A former name retained.
Middlesex, a steam freighter built in 1912 by New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, N.J., was chartered by the Army 1 December 1917 from Coast‑Wise Transportation Co. of Boston to carry military supplies to France for the American Expeditionary Force. Transferred to the Navy at Norfolk 2 January 1918, and commissioned the same day, she was assigned to NOTS.
Fitted out at New York and protected by a Navy armed guard, she got underway for Europe 15 December 1917 and sailed on the 26th for Bordeaux, France, laden with lumber for American troops. After operations between Brest and La Pallice, she returned to New York 30 April. Following a stop at Baltimore to take on military supplies and a run to Norfolk for coal, she departed New York 17 May in convoy and arrived St. Nazaire 1 June. She subsequently made two more voyages to France before returning to Baltimore 21 December. She decommissioned there 31 January 1919 and was transferred to USSB the same day for return to her owner 7 February.
