USAHS Algonquin Algonquin was an ocean liner built in 1926 for the Clyde Mallory Line . She was involved in a collision in 1929 and rescued survivors from another in 1935 . Repaired after a fire in 1940 , she was requisitioned for use as a troopship and later a hospital ship . She served until 1946 when she was laid up , finally being scrapped in 1957 . History . " Algonquin " was built by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , Newport News , Virginia . She was yard number 317 and was launched on 9 September 1926 and completed in December that year . " Algonquin " was built for the Clyde Mallory Line and her port of registry was New York . On 18 December 1929 , " Algonquin " was in collision with in the Ambrose Channel , off New York in thick fog . " Fort Victoria " was hit on the port side by the bows of " Algonquin " , which was on a voyage from Galveston , Texas to New York . Both ships issued distress calls and all on board " Fort Victoria " were rescued before that ship sank . On 24 January 1935 , the was involved in a collision with the after her automatic steering gear failed . " Mohawk " sank within an hour . " Algonquin " and rescued 107 survivors between them but 46 people were killed . In July 1940 , " Algonquin " caught fire and sank while docked at New York . The ship was salvaged and repaired , then transferred to the Puerto Rico Line on return to service in 1941 . In January 1942 , she was requisitioned and put into service as a troopship . Her port of registry was changed to Charleston , South Carolina . In July 1943 , " Algonquin " was requisitioned by the United States Army Transport Service . She was refitted by the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company , Mobile , Alabama and entered service at the end on January 1944 . Her maiden voyage as a hospital ship was from New Orleans , Louisiana to Gibraltar , then Oran , Algeria and Bizerte , Tunisia ending in Naples , Italy . On her return to Charleston , she was sent to Merrill - Stevens Drydock & Repair Company , Jacksonville , Florida for repairs , spending most of April there . In May 1944 , " Algonquin " made another voyage to Gibraltar and Bizerte , returning at the end of the month . The following month , the trip was repeated , with an additional call at Naples . In July and August , " Algonquin " was operating between Bizerte and Naples . On 15 August , she was one of twelve hospital ships supporting Operation Dragoon , the Allied invasion of southern France . In mid - September " Algonquin " returned to Charleston , then departed for Oran on 22 September . She then spent some time operating between Livorno , Italy , Marseilles , France , Naples and Oran , returning to Charleston on 22 February 1945 . Between May and September , " Algonquin " made four return trips between the United States and Europe . Her return voyage in September was to her new port of registry , New York . Two more return trips to Marseilles and Naples were made and then " Algonquin " was drydocked in December for conversion to trooping duties again . On completion of the work in January 1946 , she was employed to repatriate American troops and Italian war brides from Europe . " Algonquin " was withdrawn from service in June 1946 and laid up in the James River . She was scrapped in 1957 at Baltimore , Ohio , arriving on 10 January . Description . " Algonquin " was a 5 , 946 GRT ocean liner . She was long , with a beam of and a draught of . She was propelled by two steam turbines which drove a single propellor through single reduction gearing . The twin turbines could propel her at . Official Numbers and Code Letters . Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers . " Algonquin " had the US Official Number 226126 and the Code Letters MGJF . In 1934 , her Code Letters were changed to KGDL .