Lake Erie I (Id. No. 219)
1917-1919
The fourth lake in the chain of five Great Lakes of North America. It lies between the United States and Canada and is bounded by New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and the Canadian Province of Ontario.
Lake Erie, a cargo ship, was launched as War Beaver 22 September 1917 under a USSB contract by Detroit Shipbuilding Co., Detroit, Mich.; acquired by the Navy 31 December; and commissioned at Boston 17 January 1918, Lt. Comdr. T. C. Sorensen in command.
Assigned to NOTS, Lake Erie operated as a collier along the east coast until she departed Norfolk 5 April 1918 for European waters. She made four round-trip cruises from the United States to European ports, transporting mines and general cargo.
On 16 January 1919 Lake Erie collided with steamship Hazelbranch off Lavernock and sank 5 miles from Cardiff, Wales. She was salvaged in August 1919; sold to Th. Br-vig of Farsund, Norway; and renamed Gezina.
