USS Western Spirit

USS Western Spirit (ID-3164) was a cargo ship of the United States Navy that served during World War I and its immediate aftermath.`

SS Western Spirit, probably in Portland, Oregon, in July 1918 just after her completion by the Northwest Steel Company. She is painted in pattern camouflage.
History
United States
Name	USS Western Spirit
Builder	Northwest Steel Company, Portland, Oregon
Launched	6 May 1918
Completed	mid-July 1918
Acquired	19 July 1918
Commissioned	30 July 1918
Decommissioned	17 April 1919
Fate	Returned to U.S. Shipping Board 17 April 1919
Notes	Abandoned 1933
General characteristics
Type	Cargo ship
Tonnage	5,730 Gross register tons
Displacement	12,185 tons
Length	423 ft 9 in (129.16 m)
Beam	54 ft 0 in (16.46 m)
Draft	24 ft 0.5 in (7.328 m) (mean)
Depth	29 ft 9 in (9.07 m)
Propulsion	One 2,500-ihp (1.864-mW) steam engine, one shaft
Speed	10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph)
Complement	98
Armament	1 × 4-inch (102-mm) gun 1 × 3-inch (76.2mm) gun

Construction and acquisition

Western Spirit was laid down as the steel-hulled, single-screw commercial cargo ship SS Western Spirit by the Northwest Steel Company in Portland, Oregon, under a United States Shipping Board contract. She was launched on 6 May 1918 and completed in mid-July 1918. The Shipping Board transferred her to the U.S. Navy on 19 July 1918 for use during World War I. The Navy assigned her the naval registry identification number 3164 and commissioned her at Portland on 30 July 1918 as USS Western Spirit (ID-3164).

Navy career

Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, Western Spirit departed Portland on 26 July 1918 and steamed to Arica, Chile, where she loaded a cargo of nitrates. She then made a voyage via the Panama Canal to New Orleans, Louisiana, arriving there on 11 September 1918. After unloading the nitrates, she departed New Orleans on 23 September 1918 and proceeded to Norfolk, Virginia, where she took on a load of some 4,000 tons of general United States Army supplies. On 13 October 1918, she got underway from Norfolk for New York City.

At New York, Western Spirit joined a convoy and departed on 16 October 1918 bound for France, but suffered engine trouble and had to divert to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, for repairs. She departed Halifax on 2 November 1918 to continue her voyage. Nine days later, the armistice with Germany brought World War I to an end while she was still at sea.

Western Spirit arrived at Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France, on 20 November 1918, discharged her cargo, took on a cargo of U.S. Army equipment, and got underway for the return voyage to the United States on 13 December 1918. She arrived at Norfolk on 7 January 1919.

Western Spirit departed Norfolk on 19 January 1919 for a second transatlantic voyage, carrying railroad supplies and a cargo of goods consigned to the U.S.Army Quartermaster Corps. She arrived at La Pallice, France, on 10 March 1919 and discharged her cargo. On 23 March 1919, she began her return voyage, reaching Norfolk on 11 April 1919.

Decommissioning and disposal

Western Spirit was decommissioned and simultaneously transferred back to the U.S. Shipping Board on 17 April 1919.

Later career

Once again SS Western Spirit, the ship remained in Shipping Board custody until abandoned due to age and deterioration in 1933.

Gallery

Photographs of SS Western Spirit taken ca. mid-July 1918 at Portland, Oregon, apparently sometime just after her completion by the Northwestern Steel Company and before her commissioning into the U.S. Navy on 30 July 1918. She is painted in pattern camouflage:

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References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• Online Library of Selected Images: Civilian Ships: S.S. Western Spirit (American Freighter, 1918). Served as USS Western Spirit (ID # 3164) in 1918-1919
• NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Western Spirit (ID 3164)