Figure 1: The German ocean liner S.S. Imperator at anchor, circa 1913. Note her huge figurehead, which was removed early in the ship's career after being damaged in a storm. This ship served as USS Imperator (ID No. 4080) in 1919. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 2: The German ocean liner S.S. Imperator at anchor circa mid-1913, when she first entered service. Color-tinted post card published by the American Art Publishing Co., New York City. Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2008. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 3: Halftone
reproduction of a photograph showing the German ocean liner S.S. Imperator in port in 1913,
before she lost her massive eagle figurehead and had her smokestacks reduced in
height. This image was published in 1919 by A.M. Simon, 324 East 23rd Street,
New York City, as one of ten photographs in a "Souvenir Folder" of
views of USS Imperator (ID No. 4080). All the photos were taken circa
1913, when the ship was new and operating under the German flag. Donation of
Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on
photograph for larger image.
Figure 4: Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in the German ocean liner S.S. Imperator’s Drawing Room, circa 1913. This image was published in 1919 by A.M. Simon, 324 East 23rd Street, New York City, as one of ten photographs in a "Souvenir Folder" of views concerning USS Imperator (ID No. 4080). All the photos were taken circa 1913, when the ship was new and operating under the German flag. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 5:
Halftone reproduction
of a photograph taken circa 1913 in the S.S.
Imperator’s Winter Garden, looking into her Ritz-Carlton
Restaurant. This image was published in 1919 by A.M. Simon, 324 East 23rd
Street, New York City, as one of ten photographs in a "Souvenir
Folder" of views concerning USS Imperator (ID No. 4080). All the
photos were taken circa 1913, when the ship was new and operating under the
German flag. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. US Naval Historical
Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 6: Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken circa 1913 in the S.S. Imperator’s First Class Smoking Room, the decor of which was inspired by a Bavarian hunting lodge.This image was published in 1919 by A.M. Simon, 324 East 23rd Street, New York City, as one of ten photographs in a "Souvenir Folder" of views concerning USS Imperator (ID No. 4080). All the photos were taken circa 1913, when the ship was new and operating under the German flag. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 7: Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in a smoking room on board S.S. Imperator, circa 1913. This image was published in 1919 by A.M. Simon, 324 East 23rd Street, New York City, as one of ten photographs in a "Souvenir Folder" of views of USS Imperator (ID No. 4080). All the photos were taken circa 1913, when the ship was new and operating under the German flag. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 8:
Halftone reproduction
of a photograph taken in a saloon on board S.S. Imperator, circa 1913. This image was published in
1919 by A.M. Simon, 324 East 23rd Street, New York City, as one of ten
photographs in a "Souvenir Folder" of views of USS Imperator
(ID No. 4080). All the photos were taken circa 1913, when the ship was new and
operating under the German flag. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. U.S.
Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 9: Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in a
dining room on board the S.S. Imperator,
circa 1913. This image was published in 1919 by A.M. Simon, 324 East
23rd Street, New York City, as one of ten photographs in a "Souvenir
Folder" of views of USS Imperator (ID No. 4080). All the photos
were taken circa 1913, when the ship was new and operating under the German
flag. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. US Naval Historical Center
Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 10: Halftone reproduction of a photograph showing
the S.S. Imperator’s
swimming pool, known as the "Pompeian Bath,” circa 1913.This image was
published in 1919 by A.M. Simon, 324 East 23rd Street, New York City, as one of
ten photographs in a "Souvenir Folder" of views concerning USS Imperator
(ID No. 4080). All the photos were taken circa 1913, when the ship was new and
operating under the German flag. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. US Naval
Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 11: Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in
the S.S. Imperator’s gymnasium,
circa 1913. Note the mechanical horses and other exercise equipment. This image
was published in 1919 by A.M. Simon, 324 East 23rd Street, New York City, as
one of ten photographs in a "Souvenir Folder" of views of USS Imperator
(ID No. 4080). All the photos were taken circa 1913, when the ship was new and
operating under the German flag. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. US Naval
Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 12:
USS Imperator (ID No. 4080) assisted by tugs, probably at Hoboken,
New Jersey, in mid-1919. Photographed by the Bain News Service, New York City. Donation
of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2008. US Naval History and Heritage Command
Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 13: USS Imperator (ID No. 4080) off Manhattan Island,
New York City, in 1919. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 14: Halftone reproduction of a photograph showing USS Imperator (ID No. 4080) underway in 1919 while she was employed bringing US service personnel home from Europe. Courtesy of William H. Davis, 1977. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 15: USS Imperator (ID No. 4080) in harbor, with tugs alongside, 1919. Donation of Staff Sergeant Craig Ingersoll, USMC, 1980. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 16:
The lighter Rin Tin Tin coming alongside USS
Mount Vernon (ID No. 4508) to transfer troops for passage home to the
United States, in Brest Harbor, France, circa May 1919. USS Imperator (ID No. 4080) is in the background. Donation of Charles R.
Haberlein Jr., 2008. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Click
on photograph for larger image.
Figure 17: USS Imperator (ID No. 4080) at Hoboken, New Jersey, probably after her first trans-Atlantic voyage as a US Navy ship, circa late May 1919. Note the large decoration on the ship's bow. Donation of Georgia Adams Grann and Caryl L. Adams, 2005. The original print came from the collection of their father, George W. Adams, who enlisted in the Navy in 1908. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 18:
USS Imperator (ID No. 4080), at left, and USS Leviathan (ID No. 1326) at
Hoboken, New Jersey, probably after Imperator's first trans-Atlantic
voyage as a US Navy ship, circa late May 1919. At that time, these were the world's
largest ships, hence the photo's title: "The 'Giants' of the Sea.” Note
the large decoration on Imperator's bow. Donation of Georgia Adams Grann
and Caryl L. Adams, 2005. The original print came from the collection of their
father, George W. Adams, who enlisted in the Navy in 1908. US Naval History
and Heritage Command Photograph. Click on photograph for larger image.
Figure 19:
British ocean liner Berengaria in harbor during the
1920s or 1930s. Completed in 1913 as the German liner Imperator, this
big steamer served as USS Imperator (ID No. 4080) in 1919. She was then
transferred to the British Cunard Line and operated as Berengaria until
1938. US Naval Historical Center Photograph. Click on photograph for larger
image.
The 52,117-ton S.S. Imperator was a German ocean liner that was
built by the Vulcan Works at Hamburg, Germany, in 1912 for the Hamburg America
Line. The ship entered trans-Atlantic commercial service under the German flag
in June 1913. Imperator was a huge passenger ship, approximately 906
feet long and 98 feet wide, and she had a top speed of 23 knots. Imperator
had a crew of roughly 1,180 and could carry over 4,200 passengers. For several
months, Imperator was the world’s largest and most luxurious ship, until
surpassed in size by her near-sister, S.S. Vaterland (later re-named
S.S. Leviathan).
At the start of World War I in August 1914, Imperator was laid
up at Hamburg and remained inactive for more than four years. After the 1918
Armistice ended the war, Imperator was taken over by the Allies and
loaned to the United States for temporary use as a troop transport. The ship
was commissioned as USS Imperator (I.D. No. 4080) in early May 1919 and
was given the task of transporting American troops in France back to the United
States. Imperator left Brest, France, on 15 May for her first voyage to
New York City as a troop transport. By the time her mission was completed by
late summer, the ocean liner had made three round trips from Brest to New York
City and carried approximately 25,000 troops back to the United States from
France. During one of those trips, on 17 June, Imperator assisted the
French cruiser Jeanne D’Arc, which had broken down in the Atlantic. 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.
Imperator was
transferred to the Third Naval District on 19 September 1919 and was
decommissioned at New York City on 24 November. The ship was then delivered to
the British Ministry of Shipping that same day and was later re-named Berengaria.
She was overhauled and converted back into a civilian ocean liner for the
Cunard Line. Berengaria was assigned to the North Atlantic passenger
trade run between Europe and the United States, but was eventually used for
warm weather cruising to Bermuda and the Caribbean. Plagued by electrical fires
beginning in the mid-1930s, the ship had to be withdrawn from service in 1938. Berengaria
was sold for scrapping prior to the outbreak of World War II, but was not
completely dismantled until 1946, well after the end of the war.
Ocean liners like Imperator will probably never be seen again.
They not only represented the height of
luxury at the start of the twentieth century, but large transports like these
were very valuable to many nations during World War I, especially the Allies,
who had to move large quantities of men and equipment from the United States to
Britain and France. Imperator was unique in that she was built by the
Germans for the Hamburg American Line, but the ship saw only limited service
with Germany prior to the start of World War I. Ironically, Imperator
spent the bulk of her career as a transport and ocean liner for the United
States and Great Britain, giving many years of useful service to two of
Germany’s enemies from World War I.
