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USS Oosterdijk (ID-2586)
Encyclopedia
USS Oosterdijk (ID-2586) was a United States Navy
cargo ship
in commission in 1918.
, England
, by Irvine Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Ltd., for the Dutch
Holland America Line
. On 20 March 1918, President
Woodrow Wilson
signed a proclamation declaring the American seizure of neutral ships under the right of angary
— which in wartime allowed a belligerent
power to use the property of a neutral country
subject to full indemnification — and at Baltimore, Maryland
, that day Oosterdijk became one of the first Dutch vessels so seized. She was intern
ed at Baltimore on 21 March 1918.
The U.S. Navy took control of Oosterdijk on 2 April 1918 for use during World War I
. She was assigned the Naval Registry Identification Number
(Id. No.) 2586 and commissioned
as USS Oosterdijk the same day with Lieutenant Commander
Arthur H. Webber in command.
of general supplies at Baltimore. She next steamed to Norfolk
, Virginia
, to load naval stores, and then proceeded to New York City
, where she joined a convoy
destined for France
. Departing in convoy on 25 April, she called at Brest
, France, and then went on to discharge her general supplies and naval stores at St. Nazaire, France.
Oosterdijk departed St. Nazaire on 9 June for the return voyage to the United States
and arrived Baltimore on 21 June.
-charter
ed American cargo ship in the North Atlantic Ocean. Both ships were seriously damaged and forced to turn about to steam for the nearest port
.
Despite the efforts of her crew to save her, Oosterdijk had to be abandoned on either 10 July or 11 July and sank at 15:30 that afternoon.
San Jacinto carried Oosterdijks crew members to Halifax
, Nova Scotia
, Canada
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
in commission in 1918.
Construction, acquisition, and commissioning
SS Oosterdijk was built as a commercial cargo ship with passenger accommodations in 1913 at West HartlepoolWest Hartlepool
This article refers to the place; for the Rugby Football Club see West Hartlepool R.F.C.West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the what has since the 1960s been known as the borough of Hartlepool in North East England...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, by Irvine Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Ltd., for the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Holland America Line
Holland America Line
The Holland America Line is a cruise shipping company. It was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company , a shipping and passenger line. Headquartered in Rotterdam and providing service to the Americas, it became known as Holland America Line...
. On 20 March 1918, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
signed a proclamation declaring the American seizure of neutral ships under the right of angary
Angary
Angary , the name given to the right of a belligerent to seize and apply for the purposes of war any kind of property on belligerent territory, including that...
— which in wartime allowed a belligerent
Belligerent
A belligerent is an individual, group, country or other entity which acts in a hostile manner, such as engaging in combat. Belligerent comes from Latin, literally meaning "to wage war"...
power to use the property of a neutral country
Neutral country
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
subject to full indemnification — and at Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, that day Oosterdijk became one of the first Dutch vessels so seized. She was intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
ed at Baltimore on 21 March 1918.
The U.S. Navy took control of Oosterdijk on 2 April 1918 for use during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She was assigned the Naval Registry Identification Number
Naval Registry Identification Number
A Naval Registry Identification Number is a unique identifier that the U.S. Navy used for privately owned and naval vessels in the first half of the 20th century....
(Id. No.) 2586 and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
as USS Oosterdijk the same day with Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (United States)
Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...
Arthur H. Webber in command.
United States Navy service
Oosterdijk was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. After refitting at Baltimore and inspection by the 5th Naval District on 8 April 1918, she took on a cargoCargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
of general supplies at Baltimore. She next steamed to Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, to load naval stores, and then proceeded to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where she joined a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
destined for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Departing in convoy on 25 April, she called at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, France, and then went on to discharge her general supplies and naval stores at St. Nazaire, France.
Oosterdijk departed St. Nazaire on 9 June for the return voyage to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and arrived Baltimore on 21 June.
Loss
Oosterdijk underwent minor repairs at Baltimore, loaded 9000 LT (9,144.5 t) of general cargo there, bunkered at Norfolk, and then departed New York City on 2 July for her second convoy transit to France, bound for St. Nazaire. During the voyage, on either 9 July, 10 July, or 11 July she collided with the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
-charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
ed American cargo ship in the North Atlantic Ocean. Both ships were seriously damaged and forced to turn about to steam for the nearest port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
.
Despite the efforts of her crew to save her, Oosterdijk had to be abandoned on either 10 July or 11 July and sank at 15:30 that afternoon.
San Jacinto carried Oosterdijks crew members to Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.