The USS President Lincoln was a troop transport vessel operated by the United States Navy during World War I. Originally constructed as the German steamer President Lincoln for the Hamburg-American Line, the ship was built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast and completed in 1907. In 1917, the ship was seized in New York harbor, transferred to the U.S. Shipping Board, and subsequently converted for military service at Robin's Dry Dock and Repair Company in Brooklyn. Following extensive repairs and modifications, she was re-commissioned into the U.S. Navy on July 25, 1917, under the command of Commander Yates Stirling Jr. The vessel's primary role was as a troop transport, making five transatlantic voyages from New York to France, specifically to Brest and St. Nazaire, during which approximately 23,000 American troops were transported. Her voyages in late 1917 and early 1918 were completed without incident, demonstrating her reliability and importance in the wartime effort. Her final trip began on May 10, 1918, and after disembarking troops at Brest on May 23, she was part of a convoy returning to the United States. Tragically, on May 31, 1918, the President Lincoln was torpedoed and sunk by the German U-boat U-90. After passing through a known submarine danger zone, the ship was struck by three torpedoes around 09:00, sinking approximately 20 minutes later. Of the 715 personnel aboard, 26 were lost, and Lieutenant Edouard Izac was taken prisoner. Survivors were rescued by destroyers Warrington and Smith, and arrived in Brest on June 2. The sinking of the USS President Lincoln marked a significant maritime event during WWI, illustrating the peril faced by troop transports and the ongoing threat of German U-boats to Allied maritime operations.

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