Naval History and Heritage Command

Westover (Id. No. 2687), a steel-hulled, single-screw freighter built as War Sun at Seattle, Wash., by J. F. Duthie and Co., for the Cunard Steamship Line, was launched on 17 February 1918; and inspected by the Navy on 9 April, nine days prior to her completion. Soon thereafter, she sailed for the east coast where she was taken over by the Navy for use by the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. Assigned identification number 2687, Westover was commissioned at Newport News, Va., on 22 May 1918.

Shifting to New York City, Westover took on a capacity cargo of general Army supplies and got underway in convoy on 27 May for France. However, the freighter developed engine troubles en route to St. Nazaire and fell astern of the convoy. Westover plodded resolutely onward but ran afoul of prowling German submarine U-92, 12 days out of her base at Kiel, which made a submerged approach and lined up the crippled cargo ship in her periscope sights. At 0730 on 11 July 1918, U-92 torpedoed the luckless Westover and sent her to the bottom of the Atlantic, with the loss of 11 American Sailors.