From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

A former name retained.

(SP-1494: t. 414; l. 135'; b. 27'1"; dr. 16'; s. 13; a. 1 3", 2 mg.)

Goliah, a steam tug, was built in 1907 by John H. Dialogue and Son., Camden, N.J., and was purchased by the Navy from her owners, the Puget Sound Tug Co. of Seattle, Wash., 6 December 1917. She commissioned 31 January 1918 at Mare Island, Calif., Lt. Werner Tornroth, USNRF, commanding.

Following shakedown, Goliah towed coal barges between San Diego, Mare Island, and San Pedro until 3 March when she departed San Diego for the East Coast. She arrived Norfolk 8 April 1918 and for the next month made four voyages between New London and New York with stores and ammunition. After a voyage to Bermuda and the Azores 18 May-24 June as an escort tug, she arrived at New York for overhaul, where she stayed until 8 August 1918.

Departing New London, Conn., where she had briefly served as a patrol craft, 6 September 1918, Goliah operated as a towing ship between San Miguel, Bermuda, and New London until arriving at Brest, France, 26 November 1918. There she took up new duties as rescue and towing tug for convoys operating out of Brest to English ports and occasionally to Copenhagen and Lisbon until she arrived back in Brest 24 April 1919. Goliah performed harbor towing work there until decommissioning 29 November 1919. She was loaned to the United States Shipping Board 30 November and transferred to the Board's permanent custody and control 7 October 1921.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT (hubertypc@aol.com)