USS ''Zirkel'' (ID-3407) was 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 ...

that served in the United States Navy from 1918 to 1919. SS ''Zirkel'' was a

Design 1015 ship The Design 1015 ship (full name Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1015) was a steel- hulled cargo ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Boards Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) during World War I. They were referred t ...

built in 1918 at Oakland, California, for the United States Shipping Board by the Moore Shipbuilding Company. The U.S. Navy acquired her on 27 September 1918 for World War I service with 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 ...

, assigned her Identification Number (Id. No.) 3407, and commissioned her the same day as USS ''Zirkel'' (Id. No. 3407) at San Francisco, California. ''Zirkel'' got underway for the Gulf of Mexico with a cargo of

nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion A polyatomic ion, also known as a molecular ion, is a covalent bonded set of two or more atoms, or of a metal complex, that can be considered to behave as a single unit and that has a net charge that is not zer ...

s. Steaming via the Panama Canal, she arrived at New Orleans, Louisiana, on 30 January 1919 and unloaded her cargo. Following repairs to her turbines, ''Zirkel'' filled her

holds A hold (abbreviated HLD, H or HD) is awarded to a relief pitcher who meets the following three conditions: :1. Enters the game in a save (baseball), save situation; that is, when all of the following three conditions apply: :: (a) He appears i ...

with cotton, coffee, and

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

and put to sea on 6 February 1919. After a 21-day voyage, she entered port at Liverpool, England, and began unloading her cargo. ''Zirkel'' then took on about 800 tons of

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...

and headed back to the United States on 13 March 1919. On 29 March 1919, the freighter arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and, after unloading, began preparations for

demobilization Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and militar ...

. On 3 May 1919, ''Zirkel'' was decommissioned and was returned to the custody of the United States Shipping Board, once again becoming SS ''Zirkel''. The Shipping Board retained her until she was sold to Union Shipbuilding Company of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

, Maryland, in 1929. ''Zirkel'' was towed from New York by the company's steamer '' Columbine'', reaching the ship breaking yard in Baltimore on 20 August 1929.

References

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Department of the Navy: Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy ships: USS ''Zirkel'' (Id. No. 3407), 1918-1919
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zirkel (ID-3407) Design 1015 ships of the United States Navy Ships built in Oakland, California 1918 ships World War I cargo ships of the United States World War I auxiliary ships of the United States