cruising at periscope depth.[7]
On 15 June 1918 Rijndam began her second trooping voyage to France. She left New York with the US troopships Covington, USS DeKalb, SS Finland, SS George Washington and SS Kroonland, Italian troopship Dante Alighieri and British troopship SS Vauban. They merged with a contingent from Newport News that included the US troopships Lenape, Pastores, Princess Matoika and Wilhelmina and British troopship SS Czar, to form a convoy to France.[11][12] The cruisers Frederick and USS North Carolina (ACR-12) and destroyers USS Fairfax and USS Stevens (DD-86) escorted them. The battleship Texas and several other destroyers joined the escort for a time.[12] The convoy reached Brest on 27 June.[11]
Rijndam landed troops and supplies at Brest on three more occasions until November 1918, and once at Quiberon in July. After the Armistice she repatriated US troops from Quiberon, Brest and Saint-Nazaire to Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia, Hoboken and New York.[7]
In March 1919 Princess Matoika and Rijndam raced each other from Saint-Nazaire to Newport News.[14][15] Princess Matoika was the swifter ship, but Rijndam recruited volunteers from the 133rd Field Artillery Regiment aboard as extra stokers for her furnaces, and with their help she narrowly won the race.[16]
Rijndam's final troop repatriation voyage was from Brest, and reached New York on 4 August 1919. On 11 August 1919 Rijndam was transferred from the Cruiser and Transport Force to the 3rd Naval District in New York. She was decommissioned, and on 22 October 1919 she was returned to her owners.[7]
