SS Pretoria (1897)

Pretoria about 1898
History
NamePretoria
NamesakePretoria
Owner
Operator
Port of registry
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Launched9 October 1897
Acquiredby US Government, 28 March 1919
Commissionedinto US Navy, 29 March 1919
Maiden voyage12–24 February 1898
Reclassifiedtroop ship, 1919
Refit1910
Strickenfrom US Navy, 25 November 1919
Identification
FateScrapped 1921
General characteristics
Class & typeP-class ocean liner
Tonnage
  • 1897: 12,800 GRT
  • 1914: 13,234 GRT, 8,415 NRT
Displacement14,130 tons
Length561.0 ft (171.0 m)
Beam62.2 ft (19.0 m)
Draft25 ft 9 in (7.8 m)
Depth37.9 ft (11.6 m)
Decks4
Installed power1,000 NHP
Propulsion
Speed14 knots (26 km/h)
Capacity
  • passengers:
  • 1898: 162 1st class, 197 2nd class, 2,382 3rd class
  • 1910: 400 2nd class, 2,200 3rd class
Sensors &
processing systems
submarine signalling
Notessister ships: Pennsylvania, Patricia, Graf Waldersee

SS Pretoria was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Germany in 1897 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was the second of a class of four HAPAG sister ships that were built in the United Kingdom and Germany between 1896 and 1899.

In 1919 HAPAG surrendered Pretoria to the United States as part of Germany's World War I reparations to the Allies. She became a United States Navy troop ship and was used to repatriate American Expeditionary Forces troops from Europe.

Later in 1919 she was transferred from the US government to the UK Shipping Controller. She was scrapped in 1921.