USS Absecon (ID-3131)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Absecon.

The first USS Absecon (ID-3131) was a freighter that operated in the United States Navy in 1918. She was the first U.S. Navy ship to be named for Absecon Inlet, a small inlet north of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

USS Absecon (ID-3131) On trial trip in Delaware Bay, 1 July 1918.
History
United States
Name	USS Absecon
Namesake	Absecon Inlet in New Jersey
Builder	New York Shipbuilding Company, Camden, New Jersey
Laid down	2 October 1917
Launched	23 March 1918
Completed	1918
Commissioned	Never
In service	In non-commissioned status on 12 October 1918
Out of service	5 November 1918
Renamed	Acquired in 1928 by the Isthmian Line and renamed James Ellwood Jones Renamed T. J. Sheridan in 1951 Acquired in 1960 by the Coyle Line and renamed DeBardeleben Marine II
Reclassified	Converted to a barge in 1953
Honors & awards	World War I Victory Medal with Armed Guard Clasp
Fate	Scrapped 1962
General characteristics
Class & type	Tuckahoe-class collier
Displacement	5,548 long tons (5,637 t)
Length	333 ft (101 m)
Beam	49 ft (15 m)
Draft	22 ft (6.7 m)
Propulsion	One 1,800ihp steam engine, one shaft
Speed	10.5 kn (12.1 mph)
Armament	Armed, but type of armament unknown

On 17 June 1918, officers of the U.S. Navy's 4th Naval District inspected Absecon, a single-screw, steel-hulled freighter built in 1918 by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey. Although the Navy gave the ship Identification Number (Id. No.) 3131, as it did with most commercial cargo ships and tankers commissioned into U.S. Navy service for use in World War I, the United States Government never took possession of the ship. However, she was armed, and a Navy armed guard crew was placed on board the ship.

Absecon earned the World War I Victory Medal with Armed Guard Clasp for service between 12 October 1918 and 5 November 1918. She then left naval service.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.