USS ''Camden'' (AS-6) was the first ship of the United States Navy to bear the name Camden, after

Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...

the city that lies on the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

across from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Initially a German cargo ship known as ''Kiel'', the vessel was seized during World War I and entered into service with the US Navy in 1917 after having her name changed to ''Camden''. She later saw service as a submarine tender and a barracks ship before her sale in 1946.

United States service history

Cargo ship, 1917-1918

The ship was built in 1900 by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft,

Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish, Low Saxon: ''Flensborg''; North Frisian: ''Flansborj''; South Jutlandic: ''Flensborre'') is an independent town (''kreisfreie Stadt'') in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the ...

, Germany, as SS ''Kiel''. The vessel was seized by the United States after its entry into World War I in April 1917; transferred from the

Shipping Board The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting the World War ...

on 22 May 1917; fitted out as a

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

and commissioned on 15 August 1917 as USS ''Camden'' with the identification number ID-3143. Clearing

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in September 1917, ''Camden'' carried coal between

Cardiff, Wales Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, and

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ports, with one voyage to the United States, until 25 April 1918, when she again sailed for the U.S. She was decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard on 3 May for conversion into a submarine tender.

Submarine tender, 1919-1931

''Camden'' began her many years of service with

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

s on 21 February 1919, when she was re-commissioned as a submarine tender with the identification number AS-6. Based out of New London, Connecticut, she was

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

for Commander, Submarine Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet, and Commander, Submarine Division 9 (SubDiv 9) until 15 September 1920. After repairs at

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

, she followed her division to the Pacific, where she took up tender duties based on

San Pedro, Los Angeles San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...

on 24 June 1921. She briefly served as flagship of Commander, Submarine Flotilla, Pacific Fleet early in 1922, and in March 1923 returned to the Atlantic for duty. As flagship of SubDiv 4 at New London, and later as flagship of Commander, Control Force, she led in large-scale maneuvers and exercises. Highlights of this period included her participation in determined efforts to raise the submarine in September–October 1925, and her presence at the presidential Naval Review in

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...

in May 1927. ''Camden'' was decommissioned at Philadelphia on 26 May 1931.

Barracks ship, 1940-1946

War called the veteran back from retirement, and on 17 September 1940 ''Camden'' was reclassified IX-42, and assigned to

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 ...

as a barracks ship. Towed by

tug A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

''USS Allegheny (AT-19)'', the floating barracks arrived at Pier 92, New York City on 18 September, and performed her humble but essential role of berthing the war-swollen complement of the yard until 23 October 1946, when she was sold.

References

External links

*
history.navy.mil: USS ''Camden'' (AS-6)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Camden (AS-6) Ships built in Flensburg Cargo ships of the United States Navy Submarine tenders of the United States Navy World War I auxiliary ships of the United States World War II auxiliary ships of the United States 1900 ships