SHIPS AT SEA - WORLD WAR 1 PICTURES

Delaware laboring in seas

USS Delaware, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Commissioned in April 1910, she cruised to Europe late in that year and to South America during the first part of 1911.  Delaware participated in the Atlantic Fleet's exercises in the western Atlantic and Caribbean area.  When the United States entered World War I, she initially performed training and battle readiness missions along the U.S. east coast, then deployed to the North Sea late in 1917. She served with the British Grand Fleet in the U.S. Sixth Battle Squadron from then until late July 1918, when she left for home.

 

Troops aboard U.S.S. Mongolia

 The SS Mongolia was a steamer, a merchant ship launched on July 25^th 1903 which formed part of the Atlantic Transport Co. fleet in October 1915.  On March 17^th 1917 she took on an armed guard of United States Sailors and was armed with three 6 inch guns.

U.S.S. Mongolia

When the Imperial German Government placed into effect the famous submarine blockade in March of 1917, tensions between the United States and Germany grew stronger. And so partly as a result of this action by the German Navy, President Wilson on March 12, 1917 decided to arm American merchant ships that would be sailing the Atlantic war zone twenty-five days before the United States would be at war with Germany.  Orders were sent to the Navy Department and arming of the merchantmen began immediately. 

Entering Brest

The U.S. Navy established a Naval Operating Base, with the Frency Navy, at Brest, France, in June 1917 to engage German submarines.  The location became a landing point for U.S. Army troops for service with the American Expeditionary Forces.  In September 1919, both the Naval Port Office and the Army Transport Service were ordered closed, but the Naval Port Office continued operations until July 1920.   

S.S. Mongolia

Issued by the Jewish Welfare Board to Soldiers and Sailors of the U.S. Army and Navy 

The Atlantic