Santa Ana SP-2869

Santa Ana

(SP-2869: t. 4,869, 1. 373'9"; b. 51'2", dr. 22'9" s. 12 k.; cpl. 204)

Santa Ana ( SP-2869) was built during 1918 by William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, Pa., for W. R. Grace and Co. of New York, ordered delivered to the United States Shipping Board upon completion, and commissioned on 11 February 1919 at Hoboken, N.J. Lt. Comdr. Charles H. Lawrence, USNRF, in command.

Santa Ana was assigned to the Cruiser and Transport Force and subsequently returned American troops from Europe. She made four round-trip voyages from New York to the Bordeaux area of France between 27 February 1919 and 7 July 1919. In this short time, she embarked thousands of Army passengers from Bassens, Bordeaux, Verdon, and Pauillac, France, seldom spending more than 24 hours in port before again steaming westward to the United States.

Santa Ana was decommissioned at Hoboken, N.J., on 21 July 1919, and simultaneously transferred to the Shipping Board for eventual return to her owner. She subsequently operated under United States registry under the names Santa Ana, Guatemala, Santa Cecilia Irwin, and John C. Clem, until finally scrapped during 1948.