USS Orizaba ( ID - 1536 ) USS " Orizaba " ( ID - 1536 / AP - 24 ) was a transport ship for the United States Navy in both World War I and World War II . She was the sister ship of but the two were not part of a ship class . In her varied career , she was also known as USAT " Orizaba in service for the United States Army , as SS " Orizaba in interwar civilian service for the Ward Line , and as " Duque de Caxias " ( U - 11 ) as an auxiliary in the Brazilian Navy after World War II . " Orizaba " made 15 transatlantic voyages for the Navy carrying troops to and from Europe in World War I with the second shortest average in - port turnaround time of all Navy transports . The ship was turned over to the War Department in 1919 for use as Army transport USAT " Orizaba " . After her World War I service ended , " Orizaba " reverted to the Ward Line , her previous owners . The ship was briefly engaged in transatlantic service to Spain and then engaged in New York – Cuba – Mexico service until 1939 , when the ship was chartered to United States Lines . While " Orizaba " was in her Ward Line service , American poet Hart Crane leapt to his death from the rear deck of the liner off Florida in April 1932 . In World War II the ship was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and again assigned to the War Department as USAT " Orizaba " . After completing one voyage as an Army transport , the ship was transferred to the US Navy , where she was re - commissioned as USS " Orizaba " ( AP - 24 ) . The ship made several transatlantic runs , was damaged in an air attack in the Allied invasion of Sicily , and made trips to South America . The transport also served in the Pacific Theatre , making several transpacific voyages , and one to the Aleutians . In June 1945 , " Orizaba " was transferred under Lend - Lease to the Brazilian Navy where she served as " Duque de Caxias " ( U - 11 ) . In August 1945 , " Duque de Caxis " carried parts of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force from Naples back to Rio de Janeiro . The ship was badly damaged by a fire in 1947 , but was repaired and remained in service . Permanently transferred to Brazil in 1953 , " Duque de Caxias " was decommissioned in 1959 and scrapped in 1963 . World War I . " Orizaba " — named after the town of Orizaba , Veracruz , Mexico — was laid down for the Ward Line by William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania and launched in February 1917 . In mid - 1917 the United States Shipping Board ( USSB ) commandeered and received title to all private shipbuilding projects in progress , including the still - incomplete " Orizaba " and her sister ship " Siboney " . Plans for both ships were modified for troop - carrying duties . Upon " Orizaba " ’ s completion , the USSB delivered her to the US Navy for transport duty on 11 April 1918 , and she was commissioned as USS " Orizaba " on 27 May . Assigned to the Atlantic Transport Service , " Orizaba " carried over 15 , 000 troops in six convoy trips to France before the end of World War I . In one such voyage , " Orizaba " ’ s executive officer , ordnance expert William Price Williamson , worked closely with Commander Richard Drace White — " Orizaba " ’ s commanding officer , himself an ordnance expert — to develop a workable depth charge launcher which would provide the transport with a measure of protection from enemy submarines . Williamson set about modifying a Lyle gun into a depth charge launcher , and successfully tested it on 16 August 1918 . While attempting another test with an increased propellant charge the following day , a defective fuse exploded the depth charge prematurely , killing Williamson and three other sailors . White , four other officers , and twenty - two enlisted men were also wounded in the blast . Four days later on 21 August at 08 : 30 , " Orizaba " , traveling with " Siboney " , spotted a submarine in the act of submerging . " Orizaba " attempted to ram the sub and dropped depth charges , but there was no indication that the attack was successful . In December 1918 , she was temporarily assigned to assist the French government in repatriating French , Belgian , and Italian prisoners of war . Detached from that duty on 10 January 1919 , she joined the Cruiser and Transport Force at Brest , and in nine voyages returned over 31 , 700 troops to the United States . After the completion of transport duty service in the summer of 1919 , she decommissioned on 4 September and was turned over to the Army for further transport service as USAT " Orizaba " . The boat served in that capacity until returned to the Ward Line in 1920 . According to the Statistical Department of the US Navy , " Orizaba " had the second - shortest average in - port turnaround time out of 37 US Navy transports used in World War I . The ship completed 15 round trips with an average turn - around time of just over 30 days per trip , while the overall Navy average was 39 . 8 days . Post - war civilian service . After both were reacquired by the Ward Line , " Orizaba " and " Siboney " were placed in transatlantic service on New York – Cuba – Spain routes in 1920 , with " Orizaba " calling at Corunna , Santander , and Bilbao in Spain . The two ships accommodated 306 first - class , 60 second - class , and 64 third - class passengers , with each ship making several trips on the route , but a lack of passengers ( along with the grounding of " Siboney " at Vigo in September 1920 ) led to the abandonment of the route . By October 1921 , " Orizaba " was placed in New York – Cuba – Mexico service , where business thrived , in part because of Prohibition in the United States . Ward Line cruises to Havana were one of the quickest and least expensive ways to what one author called " alcohol - enriched vacations " . Three years later , the ship underwent a major refit that , among other things , lengthened her funnels . A typical voyage at this time sailed from New York and called at Nassau , Havana , Progreso , Veracruz and Tampico . By the early 1930s , " Orizaba " ’ s typical route had remained virtually the same , though Nassau and Tampico were dropped as ports of call . It was in this period that American poet Hart Crane leapt to his death from " Orizaba " . At around noon on 27 April 1932 , while the ship was headed to New York — some north of Havana and off the Florida coast — Crane , clad in pajamas and overcoat , climbed the rail at the stern of the ship and plunged into the ocean . The captain of " Orizaba " immediately stopped the ship and launched four lifeboats that searched in vain for two hours , but no trace of the poet was ever found . Before he jumped , Crane had been drinking and , the night before , had been the victim of homophobic violence after a pick - up attempt of a crewman ended with a severe beating . In April 1934 , American actress Katharine Hepburn sailed from New York on " Orizaba " , eventually ending up in Mérida , Yucatán . After her arrival there on 22 April , she filed for divorce from businessman Ludlow ( " Luddy " ) Ogden Smith , whom she had married in December 1928 . After the divorce was finalized she and her travel companion , Laura Harding , planned to spend a week in Havana and return to New York on the Ward Line ship . Other notable passengers on " Orizaba " in the 1930s included Ecuadorean diplomat Gonzalo Zaldumbide and Cuban president Fulgencio Batista . Zaldumbide , the Ecuadorean Minister to the United States , sailed to Mexico for his new posting as Minister to Mexico in August 1932 . In February 1939 , " Orizaba " carried Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista back to Havana after a two - week goodwill visit to Mexico . Beginning in the mid - 1930s , " Orizaba " often carried gold and silver bars from Veracruz to New York for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York , Chase National Bank , or for later transshipment to London . In October 1933 three short tons ( 2 . 7 tonnes ) of gold bars and coins were shipped on " Orizaba " for eventual delivery to London , prompting some to believe that gold was being smuggled into Mexico to take advantage of its policy of not charging duties on gold . In July 1934 " Orizaba " brought in 16 cases of Mexican gold , and in January 1935 , 20 cases ; in both instances , for delivery to Chase National Bank . Twice in 1935 , the Ward liner delivered over 1 , 000 bars of silver for the Federal Reserve Bank , bringing 1 , 390 bars in March , and 1 , 933 bars in July . Mexico was not the only place from which " Orizaba " delivered precious metals . In March 1934 , she delivered 12 cases of gold — consisting of 84 bars , and worth $ 1 , 624 , 000 — from Havana for Chase . In mid - 1939 , " Orizaba " was chartered to United States Lines as one of five ships added to increase what was perceived as a slow rate of return of US citizens fleeing war - torn Europe . In September , the ship was diverted to Galway to pick up American survivors of , torpedoed by " U - 30 " on 3 September ; " Orizaba " returned with 240 of the survivors later that month . After completing evacuation service , the ship was laid up in New York in the summer of 1940 , and subsequently purchased by the Maritime Commission on behalf of the Army on 27 February 1941 . World War II . After her reacquisition by the War Department , " Orizaba " completed one round trip to the Panama Canal Zone . On her return she put in for a refit by the Bethlehem Steel Company at New York . After she was transferred to the Navy on 4 June 1941 , she was commissioned as " Orizaba " ( AP - 24 ) on 15 June 1941 . In mid - June 1941 she joined Task Force 19 for the United States occupation of Iceland , replacing British troops with American Marines . Orizaba , was armed with two 5 - inch ( 130 mm ) guns and four 3 - inch ( 76 mm ) guns . Not sure when Orizaba was armed but it was probably before the first pre - war trip to Bombay , discussed below . Had anti - aircraft guns on that voyage . On 2 Nov 1941 the Orizaba left Norfolk , Va . , for Halifax , NS where it joined 5 other US Navy transports . On 8th 6 Nov . English troopships came into port and disembarked 25 , 000 troops which were then boarded onto the American ships . Orizaba took on 1500 which was greater that its normal capacity . On 10 November they got underway with 13 convoying American warships including the carrier , USS Ranger with the destination Bombay , India . Ship ’ s company understood this to be an act of war against Germany . Stopped in Trinidad , Cape Town and Mombasa en route . Arrived Bombay 6 January 1942 where they disembarked the troops on 8 January . LEft Bombay 10 January 1942 to return to the U . S . with stops in Cape Town , South Africa ; Bahia , Brazil ; and San Juan , Puerto Rico , arriving in New York on 3 March 1942 . Interesting note from 19 November 1941 , " It is only a question of a couple of weeks when we shall be in this whole mess and more likely from the Pacific Ocean rather than from Europe " Left New York on 7 April 1942 on second voyage to Bombay in the Second World War . Stopped in Halifax , again to pick up troops which she took to Iceland . Disembarked troops but picked up 65 crew members from sunken ships which were delivered to Glasgow , Scotland . Stayed 2 weeks in area , then after loading new troops ( may have been British Marines ) got underway in large , 30 ship , convoy . Stopped to refuel in Freetown , Sierre Leone on 23 May . 125 ships in the harbor awaiting convoys . Underway again on 26 May . On 9 June arrive Durban , SA . On 15 June again underway in convoy . Arrived Bombay 1 July . Did not disembark troops . On 7 July underway for Suez , arriving 18 July . Disembarked troops . Loaded 500 Italian POW ’ s . Unclear where prisoners were taken . Left 21 July to return to the USA with stops in Durban and Cape Town , SA and Perambuco , Brazil . Arrived in States in September 1942 . ( Above from personal diaries of George R . Huson , MM2 , USNR ; on board ) After which she got underway for Bermuda and Puerto Rico . Returning to Norfolk in January 1943 , she plied the eastern seaboard for a month , then took up transatlantic duties again . Until July she traversed the ocean to Oran , Algeria , carrying troops over and prisoners of war back to New York . On 5 July she left Oran in Task Force ( TF ) 81 . The next day , she rendezvoused with TF 85 and on 9 July stood off Gela , Sicily , disembarking troops into landing craft . On 11 July , she sustained slight damage in an enemy air attack and retired to Algeria with casualties and prisoners on board the next day . She returned to Sicily at the end of the month to discharge troops and cargo at Palermo and then , on the night of 1 August , weighed anchor and stood out for home . Arriving at New York on 22 August 1943 , she underwent an overhaul , then took on runs to Brazil and the Caribbean . At the end of the year she left the east coast , passed through the Panama Canal , and sailed on to the Southwestern Pacific . After calls at Samoa , Nouméa , Brisbane , and Milne Bay , she returned to the west coast in March 1944 , only to leave again for another Central Pacific run . Back at San Francisco in June , she underwent repairs ; completed a run to the Marshalls and Marianas ; and then sailed north to the Aleutians . Completing her northern run at Seattle , Washington on 1 December , she carried men and supplies to Hawaii , then returned to San Francisco , later sailing to New Guinea , the Philippines , and Ulithi to add men and materiel to forces gathering for the Battle of Okinawa . From Ulithi , " Orizaba " sailed east , passed through the Panama Canal again , and , as the battle for Okinawa raged , arrived at Tampa , Florida . Decommissioning on 23 April , she underwent an overhaul and on 16 July 1945 she was transferred to Brazil under the terms of Lend - Lease . The ship was permanently transferred to Brazil in June 1953 and struck from the US Naval Vessel Register on 20 July of that same year . " Orizaba " received one battle star for her US Navy service in World War II . As of 2008 , no other US Navy ship has been named " Orizaba " . Brazilian Navy service . Assuming control of the vessel at Tampa on 16 July 1945 , the Brazilian Navy renamed the veteran transport " Duque de Caxias " ( U - 11 ) , the second ship of that navy named in honor of Luís Alves de Lima e Silva , Duke of Caxias , the patron of the Brazilian Army . " Duque de Caxias " headed to Naples and on 28 August 1945 left there with elements of the returning Brazilian Expeditionary Force . The ship arrived at Rio de Janeiro for the first time on 17 September 1945 . The ship then loaded American military stores from US bases in Brazil and sailed for New York , arriving on 10 November 1945 , with plans to repatriate wounded Brazilian soldiers who had been recuperating in the US . On 31 July 1947 , a day after sailing from Rio de Janeiro for Europe , oil spilled on the ship ’ s boilers , causing an engine - room fire that quickly spread through the first class cabins and killed 27 . The ship was towed from its position off Cabo Frio into Rio de Janeiro on 1 August 1947 . The ship had been carrying 1 , 060 passengers bound for Lisbon , Naples , and Marseille , along with 500 crew members , and had been scheduled to carry Italian refugees on its return voyage . In 1953 , " Duque de Caxias " was converted into a training ship , and in August of that year began a European and Mediterranean training cruise , which included a 12 - day visit to New York in March 1954 as part of its homeward leg . The ship visited the United States again in December 1955 , with midshipmen aboard touring the United States Naval Academy and honored at a cocktail by the Brazilian Ambassador , Joao Carlos Muniz , at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington , D . C . In October the following year , " Duque de Caxias " called at Philadelphia , and the new Brazilian Ambassador Ernani do Amaral Peixoto — also an Admiral in the Brazilian Navy — and his wife sponsored a tea dance in honor of Captain Antonio Andrade , other officers of the ship , and the midshipmen aboard the ship ; Peixoto had traveled to Philadelphia to greet Andrade , a former naval attaché at the embassy . The ship was decommissioned 13 April 1959 , and finally scrapped in 1963 .