USS Narragansett pic?

[Guest KPate]

My grandfather's WWI datebook journal includes the names of the ships he was tranported on from the US to France, including Kashmir, Narragansett, and Pocahantas. I am looking for a picture of the Narragansett which transported troops from Southhampton to Le Harve. Does anyone have a picture, a link or other suggestions?

Thanks,

K Pate

[Jarvis]

Narragansett (Ferryboat, 1905).

Served as USS Narragansett (SP-1163, later YFB-1163) and USS Taposa (YFB-1163) in 1918-1944

Narragansett, a 244 gross ton wooden steam ferryboat, was built at Saunderstown, Rhode Island, in 1905. The Navy purchased her in June 1918 and placed her in service at the Newport Torpedo Station, R.I., as USS Narragansett (SP-1163). She was redesignated YFP-1163 in July 1920 and continued her employment at Newport for over two more decades. Her name was changed to Taposa in December 1941. The ferryboat was stricken from the Navy list in February 1944 and later sold.

This page features our only view of the ferryboat Narragansett, which served as USS Narragansett and USS Taposa in 1918-1944.

Narragansett (American Ferryboat, 1905)

Photographed prior to World War I. She was acquired by the Navy on 11 June 1918 and placed in service as USS Narragansett (SP-1163) for use as a ferry at the Newport Torpedo Station, Rhode Island. She was retained for postwar service and reclassified YFB-1163 on 17 July 1920. Her name was changed to Taposa on 18 December 1941. The ferry was stricken on 12 February 1944 and sold later in that year.

The original print is in National Archives' Record Group 19-LCM.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

I have included the contents of the web page because I don't think the link to the URL will work (its incredibly long)

The Long Long Link

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...l%3Den%26sa%3DN

Otherwise just search on Google images for Narragansett

[Jarvis]

Found a little bit more ....

USS Narragansett (SP-1163) renamed & reclassified Taposa (YFB 1163)

Stranded on Bembridge Ledge, Isle of Wight, circa early February 1919.

She had gone aground while en route to Southampton, England, during post-World War I transport operations, and was later refloated and returned to service.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Also (might be of interest ?) the British version..... SS Narragansett. Built 1903. Greenock. Glasgow. Scotland. For the Anglo-American Oil Company.

She was the largest and fastest tanker of her kind afloat.

Length: 532 feet. Beam: 63 feet. 9196 grt. Speed 11 knots

The Tanker, Narragansett was torpedoed and eventually sank off the Scilly Islands (50.12 N 17 .34W) whilst returning to London from New York with a cargo of lubricating oil, on 16th March 1917.

In October 1913 the Narragansett had played a major role in the rescue of 521 survivors from the fire stricken S.S. Volturno of the Royal Line. She was able to calm the sea by pumping out oil.

On 17th May 1915 she was attacked by a submarine off the South Coast of Ireland, but on that occasion, the torpedoes missed.

The more I look the two USS Narragansett photographs look very different ships. As different as the GB version. Dont take my posting(s) as gospel, merely what I have found and not researched at all.

[Guest KPate]

Jarvis,

Thank you, this information is very helpful.

K

[NigelS]

On 24/02/2007 at 21:05, Jarvis said:

...The more I look the two USS Narragansett photographs look very different ships. As different as the GB version. Dont take my posting(s) as gospel, merely what I have found and not researched at all.

 

Some considerable time has passed since this thread & Jarvis was fully justified in making the above comment.  It appears that the American ship used used for troop movements between the UK south coast & the European  mainland was not the ferry boat USS Narragansett (SP-1163; see www.navsource.org/archives/12/171163.htm ) but the identically named (& much larger) contemporary coastal transport ship USS Narragansett (SP-2196; http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/172196.htm).  With the former never, apparently (& from its size, understandably) having left the the US. 

 

The British Pathe website now  has a brief film clip of the Narragansett aground at Bembridge  https://www.britishpathe.com/video/troopship-stranded/query/ships

 

The above, as was Jarvis's - no criticism - found from the web sources given, so again, should be treated with caution as regard to accuracy.

 

My passing interest in the Narragansett was roused by the Daily Telegraph publishing its contemporary reporting of the incident from February 1919 at the time of the event's centenary (2nd February 2019). Just to confuse matters, the report,  I believe mis-describes, the vessel as a 'three-decker American river boat'.  The Telegraph's reporting mentions that she was on route from 'Havre to Southampton' with over 2,000 troops on board (mainly British, but some Canadian & Australian) & an American crew when she got lost in a heavy snow storm, resulting in the grounding on a ledge between Culver Cliff & Bembridge off the Isle of Wight. All on board were eventually evacuated safely using tugs from Southampton, 'a flotilla of destroyers from Portsmouth' and a passing cross-channel train ferry. The article also gives that the troops on board belonged to 'Yorkshire & Lancashire regiments, The Duke of Wellington's Light Infantry, and the King's Own', most of whom were being returned for demobilisation.

 

Hoping that any future inquirer on the troop transport ship USS Narragansett will at least be able to head  in the right direction from the outset!

 

NigelS

 

[Talesofaseadog]

On 21/05/2019 at 23:26, NigelS said:

 

Some considerable time has passed since this thread & Jarvis was fully justified in making the above comment.  It appears that the American ship used used for troop movements between the UK south coast & the European  mainland was not the ferry boat USS Narragansett (SP-1163; see www.navsource.org/archives/12/171163.htm ) but the identically named (& much larger) contemporary coastal transport ship USS Narragansett (SP-2196; http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/172196.htm).  With the former never, apparently (& from its size, understandably) having left the the US. 

 

The British Pathe website now  has a brief film clip of the Narragansett aground at Bembridge  https://www.britishpathe.com/video/troopship-stranded/query/ships

 

The above, as was Jarvis's - no criticism - found from the web sources given, so again, should be treated with caution as regard to accuracy.

 

My passing interest in the Narragansett was roused by the Daily Telegraph publishing its contemporary reporting of the incident from February 1919 at the time of the event's centenary (2nd February 2019). Just to confuse matters, the report,  I believe mis-describes, the vessel as a 'three-decker American river boat'.  The Telegraph's reporting mentions that she was on route from 'Havre to Southampton' with over 2,000 troops on board (mainly British, but some Canadian & Australian) & an American crew when she got lost in a heavy snow storm, resulting in the grounding on a ledge between Culver Cliff & Bembridge off the Isle of Wight. All on board were eventually evacuated safely using tugs from Southampton, 'a flotilla of destroyers from Portsmouth' and a passing cross-channel train ferry. The article also gives that the troops on board belonged to 'Yorkshire & Lancashire regiments, The Duke of Wellington's Light Infantry, and the King's Own', most of whom were being returned for demobilisation.

 

Hoping that any future inquirer on the troop transport ship USS Narragansett will at least be able to head  in the right direction from the outset!

 

NigelS

 

To add to the above, USS Narragansett was salvaged by The Royal Navy Salvage Section ships including RFA Racer.

If anyone wants further information they should message me.

Unfortunately site rules do not allow me to put the information here.

Tony