USS Houston (AK-1)

Houston in 1918
History
German Empire
Name	Liebenfels
Namesake	Liebenfels
Owner	DDG Hansa
Builder	Bremer Vulcan, Vegesack, Germany
Laid down	1902-1903
Launched	11 April 1903
Completed	1903
Fate	Scuttled by crew 1 February 1917
History
United States
Name	Houston
Namesake	Houston
Builder	Raised and entered Charleston Navy Yard for conversion to Naval service
Acquired	20 March 1917
Commissioned	17 July 1920
Decommissioned	23 March 1922
Stricken	date unknown
Identification	Hull symbol:AK-1
Fate	Sold, 27 September 1922, to Frank M. Warren of Portland, OR, renamed SS North King in 1923 Sold to Campania Diana de Vapores S.A., Panama, date unknown Chartered by the War Shipping Administration (WSA) from Campania Diana de Vapores S.A., 30 December 1941, at New York, N.Y., Transferred to United States Lines Co. for operation, 30 December 1941 Returned to Campania Diana de Vapores S.A., 26 February 1946, at New York, N.Y. Sold to Japanese breakers Y. Yamamoto & Co., Osaka, Japan, scrapped in 1958
General characteristics [1]
Displacement	4,525 t (4,454 long tons) (standard) 9,000 t (8,900 long tons) (full load)
Length	392 ft (119 m)
Beam	50 ft 9 in (15.47 m)
Draft	25 ft 4 in (7.72 m)
Propulsion	coal fired boilers, engine type unknown, single propeller
Speed	11 kn (13 mph; 20 km/h)
Complement	145
Armament	4 × 3 in (76 mm)/23 caliber guns

USS Houston (AK-1) was a cargo ship that was acquired by the U.S. Navy for service in World War I. During World War II, she served as a commercial cargo ship under charter to the United States Lines by the War Shipping Administration.