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Identification Numbered Civilian Ships Photo Archive

Princess Matoika (ID 2290)

Civilian call sign (1919):
Love - Jig - Mike - Rush

Transport:

Built in 1900 as Kiautschou by Vulcan, Stettin, Germany

Launched 14 September 1900

Completed 14 December 1900

Sold in February 1904 to North German Lloyd of Bremen, Germany and renamed Princess Alice

Acquired by the Navy 6 April 1917

Commissioned USS Princess Matoika (ID 2290), 27 April 1917

Decommissioned in September 1919 and transferred to the War Department

Sold in 1920 to the U.S. Mail Steamship Co.

Sold in August 1922 to the United States Lines of New York

Renamed President Arthur in 1922

Sold in 1924 to the Palace Line of New York and renamed White Palace

Sold again in 1925 to C. L. Dimon of New York

Sold in 1926 to the Los Angeles Steamship Co.

Renamed City of Honolulu in 1927

Sold for scrap 25 May 1930 at Osaka, Japan.

Specifications:

Displacement 20,500 t.

Length 544' 11"

Beam 60' 1"

Draft 29' 6"

Speed 16 kts.

Complement 449

Armament: Four 6"/50 mounts, two 1-pounders and two machine guns

Propulsion: Three double ended and three single ended boilers, two 4,500ihp, type IV vertical quadruple expansion steam engines (new boilers installed in 1926 increasing ihp to 11,000), two shafts.

Click on thumbnail for full size image	Size	Image Description	Source
SS Kiautschou
	375k	Photo from "Passenger Liners of the World Since 1893" (1979) by Nicholas T. Cairis	Tommy Trampp
SS Princess Alice
	109k	Princess Alice (Alice Maud Mary) of the United Kingdom, second eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was the namesake of SS Princess Alice. The image was painted by Franz Xavier Winterhalter in 1862. Princess Alice was married to Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and became Princess Alice of Hesse and by Rhine	Robert Hurst
	82k	SS Princess Alice, in North German Lloyd livery, is depicted sailing among icebergs in this postcard published before 1914	Robert Hurst
	77k	Undated post card	Tommy Trampp
	101k	S.S. Princess Alice interned at Cebu, Philippine Islands, circa 1914-1916 U.S. Navy photo NH 88572	Naval Historical Center
USS Princess Matoika (ID 2290)
	104k		Tommy Trampp
	64k	c. 1917 Princess Matoika somewhere in the Atlantic	.
	101k	18 December 1918 Princess Matoika with 3,000 troops aboard returning to America, in the locks at St Nazaire, France Photo Q 70654 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums, part of the American First World War Official Exchange Collection	Robert Hurst
	282k	20 December 1918 St. Nazaire, Loire Inferieure, France The Princess Matoika, entering the locks, is passing between the transport Finland [ID 4543] and the freighter, Artemis [ID 2187] U.S. Army Signal Corps photo	Tommy Trampp
	128k	20 December 1918 St. Nazaire, Loire Inferieure, France Men of the 43rd Railway Artillery going aboard Princess Matoika headed back to the United States	National Archives
	131k	20 December 1918 St. Nazaire, Loire Inferieure, France Princess Matoika entering locks in St. Nazaire, France	National Archives
	139k	Lieutenant Commander Augustine H. Gray (center, with hands behind his back) conversing with a Navy Lieutenant and two U.S. Army officers, while the ship was at St. Nazaire, France, 20 December 1918 Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 52875	Robert Hurst
	114k	In port with a barge alongside, circa 1918, while painted in pattern camouflage Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006 Naval Historical Center photo NH 103923
	129k	Ship's officers and crew posed on and in front of her bridge, circa 1918. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006 Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 103924
	83k	A band of Bluejackets and Doughboys playing the "Marsellaise" on the ship's deck, as American troops, homeward bound from service in France, come aboard in the harbor of St. Nazaire, 20 December 1918 Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 41892
	82k	Boat drill on board USS Princess Matoika in April 1919. The troops pictured were headed back to the USA from France and may have been members of Company A, 100th Supply Train Photo courtesy Collection of Orville Vinton Ruler
	66k	Underway in 1919, while transporting U.S. troops home from Europe. U.S. Navy photo NH 43123	Naval Historical Center
	102k	In port in 1919. U.S. Navy Freight Lighter No. 53 (formerly Coal Barge No. 210) is alongside. She was assigned to the Norfolk, Virginia, area, which may be the location of this scene Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2005. U.S. Navy photo NH 103079	Naval Historical Center
	90k	Photographed in 1919 by Silvis. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2005 Naval Historical Center photo NH 103044	Robert Hurst
	103k	In port, 1919. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2007 Naval Historical Center photo NH 105422
	74k	In port in 1919, probably in the New York City area. Though the original print labels her as a U.S. Army Transport, the ship's paint scheme, and absence of smokestack markings, indicates that the photograph was taken while still in U.S. Navy service. Photographed by Head-Mayberry, 488 7th Avenue, New York Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2007 Naval Historical Center photo NH 105160
	94k	In port, 1919 Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2008 Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 105970
	163k	Post card Souvenir Folder dated 1919	Tommy Trampp
	183k
	173k
	63k	Leaving Charleston, South Carolina for Rotterdam, Holland on 30 June 1919, carrying Germans who had been interned in the United States during World War I. Photographed from USS Powhatan (ID 3013), which had just arrived following a voyage from France Photograph from the collection of Robert H. Helm, donated by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Helm, 2008 Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 106349	Robert Hurst
	92k	Off New York City on 1 August 1919, upon her arrival from Europe with troops of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division on board. Panoramic photograph by Head-Mayberry, 488 7th Avenue, New York Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2008. Naval Historical Center photo NH 105702
	171k	Post card issued to U.S. servicemen during the World War I era. The original card was mailed at Hempstead, New York, on 7 August 1919, following the sender's arrival in the U.S. after a nine-day passage from Brest, France Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2008 Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 105766-KN
	450k	Repatriated German prisoners on board the Princess Matoika Photo from "A History Of The Transport Service: Adventures And Experiences Of United States Transports And Cruisers In The World War", by Vice Admiral Albert Gleaves, USN, Published by George H. Doran Company, New York
	486k	Sailors and soldiers on her crowded deck watching a boxing match Photo from "A History Of The Transport Service: Adventures And Experiences Of United States Transports And Cruisers In The World War", by Vice Admiral Albert Gleaves, USN, Published by George H. Doran Company, New York
SS Princess Matoika
	147k	At Bremerhaven, Germany, 4 July 1921 Donation of Charles R. Haberlein Jr., 2008 Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 105971	Robert Hurst
	72k	Six U.S. Navy Petty Officers "sail to speed up work on the R-38.... The R-38 (U.S. Navy ZR-2) is nearing completion in England and is to be flown to her hangar at Lakehurst, N.J." (quoted from the original caption). They are on board the passenger liner Princess Matoika for the trip to England. These men are identified in the original caption as: Left to right, front: J. W. Cullinan, M. Lay and I. L. Thomas. Left to right, standing: N. Julnis (sic. ?), A. B. Galation and H. Christensen. Chief Boatswain's Mate M. Lay and Chief Machinist's Mate W. A. Julius were among those who lost their lives when the R-38 crashed on 24 August 1921 Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 41997
	124k	Crewmen leaving on the Princess Matoika to bring home via the air the [British] R-38 now being built over there for the United States". (quoted from the original caption). They are on board the passenger liner Princess Matoika (formerly USS Princess Matoika) for the trip to England, where the airship was under construction. These men are identified in the original caption as: left to right, kneeling: S.H. Knight, F.M. Gorey and A.C. Carlson. left to right, standing: W.G. Steele, F.L. Stevens, W.A. Russell and R.M. Coons. Chief Machinist's Mates W.J. Steele and R.M. Coons were among those who lost their lives when the R-38 crashed on 24 August 1921 Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 41998
SS President Arthur
	87k	President Chester A. Arthur, the 21st President of the United States of America, as painted by Daniel Huntington in 1885 was the namesake of SS President Arthur Image courtesy of The White House Historical Association	Robert Hurst
	142k	Undated post card showing President Arthur
	88k	Undated postcards	Tommy Trampp
	94k	Undated postcards
	387k	Photo from book "Passenger Liners of the World Since 1893" (1970) by Nicholas T. Cairis
SS City of Honolulu
	105k	30 May 1930 Photo caption: Quenching steamship fire. Photo shows the Navy minesweeper Widgeon (AM 22) fighting the fire which partially destroyed the steamship "City of Honolulu" at Honolulu harbor May 28 Associated press photo XX4275	Tommy Trampp

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT Charles Truesdale Owens, USN - USNA Class of 1897 Awarded the Navy Cross (1918)	6 April 1917 - April 1918
02	LCDR William Daniel Leahy, USN - USNA Class of 1897 Awarded the Navy Cross (1918) and three Navy Distinguished Service Medals (1939/1942/1949) - Served as Chief of Staff to President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1942 - 1945) Attained the rank of Fleet Admiral	April 1918 - June 1918
03	CDR Theodore Albert Kittinger, USN - USNA Class of 1901 Awarded the Navy Cross (1918) - Retired as Commander	1918 - 1919

Courtesy Joe Radigan

View the Princess Matioka (ID 2290)
DANFS history entry located on the Naval History and Heritage Command website

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NavSource Online:Identification Numbered Civilian Ships Photo Archive

Princess Matoika (ID 2290)

NavSource Online:
Identification Numbered Civilian Ships Photo Archive