History of the U.S.S. Leviathan, cruiser and transport forces, United States Atlantic fleet / Compiled from the ship's log and data gathered by the history committee on board the ship

by U.S.S. Leviathan History Committee

A German Account of the Seizure

The following is a translation of a clipping from a German newspaper, the Tageblatt of Wurtemberg, taken from a dead German soldier, by a first-class private of Headquarters Troop, 27th Division, A. E. F.:

It was translated and loaned by him to the ship’s history committee while en route from France to the United States on board the Leviathan.

The soldier while serving as an interpreter and doing intelligence work with the headquarters came upon this clipping in a queer manner on or about August 31, 1918, immediately after Kemmel Hill had been evacuated by the Germans. The lines had formerly been held by the British and had been stationary for about four months until the Twenty-seventh and Thirtieth American divisions were given that sector. After being in the line a short while the Germans evacuated, fearing that the Americans might attack and his Imperial Majesty’s Army had no wish to meet up with some of Uncle Sam’s fire-eaters. While going over the field after the Germans had left, this man came upon a German soldier who had been shot in the head. He evidently had been dead for some weeks. Being a part of his work and duty, he took from the pocket of the dead man a newspaper, expecting to find some information that might prove valuable. He found the following translation which he immediately cut out and saved to show a friend on the Leviathan,

Wie man aus »Vaterland« den »Leviathan« machte.

Als die Amerikaner am 6. April 1917, am Tage der Kriegserklärung, den Dampfer »Vaterland« mit Beschlag belegten und die Besatzung von Bord brachten, fanden sie die Maschinen unbrauchbar gemacht. Es dauerte Monate, bis es ihnen gelang, das Schiff so weit auszubessern, daß es wieder seetüchtig wurde. Das Schiff war auch zu ganz anderen Zwecken bestimmt als der Massenverschiffung von Soldaten und Munition. Um es einigermaßen seiner neuen Bestimmung anzupassen fielen die Amerikaner, lt. Köln. Z., wie die Vandalen mit Äxten und Sägen und Hämmern über den stolzen Bau her und rissen die kostbare Inneneinrichtung mit solcher schmachvollen Rücksichtslosigkeit heraus, daß die prachtvollen Edelhölzer nur noch als Brennholz zu verwerten waren: 20 Eisenbahnwagen wurden mit den Trümmern gefüllt und in Hoboken verkauft. Nur das große Gemälde im Treppenhause wurde herausgenommen und im Hotel Baltimore aufgehängt. Von den erhofften 12000 oder gar 15000 Soldaten war kaum die Hälfte unterzubringen, wie überhaupt die gestohlenen Personendampfer der beiden deutschen Linien nicht die Fassungskraft aufwiesen, die man ihnen zugeschrieben hatte. Mit den 16 deutschen Schiffen waren im ganzen nur rund 28000 Mann und 5500 Offiziere auf einmal zu befördern, und die Hoffnungen der Amerikaner erfuhren infolgedessen eine empfindliche Enttäuschung. Die geraubte deutsche Flotte ist schon recht erheblich gelichtet worden, denn unter den 40 versenkten Truppenschiffen der Amerikaner befanden sich sicherlich verschiedene deutsche. Mindestens wissen wir aus amerikanischen Quellen, daß der »Präsident Lincoln« am 31. Mai einem deutschen Torpedo zum Opfer fiel, und nun ist die »Vaterland« gefolgt. »Präsident Lincoln« war eines der vier Schiffe, denen die Räuber den ursprünglichen Namen belassen hatten: die andern drei sind der »George Washington«, der »Präsident Grant« und die »Pennsylvania«. Die »Vaterland« dagegen wurde in »Leviathan« umgetauft, die »Kronprinzessin Cecilie« in »Mont Vernon«, der »Kaiser Wilhelm II.« in »Agamemnon« und der »Amerika« in »America«.

How the “Vaterland” Was Made Into the “Leviathan”

On the Declaration of War, April 6, 1917, the American robbers seized the steamer Vaterland along with others of the German merchant fleet that was interned in the United States. The crew and most all the ship’s equipment have been taken off. However, they found the machinery unfit for use and it took them months to repair it and get the ship in a seaworthy condition. The big ship was never built to carry troops and ammunition, and to make it fit for such uses the thieves tore out all of our beautiful art and all of the fine woodwork, regardless of all feeling. Twenty freight cars full of wood and furnishings were taken from the ship and loaded in Hoboken to be burned. Only one great painting was accounted for. This was located above C deck at No. 1 stairway, and it now hangs in the Hotel —— in New York. They hope to accommodate 12,000 or 15,000 troops. This they will never be able to do, not even half that amount. On the sixteen stolen ships there was only room for 28,000 men and 5,500 officers, so the Americans will have to change their hopes.

The stolen German fleet has been greatly reduced, for surely of the forty troopships that have been sunk there must have been some of ours amongst them. Nevertheless, we know through American sources that the President Lincoln fell to the mercy of a German torpedo on May 31st. The President Lincoln was one of the four sister ships seized by the robbers. The other three were the George Washington, President Grant, and the Pennsylvania. Some names have been changed to the following: The Vaterland to the Leviathan, the Kronprinzessin Cecilie to the Mount Vernon, the Kaiser Wilhelm II to the Agamemnon and the Amerika to the America.

The Vaterland lay at Hoboken with her German complement of officers and men intact and protected by the splendid neutrality of the American Government. To the date of the declaration of war, April 6, 1917 (Good Friday, 1.13 P. M.), the huge ship aided the German Red Cross by a series of social entertainments on board given under the auspices of ship’s officers. A great number of prominent people attended these fetes.

Upper—Engine Operation Board.

Center—B Deck Promenade.

Lower—Alongside Pier 4.

Upper Left—Looking Aft from the Bridge.

Upper Right—Paravane.

Lower Left—The Stem Anchor.

Lower Right—The Fog Bell.

Early in April, 1917, the ship was taken over by the United States Customs Officials. The customs officials inspected her and put aboard guards which were later replaced by several civilian employees of the U. S. Customs. The guard was increased later to about sixty men from the Police Reserve from the 37th Precinct, New York City.