The USS Covington (ID-1409) was originally a German transatlantic ocean liner named Cincinnati, launched in 1908 for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). Built by Schichau in Danzig, she measured approximately 183.9 meters (603 feet 4 inches) in length with a beam of 19.9 meters (65 feet 3 inches). Her tonnage was 16,339 gross register tons (GRT) and 9,733 net register tons (NRT). The vessel featured twin screw propellers powered by quadruple expansion steam engines, allowing a maximum speed of 16 knots. Cincinnati had passenger accommodations for 2,827 passengers across different classes: 246 first class, 332 second class, 448 third class, and 1,801 steerage. Her maiden voyage commenced on 27 May 1909 from Hamburg to New York via Cherbourg. Between April 1910 and April 1913, she operated on the route from Genoa through Naples to New York. By 1913, Cincinnati was equipped with wireless telegraphy, with the call sign DDC. She was interned in Boston at the start of World War I on 28 July 1914, along with other German ships, being monitored by U.S. authorities during the war. Following the U.S. entry into the war in April 1917, Cincinnati was seized and transferred to the U.S. Shipping Board. She was commissioned into the U.S. Navy as USS Covington on 28 July 1917, named after Covington, Kentucky. As a troop transport, she made six voyages from Hoboken to Brest, carrying over 21,000 American troops to France. On 1 July 1918, she was torpedoed by the German U-86 off Brest. The attack resulted in the death of six crew members, but the ship remained afloat initially. Her escorts managed to rescue 770 personnel, and she was towed about 50 miles toward Brest. Unfortunately, she sank on the afternoon of 2 July 1918, after being damaged by the torpedo. The vessel's service history highlights her transition from a civilian transatlantic liner to a crucial troopship during World War I, and her sinking marked a significant event during naval operations of the war.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.