President Grant SP-3014

President Grant


(SP-3014: dp. 33,000; 1. 599'; b. 68'2"; dr. 34'; s. 14.5 k.: cpl.
712; a. 4 5", 2 1-pdrs., 2 ma)

The third ship named for Ulysses S. Grant was the former President Grant which was built in 1907 by Harland and Wolff, Ltd., Belfast, Ireland for the Hamburg American Packet Steamship Co. After several years of trans-Atlantic passenger service, she was interned at New York in 1914 and seized there on 6 April 1917 when the United States entered World War I. Turned over to the Navy, she was commissioned President Grant (SP-3014) on 2 August 1917 Comdr. J. P. Morton in command.

During her operations as a troop transport she made sixteen round trips between New York and ports of France carrying a total of 40,104 servicemen on her eastbound passage, and a total of 37,025 servicemen on her westbound returns to New York. President Grant was transferred to the Army 6 October 1919.

During the period January to November 1920, she served as the United States Army Transport Republic and made two voyages repatriating Czechoslovakian troops from Siberia to Trieste. After a trip to France, she was delivered to the USSB by the Army in March 1921. Until 1924 she lay at Norfolk and then wa~s placed on North Atlantic passenger service under the United States Lines. In 1931 she reverted to Army control as a troopship.

After alterations, USAT Republic made three trips to San Francisco, Hawaii, and Manila. She later made two visits to China and one to Japan. In 1932 Far Eastern ports were excluded and she was confined to a regular New York— Honolulu run until June 1941.

USA T Republic was again taken over by the Navy and commissioned Republic (AP-33) 22 July 1941, Comdr. G. Clark in command. Her armament consisted of one 5" and four 3" mounts.

After a crossing from New York to Iceland, Republic sailed for San Francisco and in November left for the Southwest Pacific. From December 1941 to February 1942 she visited the Fiji Islands and Brisbane and Sydney, Australia. Between March and November 1942 she served on the San Francisco—

Honolulu run, completing a total of seven voyages. During 1943 and 1944 Republic operated out of San Francisco, transporting troops and supplies to Honolulu and the Southwest Pacific. She called at Fiji, Samoa, Noumea, Guadacanal Sydney, Funafuti, Hollandia and other ports.

Republic returned home in early 1943 and decommissioned at New Orleans 27 January 1945. She was struck from the Navy Register 2 February 1945 and turned over to the Army for conversion to a hospital ship.

Republic was overhauled by the Waterman Steamship Co. at Mobile, Ala. until August. In September 1945 she proceeded to Los Angeles where she was altered before departing for Honolulu. The Army cancelled her designation as a hospital ship while she was enroute to Manila in February 1946. Republic embarked war veterans at Tacloban and Leyte bringing them back to San Francisco in late March 1946.