From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

Original name retained. Named for General Alfred Graf von Waldersee, born in Germany in 1832. In 1881 he became chief assistant to the elder von Moltke to succeed him in 1888 as Chief of the General Staff. He commanded the foreign armies sent to Peking in 1900 to quell the Boxer Rebellion. General von Waldersee died in 1904.

(AP: dp. 25,000; l. 585'; b. 62'; dr. 32'3"; s. 13 k.; cpl. 553)

Graf Waldersee, a Hamburg-America liner built in 1898 to 1899 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, Germany, was taken over from Germany at the close of World War I; and commissioned at Spithead, England, 28 March 1919, Comdr. Lemuel M. Stevens in command.

Graf Waldersee was assigned to the Cruiser and Transport Division, NOTS. She arrived at Brest, France, 30 March, and embarked 1,526 passengers, mostly homeward-bound veterans; departed 7 April and arrived New York 20 April 1919. In two subsequent voyages from New York to Brest (18 May-2 June and 7-30 August), she returned 4,108 additional civilians and troops to the United States. She decommissioned at Stapleton, N.Y. 25 November 1919 and returned to the USSB.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT (hubertypc@aol.com)