USS West Gate
West Gate had similar design and measurements to her Columbia River Shipbuilding sister ship West Corum (pictured above) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | USS West Gate (ID-3216) |
| Builder | |
| Yard number | 3 |
| Laid down | as War Agate |
| Launched | 27 January 1918 |
| Completed | April 1918 |
| Acquired | 29 May 1918 |
| Commissioned | 29 May 1918 |
| Identification | U.S. official number: 216174 |
| Fate | Sunk in collision, 7 October 1918 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steam merchant ship |
| Tonnage | 5,799 GRT |
| Displacement | 12,185 t |
| Length | |
| Beam | 54 ft (16.5 m) |
| Draft | 24 ft 1 in (7.34 m) (mean) |
| Depth of hold | 29 ft 9 in (9.07 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h) |
| Complement | 74 |
| Armament |
|
USS West Gate (ID-3216) was a cargo ship for the United States Navy during World War I. The ship was laid down as SS War Agate, but she was launched in January 1918 as SS West Gate instead.
SS West Gate was one of the steam-powered West boats that were built for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). They were steel-hulled cargo ships built on the West Coast of the United States for the World War I war effort. She was the 3rd ship built by the Columbia River Shipbuilding Company in Portland, Oregon. She was commissioned into the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS) of the United States Navy in April 1918.
After experiencing engine trouble on her first attempt at a transatlantic crossing, West Gate was unsuccessfully attacked by two German submarines in early July 1918 while returning to port for repairs. After successfully completing her trip to France, she began her second transatlantic trip in early October. In the early morning hours of 7 October, West Gate's steering gear jammed and American, another Navy cargo ship, collided with the West Gate, sinking her. Seven men lost their lives in the accident.