USS Lancaster (ID-2953)

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

USS Lancaster (ID-2953) was a commercial cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. She served the war effort by carrying cargo across the Atlantic Ocean, and, at war’s end, bringing home the troops.

History
United States
Name	Lancaster
Namesake	Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Builder	Sun Shipbuilding Co., Chester, Pennsylvania
Laid down	date unknown
Launched	5 May 1918
Completed	in 1918
Acquired	by the U.S. Navy, 19 June 1918
Commissioned	19 June 1918 as Lancaster (ID-2953) at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Decommissioned	4 October 1919
Stricken	date unknown
Fate	Returned to the United States Shipping Board; fate unknown
General characteristics
Type	commercial cargo ship
Displacement	14,620 tons
Length	450 ft (140 m)
Beam	57 ft 6 in (17.53 m)
Draft	28 ft 2 in (8.59 m)
Speed	10.5 knots
Complement	92 personnel
Armament	one 5-inch gun and one 6-pounder gun

Built at Chester, Pennsylvania

The second ship to be so named by the Navy, Lancaster, a cargo ship, was launched 5 May 1918 by Sun Shipbuilding Co., Chester, Pennsylvania; acquired by the Navy 19 June 1918; and commissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the same day.

World War I service

Assigned to the Naval transportation service (NOTS), Lancaster departed New York City 13 July with cargo for South American ports. Arriving Buenos Aires, Argentina, 10 days later, she discharged her cargo and proceeded to Marseille, France, where she arrived 28 October. After the Armistice was signed 11 November, Lancaster returned to New York City the following month to join the Cruiser Transport Force 17 December.

Troopship assignment

Lancaster together with other units of the Cruiser Transport Force was assigned the task of returning World War I veterans from Europe to the United States. The force returned over 85 percent of the veterans during the period from November 1918 to July 1919.

Post-war dispositioning

Completing her service, Lancaster decommissioned 4 October 1919 and was returned to the United States Shipping Board (USSB) the same day.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Photo gallery of USS Lancaster (ID-2953) at NavSource Naval History