The USS Relief, originally built as the passenger vessel John Englis, was constructed between 1895 and 1896 by the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works in Chester, Pennsylvania, for the Maine Steamship Company. Designed as a passenger ship, she featured refined accommodations, including dining saloons on the upper deck, and was powered by triple-expansion steam engines operating at 180 pounds of steam pressure. Capable of reaching speeds up to 16 knots, she was a well-appointed vessel intended for the New York–Maine route, where she was well patronized upon her completion in December 1896. In 1898, amidst the Spanish–American War, the ship was requisitioned by the U.S. Army and converted into a hospital ship, renamed Relief. Her initial role was to serve as a floating hospital in the Philippines, based in Manila, due to her limited coal capacity which restricted her to Philippine waters. By January 1900, she was reported to be treating 107 patients, including sick and wounded personnel from outlying areas. Transferred to the U.S. Navy in November 1902, Relief remained inactive at Mare Island Navy Yard until 1908, when she was commissioned as a hospital ship to support the Great White Fleet's worldwide voyage. Her role was to provide medical care for the fleet’s 14,000 officers and men during their circumnavigation, a mission she undertook from March to November 1908. During this voyage, she met the fleet at Magdalena Bay, Mexico, and provided critical medical services while crossing the Pacific. In November 1908, Relief suffered severe damage during a typhoon near Cavite, which led to her being declared unseaworthy. Subsequently, she served as a stationary floating hospital at Olongapo, Philippines, through World War I. Her name was changed to Repose in April 1918 to free the name Relief for a new hospital ship under construction. Sold in 1919, she entered mercantile service under the same name and later served under various foreign flags as Hai Ning and Mindanao. Ultimately, she was transferred to Philippine registry and renamed Lanao. The vessel was bombed and sunk by Japanese aircraft in Cebu, Philippines, on January 2, 1942.

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