SS Pennsylvania was a transatlantic liner that was launched in Ireland in 1896 and spent most of her career with Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was the first of a class of four HAPAG sister ships that were built in the United Kingdom and Germany between 1896 and 1899. In 1917 the US Government seized Pennsylvania and renamed her Nansemond. She was a troop ship with the Army Transport Service until the end of the First World War. In 1919 the US Navy operated her as the troop ship USS Nansemond (ID-1395). In August 1919 the Navy returned Nansemond to the United States Shipping Board, who had her converted to a cargo-only ship. She was scrapped in 1924. Building Harland and Wolff built Pennsylvania in Belfast, launching her on 10 September 1896 and completing her on 30 January 1897. Her registered length was , her beam was and her depth was . Her tonnages were , and displacement. Harland and Wolff built Pennsylvania as a three-class ship. She originally had berths for 162 passengers in first class, 197 in second class and 2,382 in third class. Pennsylvania had twin propellers, each driven by a four-cylinder quadruple-expansion steam engine. Between them her twin engines were rated at 695 NHP and gave her a speed of . HAPAG registered Arcadia in Hamburg. Her code letters were RKPB. Sister ships followed Pennsylvania from German shipyards. Blohm & Voss built in 1897 and in 1898. AG Vulcan Stettin built in 1899. Pennsylvania On 30 January 1897 Pennsylvania began her maiden voyage from Belfast to New York. Her regular route was between New York and Hamburg. On 24 September 1902 Pennsylvania rescued all 13 crew from the Norwegian barque Bothnia, who had been struggling against rising water for 17 days. On 8 March 1910 Pennsylvania accidentally rammed the Hamburg-registered schooner Gertrud in the mouth of the Elbe, killing five of the schooner's six crew. After the collision, Pennsylvania was refitted as a two-class ship, with berths for 404 second class and 2,200 third class passengers. The refit increased her tonnage to . In the same 1910 refit a flight deck was installed on her after deckhouse for an aeroplane to take off and fly up to . After a number of test flights the flight deck was removed. By 1913 Pennsylvania was equipped for wireless telegraphy. Her call sign was DDN. On 18 July 1914,