USS ''Floridian'' (ID-3875) was a

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 ...

troop transport A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...

in commission in 1919. SS ''Floridian'' was built as a commercial cargo ship in 1915 at

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, by the Maryland Steel Company for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company of

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. After the United States entered

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in 1917, ''Floridian'' came under the control of the

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. Converted to a troop transport, she spent the rest of the war operating under a

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charter. The U.S. Navy acquired ''Floridian'' from the Shipping Board on 28 January 1919, assigned her the naval registry Identification Number (Id. No.) 3875, and commissioned her on the same day as USS ''Floridian''. ''Floridian'' was assigned to the

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and designated to carry U.S. Army passengers and

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. She departed New York City on 16 March 1919 for St. Nazaire, France, where she arrived on 28 March 1919 with supplies for the Army of Occupation. She made three trips carrying U. S. Army troops to the

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in 1919, all from St. Nazaire. On 14 April, ''Floridian'' was one of seven transports to arrive at

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carrying 10,000 troops. She carried 1,824 men including. as described by the '' Seattle Times'', "Headquarters and Medical Detachments and Companies A and B of 346th Machine Gun Battalion; 3rd Battalion Headquarters, Medical and Ordnance Detachments, Supply Company and Companies H, I, K, L and M of the 362nd Infantry; 620th Casual Company." The second trip came arrived in Hoboken on 14 June. This brought 1,791 troops home. Units aboard included, as described by the ''Seattle Times'', 435 "men of the 148th Field Artillery, 41st Division...

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Field and Staff, Medical Detachments, Headquarters Company and Battery E. Other troops on board were the 509th Engineers, Headquarters and Medical Detachments and Companies A to D inclusive; members of the 369th Service Park Unit." The final load of returning soldiers arrived in Hoboken on 16 July. The 1,829 men aboard included, per the ''Seattle Times'', "... the 337th Field Remount Squadron and casuals for Camps Dodge and Bowie." After these voyages, ''Floridian'' was assigned to the

3rd Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...

on 16 July 1919. She was decommissioned and returned to the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company on 4 August 1919. She then resumed service as the commercial cargo ship SS ''Floridian''. At about 10:30 p.m. on 1 September 1928 ''Floridian'' and the American steamer '' Admiral Fiske'' collided off

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, south of Umatilla lightship, then ''LV 67'', with ''Floridian'' sinking and ''Admiral Fiske'' heavily damaged.

References

*
Department of the Navy: Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships: S.S. ''Floridian'' (American Freighter, 1915). Served as USS ''Floridian'' (ID # 3875) in 1919
{{DEFAULTSORT:Floridian (ID-3875) 1915 ships Ships built in Sparrows Point, Maryland Merchant ships of the United States Transports of the United States Navy Maritime incidents in 1928