World War I and U.S. Navy Service
In August 1914, as World War I began, she was laid up at Hamburg and remained inactive for more than four years, where she fell into a dilapidated state. Following the 11 November 1918 Armistice, Imperator was taken over by the Allied Food Shipping and Finance Agreement, and allocated to the United States for temporary use as a transport alongside Vaterland now renamed SS Leviathan bringing American service personnel home from France.
She was commissioned as USS Imperator (ID-4080) in early May 1919 under Captain Casey. After embarking 2,100 American troops and 1,100 passengers, Imperator departed Brest, France on 15 May 1919, arriving at New York City one week later. Operating with the Cruiser and Transport Force from 3 June to 10 August, she made three cruises from New York to Brest, returning over 25,000 troops, nurses, and civilians to the United States.
While en route to New York City 17 June, Imperator assisted the French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc, which had broken down in the Atlantic Ocean. The President of Brazil was on board Jeanne d'Arc and Imperator received him and his party for transport to the United States, arriving there several days later.
Decommissioned at Hoboken, New Jersey in early 1919, Imperator was transferred to the British shipping controller on 20 September, and it was decided that she would be operated by Cunard. Captain Charles A. Smith and a full crew was sent out to New York on the Carmania by her new operators and the official handover from the American board of shipping to Cunard took place on 24 November where the vessel was officially received by Cunard's Marine superintendent Captain Miller accompanied by his assistant Captain Palfrey. Imperator was then transferred to Cunard's pier 54 for Cunard service.
Read more about this topic: SS Imperator
Famous quotes containing the words world, war, navy and/or service:
“A steady patriot of the world alone,
The friend of every country but his own.”
—George Canning (1770–1827)
“[W]e must remember that so long as war exists on earth there will be some danger that even the Nation that most ardently desires peace may be drawn into war.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“I call to mind the navy great
That the Greeks brought to Troye town,
And how the boistous winds did beat
Their ships, and rent their sails adown;
Till Agamemnon’s daughter’s blood
Appeased the gods that them withstood.”
—Henry Howard, Earl Of Surrey (1517?–1547)
“O good old man, how well in thee appears
The constant service of the antique world,
When service sweat for duty, not for meed!”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)