SS Pennsylvania (1896)

SS Pennsylvania was a cargo liner built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast and launched in 1896 for the German Hamburg America Line for the transatlantic trade, particularly German emigration to the United States. She took refuge in the United States upon the outbreak of the First World War and upon the U.S. joining hostilities was seized and renamed the SS Nansemond. She was briefly commissioned as USS Nansemond (1896) in 1919, following which she was laid up in the Hudson River before scrapping in 1924.

Pennsylvania was the first in a four-ship "P class" built for the Hamburg America Line; the other ships were SS Pretoria, SS Graf Waldersee and SS Patricia.

Rescue and accident
The Pennsylvania rescued the 13-man crew of the sinking barque Bothnia on September 24, 1902, while on March 8, 1910, near the mouth of the Elbe river, SS Pennsylvania rammed and sank the Hamburg-registered schooner Gertrud, with the loss of five of the schooner's crew of six.

U.S. Navy service
SS Nansemond was commissioned on January 20, 1919, as USS Nansemond, ID # 1395. She made several voyages to Europe as a cargo carrier and troop transport, returning many servicemen to U.S. soil. The ship was decommissioned on September 16, 1919, and returned to the U.S. Shipping Board.

Laid up and scrapped
Following its service, the SS Nansemond was laid up in the lower Hudson River along with many other vessels of the U.S. Shipping Board; over 250 ships were laid up in Eastern estuary waters. Many of these ships were found to have been extensively vandalized during this period. The vessel was broken up in 1924, having seen no further service.