American troops returning from the Rhineland, Germany according to the Dutch newspaper Vlissingse Courant dated 11 January 1923

An item reported that according to tidings received from Washington the American troops were called back from the Rhineland.(1) The transport St. Mihio (2) was ordered to leave New York the next day for this around 1,500 men.

The newspaper Zierikzeesche Nieuwsbode dated 9 February reported that the ship “St. Mihiel” with on board the troops arrived at Savannah welcomed by a large public.

Notes

1. After the First World War was an armistice signed between Germany and the Allies resulting in occupying Rhineland by American, Belgian, British and French forces. Once upon a time numbered the USA force even 240,000 men of which 24 January the withdrew was realized.

2. The website Kodiak Alaksa Military History (http://www.kadiak.org/ww2.html) mentioned a USS St. Mihiel (AP-32) of 8,213 tons during the First World War and afterwards converted into a troop transport and just before the Second World War in US Army service. She was described as a former World War One liberty ship. The website confirmed that she transported in 1923 the troops. She was launched in October 1920 by the shipyard of American International Shipbuilding Corporation at Hog Island, Pennsylvania for the United States Shipping Board and until mid 1940 used by the US Army Transportation Corps and than transferred to the US Navy and commissioned on 22 July a year later as the AP-32. Already on 16 November 1943 and given back to the US Army used as a hospital ship until the end of the Second World War. The website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_St._Mihiel_(AP-32) supplies much details. She was laid down as the Sinnmahoning on 20 November 1918, launched on 19 November a year later and completed in September 1920. The US Army purchased her in 1922. She met her final fate in 1957 at the scrape yard. This so-called Argonne class transport had a displacement of 8,550 tons and as dimensions 448’x 58’2” x 28’ and a speed of 15,5 knots.