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USS President Lincoln was a German-owned transatlantic liner that became a United States Navy troopship in World War I. She was launched in Ireland 1903 as Scotian for the British company Frederick Leyland & Co, but completed in 1907 as President Lincoln for Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). Until 1914 her regular route was between Hamburg and Hoboken.

In the war she sheltered in Hoboken from 1914 until the US seized her in 1917. She was converted into a troopship, and made five transatlantic trips carrying men of the American Expeditionary Forces to France. A German U-boat sank her by torpedo in 1918, killing 26 of her complement.

Background and building
In February 1902 J. P. Morgan formed the International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM), and three months later it bought the British line Frederick Leyland & Co of Liverpool. Under IMM, Leyland ordered a pair of new twin-screw liners from Harland & Wolff in Belfast. Yard number 353 was built on slipway number 5, and launched on 8 October 1903 as Scotian. Yard number 354 was built on slipway number 4, and launched on 19 December 1903 as Servian. However, Leyland then cancelled the order, and both ships remained uncompleted in Belfast.

In 1906 HAPAG bought the two ships, provisionally renamed them Brooklyn and Berlin, and had them completed to its specification. By the time they were completed on 1907, HAPAG had renamed them again, as President Lincoln and President Grant. President Lincoln was completed on 14 May, and left Hamburg on her maiden voyage on 1 June.

President Lincoln's lengths were 619 ft overall and 589.8 ft registered. Her beam was 68.2 ft, her depth was 48.3 ft, and her draft was 34 ft. She had berths for 3,4830 passengers: 324 in first class; 152 in second class; 1,004 in third class; and 2,350 in steerage. She carried a crew of 344. Her tonnages were ; ; and 32,500 tons displacement.

President Lincoln had twin screws, each driven by a quadruple-expansion engine. The combined power of her twin engines was rated at 827 NHP, and gave her a speed of 14+1/2 kn. She had one funnel and six masts.

HAPAG career
HAPAG registered President Lincoln in Hamburg. Her code letters were RPMD.

US Navy career
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Loss and rescue
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External link

 * – with numerous photographs

[[Category:1903 ships [[Category:Maritime incidents in 1918 [[Category:Ocean liners [[Category:Ships built in Belfast [[Category:Ships built by Harland and Wolff [[Category:Ships of the Hamburg America Line [[Category:Steamships of Germany [[Category:Steamships of the United States Navy [[Category:World War I passenger ships of Germany [[Category:World War I transports of the United States [[Category:World War I shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean