USS Kerkenna

For other ships with the same name, see Borneo (ship).

History
Name
  • 1900: Borneo
  • 1917: Kerkenna
  • 1921: Mount Summit
  • 1922: Alföld
  • 1925: Doris
  • 1929: Ikbal
Namesake
Owner
Operator
Port of registry
BuilderWm Hamilton & Co, Port Glasgow
Yard number148
Launched25 July 1900
CompletedAugust 1900
Commissionedinto US Navy, 28 September 1918
Decommissionedfrom US Navy, 16 April 1919
Identification
Fatescrapped, 1963
General characteristics
Typecargo steamship
Tonnage3,685 GRT, 2,400 NRT
Length330.8 ft (100.8 m)
Beam45.7 ft (13.9 m)
Draft22 ft 2 in (6.76 m)
Depth16.2 ft (4.9 m)
Installed power1 × triple-expansion engine, 1,505 ihp, 301 NHP
Propulsion1 × screw
Speed8 knots (15 km/h)
Complementin US Navy: 65
Armament1918: 2 × 3-inch/50-caliber guns

USS Kerkenna was a cargo steamship. She was built in Scotland in 1900 as Borneo for an Austro-Hungarian shipping company. In 1917 the Kerr Navigation Corporation bought her, and renamed her Kerkenna. The US Army took her over in November 1917. The US Navy requisitioned her in 1918, and commissioned her as USS Kerkenna. She was decommissioned in and returned to her owner in 1919. The American Shipping and Commerce Corporation bought her in 1920, and in 1921 renamed her Mount Summit. A Hungarian company bought her in 1922, and renamed her Alföld. A Greek shipowner bought her in 1925, and renamed her Doris. Turkish shipowners bought her in 1929, and renamed her Ikbal. She was later owned by a Turkish government ministry, and a Turkish bank. She was scrapped in Istanbul in 1963.

Building and registration

William Hamilton and Company, of Port Glasgow on the River Clyde built the ship as yard number 148. She was launched on 25 July 1900[1] as Borneo for the Società Anonima Ungherese di Armamento Marittime Oriente ("Hungarian Eastern Maritime Shipping Company"), and completed that August. Her registered length was 330.8 ft (100.8 m), her beam was 45.7 ft (13.9 m), her depth was 16.2 ft (4.9 m),[2] and her draft was 22 ft 2 in (6.76 m).[3] Her tonnages were 3,685 GRT and 2,400 NRT. She had a single screw, driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine that was built by David Rowan & Co of Glasgow. It was rated at 301 NHP,[2] or 1,505 ihp,[4] and gave her a speed of 8 knots (15 km/h).[3] Her owners registered her at Fiume in Austria-Hungary (now Rijeka in Croatia). Her code letters were JCPN.[2]

Internment

When the First World War began in August 1914, Germany and Austria-Hungary ordered their merchant ships to return home if possible, or otherwise take shelter in a neutral port. That September, Borneo reached Tampa, Florida, and remained anchored there. She was the only ship of the Central Powers that sheltered in Tampa.[5]

In December 1915, a Royal Navy warship arrived off Tampa, apparently in response to a report that Borneo might try to go to New Orleans. The same warship had previously appeared off Pensacola,[6] where one Austro-Hungarian and two German ships were sheltering.[7][a]

By 5 February 1917, as the US's relationship with the Central Powers deteriorated, a detachment of United States Marines from USCGC Tampa was stationed on Ballast Point to watch Borneo, and report hourly to the cutter.[8] A few days later, there was speculation that Borneo's crew might try to scuttle her, either at her anchorage, or in the harbour mouth.[9]

Seizure

On 6 April 1917, the US declared war against Germany, and seized all German ships in its ports. The US did not declare war against Austria-Hungary, so the 14 Austro-Hungarian ships in US ports were not seized. However, two days later, Austria-Hungary terminated diplomatic relations with the US, so the US responded by seizing all of those Austro-Hungarian ships.[10][11]

On 9 April, USCGC Tallapoosa left Tampa to steam the six miles to where Borneo was anchored.[12] By April 1917, only a skeleton crew of nine men remained aboard Borneo: her Master, Captain Thian; with five other officers, and three ratings.[13] Tallapoosa put guards aboard Borneo, and interned Captain Thian and his men.[14] They were taken first to Jacksonville, where the officers and ratings of a German ship, Frieda Leonhardt, were also being held. Both crews were taken thence to New Orleans.[15]

Kerr Navigation Corporation

By 15 August 1917, the Kerr Navigation Corporation had bought Borneo and seven other Austro-Hungarian cargo ships; with a combined tonnage of almost 57,000 GRT; for a total of $12 million; and had put them into the transatlantic trade.[16] Kerr renamed its acquisitions, and registered them in New York. Borneo was renamed Kerkenna, after the Kerkennah Islands off the coast of Tunisia in the Mediterranean.[3] Her US official number was 215394, and her code letters were LHPB.[4] On 22 November 1917, the US Army took over Kerkenna from her owner. She was defensively armed with two 3-inch/50-caliber guns.[17]

On 28 September 1918, Kerkenna was at Brest, France when the US Navy requisitioned her, and commissioned her as USS Kerkenna, with Lieutenant Commander AF Dahlstedt, USNRF, as her commanding officer. Unusually, she was not given a Naval Registry Identification Number. She was assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS), and carried coal and Army supplies between Britain and France.[3] On 24 February 1919, she left Inverness, Scotland, with a cargo of mines and mine supplies for return to the US. She called at New York on 19 March,[18] and continued to Norfolk, Virginia, where she arrived on 24 March. On 16 April, she was decommissioned from the Navy, and simultaneously transferred to the United States Shipping Board (USSB) for immediate return to her owner.[3]

Kerr's trade with Europe

In June and July 1919, Kerkenna steamed from Norfolk, Virginia to Copenhagen.[19] Later that year, she called at Danzig in Germany (now Gdańsk in Poland), Hamburg,[20] Dartmouth in England, New York,[21] Philadelphia, and Baltimore, where she arrived on 4 December.[20] She was due to leave Philadelphia for Hamburg on 6 December, and passenger berths were advertised on that voyage.[22] In fact, she left Philadelphia on 14 December,[23] and reached Hamburg on 11 January 1920.[24]

In Germany and Austria, the population was recovering from hardships caused by the Entente blockade of the Central Powers. In November 1919, three Kerr ships – Keresan and Kerowlee, and Kerwood – all left the US for Hamburg, carrying aid organised by the Central Committee for the Relief of Distress in Germany and Austria.[25] In February 1920, the American Merchants Shipping & Forwarding Co advertised a service for people to send "Self-packed food and clothing boxes" to Germany via various steamships, including Kerkenna at the end of that month, and Kermoor early in March.[26]

In February 1920, Kerkenna arrived in New York from Dartmouth.[27] On 12 March, she left New York for Bordeaux, but she developed engine trouble, and had to return.[28] After repairs, she was due to leave New York to resume her voyage on 23 March.[29] She reached Bordeaux by 17 April,[30] and continued to Hamburg, where she arrived on 5 May.[31]

In September 1920, Kerr advertised passenger berths aboard Kerkenna from Philadelphia to Rotterdam and Hamburg. She was scheduled to leave Philadelphia on 10 October,[32] but by 1 October, her departure date had been revised to 20 October,[33] and by 8 October, it had been revised again, to 18 October.[34]

United American Lines

In October 1920, United American Lines (UAL) acquired ten Kerr ships, including Kerkenna. The ships continued a weekly cargo service between Hamburg and New York, and also a service between Hamburg and the Río de la Plata, via ports in Brazil.[35] Under hew new owner, Kerkenna left Baltimore on 10 November for Hamburg via Bremen.[36] She reached Hamburg on 9 December,[37] where on 12 December the Associated Press noted US merchant ships outnumbered those of the Merchant Navy of the UK, which at that time was the biggest in the World. An AP reporter counted ten US ships in Hamburg, most of which were discharging grain. This compared with only six UK ships, four French, four Dutch, and one Japanese. However, this was only a small fraction of what had been normal trade in Hamburg until 1914. In the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) docks there were only two ships: one each from the US and UK. Up until 1914, there was typically a total of about 25. The Entente Powers had confiscated nearly all German ocean-going merchant ships as part of World War I reparations. UAL ships were carrying cargoes for HAPAG, which was Germany's biggest shipping company, until HAPAG could replace the ships it had surrendered to the Entente.[38]

While Kerkenna was steaming from Baltimore to Hamburg, UAL announced that her next trip would be from Hamburg to New Orleans. UAL believed she would be the first general cargo ship to work that route since the war, and hoped that this might be the beginning of a regular service.[39] In January 1921, Kerkenna steamed from Hamburg via Boston[40] to New Orleans, where she arrived on 31 January.[41]

By 8 February 1921, Kerkenna had been renamed Mount Summit,[42][43][44] presumably after Mount Summit, Indiana. On 31 March, 13 ships in New Orleans, including Mount Summit, dragged their anchors in a squall, and were all slightly damaged.[45]

Repatriation

In October 1921, Mount Summit and another UAL ship, Mount Sidney (formerly Kerlew), were described as "especially adapted to the Levant and Black Sea trades, but useless to the United American Lines". The USSB had granted permission for both ships to be transferred to the Hungarian registry, as UAL was negotiating to sell the ships to a Hungarian company.[46] On 1 November, it was reported that the USSB had granted permission for the transfer "six weeks ago"; and that the Austrian Creditanstalt bank, HAPAG, and UAL were jointly creating a corporation called the Oesterreichsiche Reederei AG, ("Austrian Shipping Company, Ltd").[47]

Three months later, on 7 February 1922, it was announced that the Oceana Sea Navigation Co, Ltd had bought from UAL not only Mount Summit and Mount Sidney, but also Keresan, Keresaspa, Kermanshah, Kermoor, and Mount Sterling (formerly Kerowlee).[48][49] Oceana renamed the ships, and registered them in Budapest. Kerkenna was renamed Alföld, the Hungarian name for the Great Hungarian Plain.[50]

Later career

By 1927, a Greek shipowner, George F Andriadis, had bought Alföld, renamed her Doris, and registered her in Chios.[51][52] By 1928, her code letters were JBQW.[53]

In 1929, Turkish shipowners, Barzilay & Benjamin, bought Doris, renamed her Ikbal, and registered her in Istanbul.[1][54] By 1932, her code letters were HBGL.[55] By 1934, her call sign was TCBT, and this had superseded her code letters.[56]

By 1943, Ikbal was owned by TC Münakalât Vekaleti Devlet Denizyollari ve Limanlari İşletme UM,[57] which was Turkey's ministry for the management of seaways and ports. By 1952, she was owned by Denizcilik Bankası TAO,[58] or "Maritime Bank". By 1959, Ikbal was on record as still having her original David Rowan & Co steam engine. However, in that year, Lloyd's Register withdrew her insurance classification, at her owner's request.[59]

In 1963, Ikbal was broken up at Kalafat Yeri, on the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Work to break her up began on 7 February, more than 62 years after she was launched, and 34 years after she was transferred to the Turkish registry.[1]

Note

  1. ^ US newspaper reports claim that the Royal Navy warship was "a cruiser of the same class as HMAS Sydney", but named her as "HMS Iris". This is self-contradictory, as Sydney was a Town-class cruiser, whereas the only Iris in the Royal Navy in WW1 was a Acacia-class sloop.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Borneo". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Lloyd's Register 1901, BOR–BOS
  3. ^ a b c d e "Kerkenna". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  4. ^ a b Bureau of Navigation 1918, p. 127
  5. ^ "One Austrian Steamer Anchored at Tampa". The Pensacola Journal. Pensacola, FL. 2 February 1917. p. 1 – via Chronicling America.
  6. ^ "British Cruiser Arrives in Tampa Bay; Watching Austrian Vessel". The Pensacola Journal. Pensacola, FL. 9 December 1915. p. 1 – via Chronicling America.
  7. ^ "Long List of German Ships Now Tied Up During War at American Ports". The Richmond Virginian. Richmond, VA. 23 May 1915. p. 6 – via Chronicling America.
  8. ^ "Mysterious Steamship off Florida Coast". The Evening World. New York. 5 February 1917. p. 3 – via Chronicling America.
  9. ^ "How Tampa Bay Is Well Protected By Two Forts". The Lakeland Evening Telegram. Lakeland, FL. 17 February 1917. p. 1 – via Chronicling America.
  10. ^ "14 Austrian Liners Seized in our Ports". The New York Times. 10 April 1917. p. 3 – via Times Machine.
  11. ^ "Opposition gegen die Dienst-Pflicht". Freie Presse Für Texas (in German). No. 819. San Antonio, TX. 10 April 1917. p. 1 – via Chronicling America.
  12. ^ "Austrian Boats in U.S. Ports Seized". New Britain Herald. New Britain, CT. 9 April 1917. p. 1 – via Chronicling America.
  13. ^ "Germans From Tampa Leave For Louisiana". The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, AL. 15 April 1917. p. 13 – via Chronicling America.
  14. ^ "Austrian Steamer Seized at Tampa". Norwich Bulletin. Norwich, CT. 19 April 1917. p. 1 – via Chronicling America.
  15. ^ "Austrian Officers Taken to New Orleans in Custody". The Daytona Daily News. Daytona, FL. 14 April 1917. p. 6 – via Chronicling America.
  16. ^ "Oesterreichische Handelsschiffe übernommen". Der Deutsche Correspondent (in German). Baltimore, MD. 16 August 1917. p. 1 – via Chronicling America.
  17. ^ Radigan, Joseph M. "Kerkenna". NavSource. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  18. ^ "Marine Intelligence". The Sun. New York. 20 March 1919. p. 16 – via Chronicling America.
  19. ^ "Foreign Ports". New-York Tribune. 8 July 1919. p. 18 – via Chronicling America.
  20. ^ a b "American Ports". New-York Tribune. 5 December 1919. p. 19 – via Chronicling America.
  21. ^ "Arrivals—Wednesday, Nov, 12". The Sun. New York. 13 November 1919. p. 13 – via Chronicling America.
  22. ^ "Kerr Lines (advertisement)". Evening Public Ledger. Philadelphia. 27 November 1919. p. 14 – via Chronicling America.
  23. ^ "American Ports". New-York Tribune. 15 December 1919. p. 13 – via Chronicling America.
  24. ^ "Arrivals at and Departures from Foreign Ports". The New York Herald. 20 January 1920. p. 2 – via Chronicling America.
  25. ^ "Liebesgaben-Versandt nach Deutschland". Tägliche Omaha Tribüne (in German). Omaha, NE. 27 November 1919. p. 8 – via Chronicling America.
  26. ^ "Deutschland–Oesterreich (advertisement)". Tägliche Omaha Tribüne (in German). Omaha, NE. 4 February 1920. p. 3 – via Chronicling America.
  27. ^ "Arrived Yesterday". New-York Tribune. 26 February 1920. p. 20 – via Chronicling America.
  28. ^ "Maritime Miscellany". The Sun and The New York Herald. 18 March 1920. p. 16 – via Chronicling America.
  29. ^ "Departure of Steamers". The Sun and The New York Herald. 23 March 1920. p. 7 – via Chronicling America.
  30. ^ "Foreign Ports; Arrived from New York". New-York Tribune. 17 April 1920. p. 16 – via Chronicling America.
  31. ^ "Cable Reports". The Sun and The New York Herald. 9 May 1920. p. 23 – via Chronicling America.
  32. ^ "Kerr Lines (advertisement)". Evening Public Ledger. Philadelphia. 14 September 1920. p. 20 – via Chronicling America.
  33. ^ "Kerr Lines (advertisement)". Evening Public Ledger. Philadelphia. 1 October 1920. p. 26 – via Chronicling America.
  34. ^ "Kerr Lines (advertisement)". Evening Public Ledger. Philadelphia. 8 October 1920. p. 23 – via Chronicling America.
  35. ^ "To Extend Ocean Service". The New York Times. 21 October 1920. p. 29 – via Times Machine.
  36. ^ "American Ports". The New York Herald. 11 November 1922. p. 10 – via Chronicling America.
  37. ^ "Cable Reports". The New York Herald. 15 December 1920. p. 20 – via Chronicling America.
  38. ^ "Ten American Ships Enliven Hamburg". The New York Herald. 13 December 1920. p. 1 – via Chronicling America.
  39. ^ "New Ship Line". The Pensacola Journal. Pensacola, FL. 7 December 1920. p. 9 – via Chronicling America.
  40. ^ "American Ports". The New York Herald. 15 January 1921. p. 17 – via Chronicling America.
  41. ^ "Marine News". Birmingham Age-Herald. Birmingham, AL. 1 February 1921. p. 13 – via Chronicling America.
  42. ^ "Launch United American Ship". New-York Tribune. 8 February 1921. p. 19 – via Chronicling America.
  43. ^ Bureau of Navigation 1921, p. 139.
  44. ^ Lloyd's Register 1921, MOU.
  45. ^ "Maritime Miscellany". New-York Tribune. 7 April 1921. p. 23 – via Chronicling America.
  46. ^ "Harriman Line Will Not Operate Foreign Vessels". New-York Tribune. 28 October 1921. p. 23 – via Chronicling America.
  47. ^ "Harriman Group Plans Danube Line". The New York Herald. 1 November 1921. p. 23 – via Chronicling America.
  48. ^ "7 American Ships Sold to Hungarians". The New York Herald. 8 February 1922. p. 21 – via Chronicling America.
  49. ^ "Harriman Line Sells 7 Ships to Hungarian Co". New-York Tribune. 8 February 1922. p. 20 – via Chronicling America.
  50. ^ Lloyd's Register 1922, ALE–ALF.
  51. ^ Lloyd's Register 1926, ALF.
  52. ^ Lloyd's Register 1927, DOR.
  53. ^ Lloyd's Register 1928, DOR.
  54. ^ Lloyd's Register 1930, IER–ILE.
  55. ^ Lloyd's Register 1932, IGU–ILL.
  56. ^ Lloyd's Register 1934, IGH–ILI.
  57. ^ Lloyd's Register 1943, IDA–IKI.
  58. ^ Lloyd's Register 1952, IGU–ILE.
  59. ^ Lloyd's Register 1959, IKAHO MARU.

Bibliography

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