USS Artemis ( ID - 2187 ) USS " Artemis " ( ID - 2187 ) , also known as the USAT " Artemis , was a German passenger liner seized by U . S . Customs at New York City at the start of American involvement in World War I . She was built in 1902 as Iowa and was renamed Bohemia " in 1912 . She served the United States Army as the transport USAT " Artemis " , and , at war ’ s end , she was transferred to the United States Navy as a transport for returning American troops and military equipment from Europe . Postwar , she was transferred to the United States Shipping Board ( USSB ) ( later the United States Maritime Commission ( USMC ) ) and served as a merchant ship until 1941 , when she was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport ( MoWT ) , becoming one of the Empire ship s , Empire Bittern . In July 1944 , " Empire Bittern " was sunk as a blockship in support of Operation Overlord . Construction . " Iowa " was a steel - hulled , twin - screw passenger steamship built by Harland & Wolff Ltd , Belfast . She was yard number 349 and was launched on 5 July 1902 . Completion was on 11 November 1902 . " Iowa " was long , with a beam of and a depth of . She was powered by a 6 - cylinder triple expansion steam engine which had paired cylinders of , and diameter by stroke , giving her a speed of . Early career . " Iowa " was built for the White Diamond Steamship Company Ltd , Liverpool . She was operated under the management of George Warren & Co Ltd . In 1913 , " Iowa " was sold to the Hamburg Amerika Line and renamed " Bohemia " . Seized in New York by U . S . Customs . The outbreak of hostilities in Europe in the summer of 1914 stranded many German and Austrian ships , " Bohemia " amongst them , in American ports . Because of her German registry , she was seized by American customs officials after the United States entered World War I in April 1917 . World War I service . Service with the U . S . Army . " Bohemia " was renamed " Artemis " , armed with a main battery of one and one gun , and placed in service as an Army transport . She served as USAT " Artemis " during World War I and for over three months after the war ended . Her battery was removed at Norfolk , Virginia on 30 November 1918 , and she completed her last voyage as an Army transport at New York City on 23 February 1919 . Bringing U . S . troops back home . Turned over to the Navy at Fletcher ' s Drydock in Hoboken , New Jersey , " Artemis " , given the identification number ( ID . No . ) 2187 , was commissioned there on 8 April , the second ship to be so named by the U . S . Navy , Commander John P . Jackson in command . Assigned to the Cruiser and Transport Force , " Artemis " sailed for France on 25 April , and reached St . Nazaire on 8 May . Sailing for Newport News , Virginia on 11 May , she arrived at her destination on 24 May . Shifting that same day to Norfolk , Virginia , she commenced her second transatlantic crossing voyage cycle on 1 June . Besides her embarked returning doughboys , " Artemis " brought back a cargo of trucks to Newport News on her second voyage , arriving there on 26 June . Shifting to Norfolk the same day , the ship began her third round - trip voyage on 2 July , departing Norfolk for France . Arriving at St . Nazaire on 15 July , Artemis moved to Brest soon thereafter , and began the return trip from that port on 21 July . Arriving at Norfolk on 3 August , via Newport News , the ship underwent voyage repairs at Norfolk from 6 – 9 August . She sailed thence for France on the latter day on her last voyage as a naval vessel , reaching St . Nazaire on 21 August . Sailing for the U . S . on 12 September , " Artemis " arrived at New York City on the morning of 23 September , mooring at pier 3 , Army Base , Brooklyn , New York . Decommissioning . Shifting to steamship pier 2 , Army Base , on 8 October , " Artemis " was decommissioned on 18 October 1919 . During her career as a Navy transport , she had brought home 11 , 760 troops . Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 18 October , and the ship was transferred to the ( USSB for disposition . Subsequent maritime career . The USSB ' s fourth annual report , for the fiscal year ending 30 June 1920 , lists " Artemis " as being transferred to the France and Canada Steamship Corp . to be operated by that company , but this may never have come to pass , since contemporary merchant vessel registers refer only to her USSB ownership . Likewise , lists of ships operated by the France and Canada Steamship Co . do not contain " Artemis " . Laid up by 1923 , " Artemis " remained inactive through the 1930s and into World War II , in the hands of the USSB and its successor , the USMC . Acquired by the MoWT in 1941 , the ship was renamed " Empire Bittern " . Her port of registry was London and she was operated under the management of Royal Mail Lines Ltd . " Empire Bittern " was a member of a number of convoys during World War II . Convoy HX 189 departed from Halifax , Nova Scotia on 10 May 1942 and arrived at Liverpool on 20 May . " Empire Bittern " was to have joined the convoy , but did not sail , joining the following convoy , HX 190 instead . Convoy HX 190 departed from Halifax , Nova Scotia on 17 May 1942 and arrived at Liverpool on 28 May . On 23 July 1944 , " Empire Bittern " was sunk as an additional blockship as part of Operation Overlord . Official number and code letters . Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers . " Artemis " had the United States Official number 215315 . She is recorded as having the Code Letters LHMG in 1930 . " Empire Bittern " had the UK Official Number 115329 and used the Code Letter BCGL .