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PRESIDENT GRANT (REPUBLIC) The "President Grant" had a long and varied career. She was built in 1903 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast as the "Servian" for Wilson and Furness - Leyland Line's North Atlantic service, which failed to materialize. Her details were - 18,072 gross tons, length 599 ft x beam 68.2 ft, one funnel, six masts, twin screw and a speed of 14 knots. She had accommodation for 200 First, 150 Second, 704 Third and 2300 Fourth Class passengers. Launched on February 19, 1903, she spent four years at anchor in the Musgrave Channel, Belfast until purchased by Hamburg America Line, who originally intended to name her "Berlin", but instead named her "President Grant". On September 14, 1907 she finally started her maiden voyage from Hamburg to Boulogne, Southampton and New York. In 1914, she took refuge in New York and on August 4th, was interned at Hoboken. Seized by the US authorities in 1917, when America entered the Great War, she operated as a US Navy transport. In October she transferred to the US Army, and made 20 voyages, and in 1920 was used to repatriate Czech troops from Vladivostok (where they had been fighting the Bolsheviks) via Suez to Trieste. In March 1921, she was handed over to the US Shipping Board, renamed "President Buchanan" and laid up until 1923, when she was refurbished and rebuilt with four masts by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co. Her tonnage was reduced to 17,910 and her accommodation altered to 600 Cabin Class and 600 Third Class passengers. In 1924 she went to the United States Line, who named her "Republic", and on April 29, 1924 she commenced sailing between New York, Plymouth, Cherbourg and Bremen. In 1926, she was converted to carry Cabin, Tourist and Third Class passengers and on July 17, 1931 she commenced her last voyage from Hamburg to Southampton, Cherbourg and New York. She then became a US Troopship and ran between San Francisco, Hawaii and Manila and from 1932 to 1941 was used between New York, Panama, San Francisco and Honolulu. In 1941 she was assigned to the US Navy as AP33, "Republic" and was used for Pacific trooping as far afield as Sydney, Australia. Returned to the army in 1945, she was converted at Mobile, Alabama to a Hague Convention Hospital ship and in February 1946, reverted to a troopship and was engaged on repatriation work. She was laid up later the same year, until 1951, when she was scrapped at Baltimore. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor vol.1., p.413] Source: Immigrant Ship Information |
