USS ''Comfort'' (AH-3) was a
hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Most are operated by the military forces (mostly navies) of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. ...
for the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
in World War I. She was the sister ship of but the two ships were not of a ship class. ''Comfort'' was known as SS ''Havana'' in passenger service for the
Ward Line
The New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company, commonly called the Ward Line, was a shipping company that operated from 1841 until liquidated in 1954. The line operated out of New York City's Piers 15, 16, and 17—land which later became the site ...
, and as USAT ''Havana'' in
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
service before her Navy service. Her name was restored to ''Havana'' in 1927, and she was renamed SS ''Yucatán'' in 1935, and SS ''Agwileon'' in 1941. In World War II, she was known as USAT ''Agwileon'' and USAHS ''Shamrock'' in service for the United States Army.
Launched in 1906, SS ''Havana'' was a passenger steamer for the Ward Line on the New York–
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. route from 1907 to 1917. Before being purchased by the Navy, the ship briefly served as United States Army transport ship USAT ''Havana'' and was in the first U.S.
convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
of ships to sail for France during World War I. In her Navy career, ''Comfort'' made three transatlantic voyages, bringing home over 1,100 men from European ports. ''Comfort'' was placed in reserve in September 1919, decommissioned in 1921, and sold in April 1925.
The former hospital ship was repurchased by the Ward Line in 1927, who refitted her and placed her back in service on the Havana route under her original name of ''Havana''. In January 1935, ''Havana'' grounded on a reef north of
The Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
and remained there for three months. After being refloated and repaired, she was placed back in service as SS ''Yucatán'' in June. In 1940 the ship was removed from passenger service to be converted into a freighter. After capsizing in port in 1941, the ship was again refloated and renamed SS ''Agwileon''.
Under a
bareboat charter
A bareboat charter or demise charter is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel from the owner are responsible f ...
by the
United States Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
, ''Agwileon'' carried civilian technicians and advisors to
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
for the U.S. Army. In November 1942, the ship was taken over by the Army as USAT ''Agwileon'' and converted to a troopship, making one trip in that capacity. In June 1943, the ship was selected for conversion to an Army hospital ship, and was renamed USAHS ''Shamrock''. Operating locally in the Mediterranean for most of her career, the ship had transported almost 18,000 patients by September 1944. The ship was converted for use in the
Pacific War, Pacific Theatre, but not before the war ended. The ship was placed in reserve in February 1946, and was scrapped in February 1948.
Ward Line, 1907–1917
''Havana'' was launched in 1906 by
William Cramp & Sons
William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company (also known as William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company) of Philadelphia was founded in 1830 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder of the late 19th century.
Company hi ...
of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
for the New York & Cuba Mail Steam Ship Co. — commonly referred to as the
Ward Line
The New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company, commonly called the Ward Line, was a shipping company that operated from 1841 until liquidated in 1954. The line operated out of New York City's Piers 15, 16, and 17—land which later became the site ...
— as a passenger steamer on the New York to Havana route.
In 1909, on the way to the Quarantine Station in New York, ''Havana'' rammed the anchored
Munson Line
The Munson Steamship Line, frequently shortened to the Munson Line, was an American steamship company that operated in the Atlantic Ocean primarily between U.S. ports and ports in the Caribbean and South America. The line was founded in 1899 as a ...
freighter ''Cubana'' which was hidden from sight behind , also at anchor. ''Cubana'' had no damage below the waterline and ''Havana'', laden with inbound New York passengers, suffered only superficial damage.
Striking
firemen
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also a ...
delayed ''Havana''s departure in July 1911. The firemen were looking for an additional $0.15 per day for meals while the ship was in port. A. G. Smith, General Manager of the Ward Line, agreed to that concession, allowing the ''Havana'' to get underway after a two-hour delay.
![SS Havana (1907) underway prior to World War I (NH 100871)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/SS_Havana_%281907%29_underway_prior_to_World_War_I_%28NH_100871%29.jpg)
Several times in 1912, amidst an outbreak of
bubonic plague
Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...
in the Caribbean, ''Havana'' operated in violation of Cuban and U.S. quarantine rules. In July 1912, the liner prepared to depart Cuba without an inspection and fumigation, but faced the prospect of seven days quarantine in Havana before the ship would be allowed to depart. However, a compromise was worked out by the United States Marine Hospital Service which allowed ''Havana'' to depart after a one-day delay. In September of the same year, another inspection gaffe resulted in government prosecution of the Ward Line.
On 23 May 1917 ''Havana'' and sister ship , another Ward Line steamer, were requisitioned by the
War Department War Department may refer to:
* War Department (United Kingdom)
* United States Department of War (1789–1947)
See also
* War Office, a former department of the British Government
* Ministry of defence
* Ministry of War
* Ministry of Defence
* Dep ...
for U.S. Army use during World War I.
[
]
World War I
After her requisition by the U.S. government, ''Havana'' was turned over to the United States Army on 24 May 1917 for service as a transport ship.[Crowell and Wilson, p. 316.] She was hastily outfitted for trooping duties, and at daybreak on 14 June, USAT ''Havana'', with fellow Army transport ships ''Saratoga'', , and , accompanied by cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
s , , destroyers , , , and converted yacht , set out from Ambrose Light
Ambrose Light, often called Ambrose Tower, was the light station at the convergence of several major shipping lanes in Lower New York Bay, including Ambrose Channel, the primary passage for ships entering and departing the Port of New York and ...
for Brest, France
Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French mi ...
. They were in the lead group of the first American troop convoy to France during World War I. ''Corsair'' was unable to maintain the pace and fell back, being replaced by destroyer from the second group.
At 22:15 on 22 June, some from its intended destination of Brest, ''Havanas group of the convoy was attacked by submarines. Two torpedoes passed near ''Havana'' and two torpedoes straddled ''DeKalb''. No submarine was definitively sighted and the convoy, scattered by the alarm, reformed the next morning. The group, alerted by reports of submarine activity near Brest, diverted to Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire (; ; Gallo: ''Saint-Nazère/Saint-Nazaer'') is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, in traditional Brittany.
The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean ...
and arrived on 25 June.
''Havana'' made only the one transatlantic crossing as an Army transport and was transferred to the U.S. Navy on 17 July.[Crowell and Wilson, p. 319.] The ship was outfitted at the New York Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a ...
by the John N. Robins Co. of Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
; renamed ''Comfort'' on 14 March 1918; and commissioned 18 March 1918 with Medical Inspector C. M. Oman, USN
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
, commanding. ''Comfort'' and (former Ward Line mate, ''Saratoga'') were the first Navy hospital ships to have female nurses aboard, with a capacity of seven, including a chief nurse.[U.S. Navy, ''Annual Reports'', p. 835.] Both ships were outfitted with state-of-the-art operating rooms, X-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
labs, rest rooms, and could accommodate 500 patients each.[
After serving from 24 July – 5 October 1918 as a floating hospital at New York, ''Comfort'' joined the ]Cruiser and Transport Force The Cruiser and Transport Service was a unit of the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet during World War I that was responsible for transporting American men and materiel to France.
Composition
On 1 July 1918, the Cruiser and Transport Force was ...
of the Atlantic Fleet to return wounded men from Europe. In three voyages between 21 October 1918 and 13 March 1919, she brought home 1,183 men from France, Britain, and the Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
. She sailed from Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
on 9 June for repairs at Mare Island Navy Yard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...
where she went in ordinary
''In ordinary'' is an English phrase with multiple meanings. In relation to the Royal Household, it indicates that a position is a permanent one. In naval matters, vessels "in ordinary" (from the 17th century) are those out of service for repair o ...
11 September 1919.
At Mare Island, ''Comfort'' had her boilers replaced and the electrical system was revamped, which entailed replacing all temporary wiring with permanent wiring and watertight fixtures. The crew quarters of the ship had also become infested with bedbugs from older German-style hospital bedding and remedies and eradication were performed.[U.S. Navy, ''Annual Reports'', p. 834.] But ''Comfort'' had seen the end of her Navy service; she was decommissioned 5 August 1921, and was sold at Mare Island 1 April 1925.[
Author and poet William Nelson Morell, in his book of poems related to Navy service during the war, was inspired to write these lines about ''Comfort'':
]
Interwar civilian service
The former liner was reacquired by the Ward Line in 1927 and underwent a major refit – removal of one of its stacks and modernization of its interiors – at Todd Shipyard
Vigor Shipyards is the current entity operating the former Todd Shipyards after its acquisition in 2011. Todd Shipyards was founded in 1916, which owned and operated shipyards on the West Coast of the United States, East Coast of the United S ...
in Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, returning to passenger service in the following year.[Kalafus.] ''Havana'' was placed on the New York–Cuba service, where business thrived, in part because of Prohibition in the United States
In the United States from 1920 to 1933, a Constitution of the United States, nationwide constitutional law prohibition, prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtai ...
. Ward Line cruises to Havana were one of the quickest and least expensive ways to what one author called "alcohol-enriched vacations". The success of the Cuba routes attracted the attention of Cunard Line
Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
who added service from New York to Cuba with select cruises of in 1928, a full season of cruises on in 1929, and the addition of the following season.[Flayhart, p. 292.] This perceived threat to American shipping interests was met by the Ward Line by the acquisition of two new ships. The new ships, and , became the top of the line, and ''Havana'' was demoted to a third tier ship in terms of luxury and spaciousness, behind and .[
On 6 January 1935, ''Havana'' ran aground on Mantanilla Reef () north of ]The Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
. Although one passenger died of "apoplexy
Apoplexy () is rupture of an internal organ and the accompanying symptoms. The term formerly referred to what is now called a stroke. Nowadays, health care professionals do not use the term, but instead specify the anatomic location of the bleedi ...
" during the evacuation of the ship, all the passengers were evacuated on the steamers ''El Oceano'' and ''Peten''. These two steamers along with United States Coast Guard Cutter
United States Coast Guard Cutter is the term used by the U.S. Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. They are or greater in length and have a permanently assigned crew with accommodations aboard. They carry the ship prefix USCGC.
Histor ...
s and had come to the stricken ship's rescue. The ship had run aground in a well-known shoal area and near a visible marker buoy.[ The captain, Alfred W. Peterson, was found guilty of an "error in judgement in navigation" by using ]dead reckoning
In navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating current position of some moving object by using a previously determined position, or fix, and then incorporating estimates of speed, heading direction, and course over elapsed time. ...
instead of more precise methods of setting course. The grounding of ''Havana'' was second of three public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
disasters that befell the Ward Line in a four-month span; the fire and sinking of in September 1934, and the sinking of ( chartered to replace the grounded ''Havana'') on her maiden Ward Line voyage in January 1935, were the other two.[ After these three incidents, the "Ward Line" name was dropped in favor of the less familiar "Cuba Mail Line" moniker by July 1935.
''Havana'' remained on the reef for three months before being refloated, repaired, and renamed SS ''Yucatán''.][ ''Yucatán'' remained in passenger service for the Cuba Mail Line until 1940, when she was converted to a freighter.][ On 29 November 1940, ''Yucatán'' sank at her pier in New York. After again being refloated and repaired, the ship was renamed ''Agwileon'' and assigned to the Cuba Mail Lines parent organization, the Atlantic, Gulf, & West Indies Steamship Lines (the "AGWI Lines"), and remained in service as a freighter.][
]
World War II military service
In April 1942, the Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
took control of SS ''Agwileon'' under a bareboat charter
A bareboat charter or demise charter is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel from the owner are responsible f ...
and used her to transport civilian technicians and advisors to Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
, for the U.S. Army. After having boiler difficulties there, the ship then proceeded back to New York via Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
, Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
, and Cuba. The voyage was completed in October.[Charles, p. 5.]
The following month, the ship became USAT ''Agwileon'' when it was chartered by the Army, and underwent conversion to a troopship at the Atlantic Basin Iron Works
The Atlantic Basin Iron Works was a ship repair and conversion facility that operated in Brooklyn, New York, from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. It converted numerous ships to military use in World War II.
Founded before 1910, the yard ...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. With the conversion complete, the troopship left in April 1943 for Oran
Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
and Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
, returning to New York in June. After this one voyage she was selected for conversion to a hospital ship.[
Putting in at the Atlantic Basin Iron Works again in June, the ship was renamed USAHS ''Shamrock'' in August 1943. With the conversion complete, the new hospital ship left New York in September for Gibraltar and the ]Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
where she operated locally, calling often at Oran, Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
, the southern beaches of France, Bizerte
Bizerte or Bizerta ( ar, بنزرت, translit=Binzart , it, Biserta, french: link=no, Bizérte) the classical Hippo, is a city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia. It is the northernmost city in Africa, located 65 km (40mil) north of the cap ...
, and Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. By mid-February 1944, ''Shamrock'' had transported 11,989 patients before departing Gibraltar for Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
(via Bermuda
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song_type = National song
, song = " Hail to Bermuda"
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, mapsize2 =
, map_caption2 =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name =
, e ...
), where she arrived in early March. After undergoing some repairs and alterations at Charleston, ''Shamrock'' sailed again for Gibraltar for another tour of duty in the Mediterranean area from May to September. After transporting over 6,000 patients during this mission, she returned via Horta
Horta may refer to:
People
* Horta (surname), a list of people
Places
* Horta, Africa, an ancient city and former bishopric in Africa Proconsularis, now in Tunisia and a Latin Catholic titular see
* Horta, Azores, Portugal, a municipality an ...
, Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
, to Charleston in late September.[Charles, p. 349.]
In October, the hospital ship put in at Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
for major repairs, before embarking on a final Mediterranean tour, arriving back in Charleston in April 1945. With the war in Europe winding down by this time, ''Shamrock'' underwent ventilation improvements at the Charleston Navy Yard
Charleston Naval Shipyard (formerly known as the Charleston Navy Yard) was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston.
H ...
intended for service in the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. The repairs complete in September 1945, the hospital ship sailed for Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, arriving in October.[
With no further need for hospital ships by that time, ''Shamrock'' was taken out of service. After the possibility of refitting the ship to carry home ]war bride
War brides are women who married military personnel from other countries in times of war or during military occupations, a practice that occurred in great frequency during World War I and World War II.
Among the largest and best documented examp ...
s was rejected, ''Shamrock'' was turned over to the War Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime Co ...
at San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
on 4 February 1946, and placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of ships of the United States of America, mostly merchant vessels, that have been "mothballed" but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during national military emergencies ...
(NDRF) at Suisun Bay
Suisun Bay ( ; Wintun for "where the west wind blows") is a shallow tidal estuary (a northeastern extension of the San Francisco Bay) in Northern California. It lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River, forming the ent ...
, California.[ On 30 December 1947, ''Shamrock'' was sold to the Walter W. Johnson Co., and on 4 February 1948 was withdrawn from the NDRF for scrapping.]
Notes
References
*
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*
*
External links
*
Initially constructed as S.S. Havana (American Passenger Ship, 1906)
* ttps://www.flickr.com/photos/24300962@N02/4153395851/?addedcomment=1#comment72157622962126000 the Caldwell Kvaran archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comfort (AH-3)
1906 ships
Ships built by William Cramp & Sons
Ships of the Ward Line
Hospital ships of the United States Navy
Transport ships of the United States Army
Hospital ships of the United States Army
World War I auxiliary ships of the United States
World War II auxiliary ships of the United States
Maritime incidents in 1935