USS ''Challenger'' was a U.S. freighter. It was commissioned by the U.S. Navy between 1918 and 1919 for service during World War I. It was built in 1918 by Union Iron Works, San Francisco, Calif., under a

United States 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 ...

contract. The US Navy accepted delivery on 4 October 1918 and it was commissioned the same day.he then reported to the

Naval Overseas Transportation Service Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US m ...

. ''Challenger'' cleared San Francisco 9 October 1918 for Mejillones and Antofagasta, Chile, where it loaded nitrates. Sailing on to deliver its cargo at Pensacola, Fla., 11 December, ''Challenger'' was next ordered to New Orleans to load cotton and steel for the French government. He was transferred to J. H. W. Steele Co. for operation. After a voyage in January and February 1919 carrying cargo to France to supply the Army of Occupation, ''Challenger'' returned to Baltimore, Md. It was decommissioned there 2 May 1919, and returned to the United States Shipping Board the same day. On 17 May 1942 while serving with American-South African Line during World War II, it was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine ''U-155''.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Challenger (ID-3630) Cargo ships of the United States Navy Auxiliary ships of the United States Navy Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II 1918 ships World War II merchant ships of the United States Maritime incidents in May 1942