USS Honolulu (ID-1843)
| Company type | Cargo ship |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping, Naval transport |
| Predecessor | SS Setos |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Fate | Returned to United States Shipping Board and sold in 1920; scrapped in 1934 |
| Headquarters | Newcastle upon Tyne , England |
| Products | Cargo transport |
USS Honolulu (ID-1843)
The initial USS Honolulu (ID-1843) functioned as a cargo ship within the United States Navy, likely operating from 1918 until 1919.
Originally constructed in 1905 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the vessel was launched as SS Setos under commission from the Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft Kosmos, a German shipping company servicing routes between Germany and the western coasts of North and South America. In 1914, she sought refuge in Honolulu.
On 12 June 1917, during World War I, the United States assumed control of the ship, transferring ownership to the United States Shipping Board. The vessel was renamed Itasca and placed under United States Army operation. Despite being operated by a U.S. Navy crew as a cargo transport, there is no documentation confirming her formal commissioning. The name was officially changed to Honolulu on 26 July 1918, which may correspond with her commissioning date; many U.S. Navy cargo ships during this period were commissioned following prior Army service.
During her naval tenure, Honolulu conducted multiple cargo voyages between the United States and several ports in France.
The U.S. Navy personnel were relieved from duty aboard the ship in March 1919, likely coinciding with her decommissioning. Subsequently, on 2 April 1919, she was deemed unsuitable for continued naval service. The vessel was returned to the United States Shipping Board and later sold on 26 January 1920.
Following her naval career, Honolulu re-entered commercial operations. In 1923, she was acquired by Moore-McCormack and renamed Commercial Trader. She served within their Gulf Line fleet until being scrapped in 1934. Moore-McCormack operated several former German vessels; among them was Commercial Pathfinder, formerly known as Osage and originally the German ship Serapis, a sister ship to Setos. This sister vessel also served in the Gulf Line between 1920 and 1928 and had remained at San Francisco in 1914.