SS Kroonland

SS Kroonland, painted in 1903 by Antonio Jacobsen (1850–1921)
History
United States
Name	SS Kroonland
Owner	International Mercantile Marine
Operator	1902–1914: Red Star Line 1914–1915: American Line 1915: Panama Pacific Line 1915–1917: American Line
Port of registry	1902–1908: New York 1908–1911: Antwerp 1911–1918: New York
Route	1902–1914: New York – Antwerp 1914–1915: New York – Liverpool 1915: New York – Panama – San Francisco 1915–1917: New York – Liverpool
Builder	William Cramp & Sons Philadelphia
Yard number	311
Launched	20 February 1902
Sponsored by	Mrs. Rodman Griscom
Fate	Chartered to USA
United States
Name	USS Kroonland (ID-1541)
Acquired	22 April 1918
Commissioned	22 April 1918
Decommissioned	1 October 1919
Stricken	1 October 1919
Fate	Returned to International Mercantile Marine
United States
Name	SS Kroonland
Acquired	Returned by USSB, 1 October 1919
Owner	International Mercantile Marine
Operator	1920–1923: Red Star Line 1923: American Line 1923–1925: Panama Pacific Line 1925–1926: American Line
Port of registry	New York
Route	1920–1923: New York – Antwerp 1923: New York – Hamburg 1923–1925: New York – Panama – San Francisco 1925–1926: New York – Miami
Fate	Scrapped, 1927
General characteristics (as built)
Tonnage	12,760 GRT
Length	560 ft (170.7 m) pp 580 ft (176.8 m) oa
Beam	60 ft (18.3 m)
Depth	42 ft (12.8 m) molded depth
Propulsion	2 × triple-expansion steam engines 10,200 hp (7,600 kW) twin screw propellers
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Capacity	Passengers: 342 first-class 194 second-class 626 third-class Cargo:11,000 long tons (11,000 t)
Crew	257[1]
Notes	Sister ship of Finland; Near sister ship of Vaderland, Zeeland
General characteristics (as USS Kroonland)
Displacement	22,000 long tons (22,000 t)[2]
Draft	31 ft 1 in (9.47 m)
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Troops	3,300 3,800 after Armistice[2]
Complement	414
Armament	4 × 4-inch (100 mm) guns 2 × 1-pounder gun 2 × Lewis machine guns
General characteristics (postwar civilian service)
Tonnage	12,241 GRT
Capacity	Passengers, 1919: 242 first-class 310 second-class 876 third-class Passengers, 1925: 500 first-class

SS Kroonland was an ocean liner for International Mercantile Marine (IMM) from her launch in 1902 until she was scrapped in 1927. Kroonland was the sister ship of Finland and a near sister ship of Vaderland and Zeeland of the same company. Kroonland sailed for IMM's Red Star Line for 15 years, and also sailed for IMM's American Line and Panama Pacific Line. During World War I, the ship served as United States Army transport USAT Kroonland through April 1918, and as the Navy auxiliary USS Kroonland (ID-1541) from April 1918 to October 1919.

Announced by the Red Star Line in 1899, Kroonland was completed in 1902 by William Cramp & Sons of Philadelphia. When launched, she was the largest steamship ever built in the United States. Kroonland sailed from New York City to Antwerp on her maiden voyage in June 1902, beginning service on the route she would sail for the next twelve years. According to The New York Times, Kroonland became the first ship to issue a wireless distress call at sea when she radioed for help during a storm in 1903. In another radio first, Kroonland heard the "first real broadcast of history" in December 1906.^[3] Kroonland was one of ten ships that came to the aid of the burning liner Volturno in the mid-Atlantic in October 1913. Despite stormy seas, Kroonland was able to take aboard 89 survivors, for which captain and crew received accolades that included U.S. Congressional Gold Medals.

When the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 disrupted service to Belgium, Kroonland shifted to alternate routes. On a trip to the Mediterranean in October 1914, Kroonland was detained by British authorities at Gibraltar, and part of her cargo was confiscated amidst diplomatic wrangling between the then-neutral United States and the United Kingdom. During a chartered circumnavigation of South America in February 1915, Kroonland became the largest passenger ship to have transited the Panama Canal during that time. Kroonland was placed in New York – Panama Canal – San Francisco service until a landslide temporarily closed the canal to navigation. Returned to transatlantic service, Kroonland was one of the first U.S. ships armed by the Navy for defense against German submarine attacks. In May 1917 Kroonland was struck by a torpedo, which failed to detonate and only slightly damaged the ship.

After the United States entered World War I, Kroonland served as a troopship for the U.S. Army and Navy. She made six trips carrying troops to France before the Armistice and eight voyages after, transporting nearly 38,000 troops in total. Returned to IMM in late 1919, Kroonland was scorched in a shipyard fire in January 1920 while she was being refitted for passenger service. The liner resumed North Atlantic service in April, remaining there until returning to New York – San Francisco service in 1923. Kroonland inaugurated IMM's winter New York – Miami service from December 1925 to March 1926, but was laid up in Hoboken, New Jersey, when IMM did not resume the Miami service the following year. The ship was sold and scrapped at Genoa in 1927.