Powhatan IV (SP-3013)
An Indian chief (1550–1618), father of Pocahontas; he headed a confederation of tribes in tidewater Virginia in the late 16th and early 17th century.
IV
(SP–3013: dp. 18,026; l. 544’11½”; b. 60’2”; dr. 30’; s. 16 k.; cpl. 533; a. 4 6”, 2 1-pdrs., 2 mg)
Powhatan (SP–3013), originally Hamburg, was built in 1899 by Aktiengesellschaft Vulkan, Stettin, Germany for the Hamburg-American Packet Steamship Co. Due to British control of the seas she was caught in New York at the outbreak of World War I and remained there from 31 July 1914 until commissioned as the troop transport Hamburg by the Navy 16 August 1917. Comdr. G. S. Lincoln in command.
She was renamed Powhatan 5 September 1917 and began the first of 12 consecutive Atlantic crossings 12 November 1917. Powhatan was twice attacked by a submarine in the Bay of Biscay 4 April 1918 but survived unscathed due to prompt location and depth charging by the escorting destroyers. From 12 November 1917 to 9 December 1918, she carried 15,274 troops to France and after the war she returned 11,803 servicemen to the U.S.
Powhatan decommissioned 2 September 1919 and was turned over to the Army Transport Service at New York.
