USS Martha Washington ( ID - 3019 ) USS " Martha Washington " ( ID ‑ 3019 ) was a transport for the United States Navy during World War I named for Martha Washington , the first First Lady of the United States . She was originally ocean liner SS " Martha Washington for the Austro - American Line before the war . Before and after her Navy service she was the United States Army transport USAT " Martha Washington . The liner was sold to the Italian Cosulich Line in 1922 . In 1932 , when Cosulich was absorbed into Italia Flotte Riunite ( ) , the ship was renamed SS " Tel Aviv " . The ship was scrapped in 1934 . Early career . " Martha Washington " was launched in 1908 by Russell & Co . of Port Glasgow , Scotland for the Austro - American Line ( formal name : Unione Austriaca di Navigazione ) . The liner sailed between Trieste and New York City . On the evening of 20 November 1911 , while steaming in the Ionian Sea from Patras and headed for New York , " Martha Washington " came under fire from an Italian battleship for a period of ten minutes , with shells falling within one ship length ( approximately ) of the liner . According to the captain of the liner , the Italians , fighting against Turkey in the Italo - Turkish War , mistook " Martha Washington " for a Turkish ship . The ship was allowed to pass unharmed after the crew used a signal lamp to communicate her identity to the Italians . At the outbreak of World War I , " Martha Washington " was interned at Hoboken , New Jersey , in 1914 . World War I . After the United States entered the war , " Martha Washington " was taken over by the U . S . Army Quartermaster Department on 6 April 1917 . The former liner was acquired by the Navy in November 1917 . She was commissioned on 2 January 1918 with Commander Chauncey Shackford in command . Transporting troops to France . Two months of round ‑ the ‑ clock effort restored the ship to seaworthiness and modified her as a troop transport . " Martha Washington " sailed on eight wartime voyages carrying troops to France , embarking a total of 24 , 005 passengers . Sailing as a part of the Cruiser and Transport Force , " Martha Washington " sailed from New York on 10 February on her first of voyage carrying troops to France with Navy transports , , and , and Army transport , under escort of the cruiser . " Martha Washington " arrived back at New York on 14 March . Leaving New York again on 23 March , she convoyed with , , " Finland " , and cruiser " Pueblo " , arriving in France on 4 April . " Martha Washington " and " Powhatan " returned to the U . S . on 22 April . " Martha Washington " next departed Newport News on 30 April 1918 with " Powhatan " . Rendezvousing with the two transports was a convoy sailing from New York consisting of , , , and " Finland " ( now a Navy transport ) . provided the convoy with protection until its arrival in France on 12 May . " Martha Washington " returned to Virginia on 1 June . Departing Newport News on 10 June , " Martha Washington " sailed with , " Powhatan " , " Matsonia " , and British troopship . Meeting up with " Manchuria " which sailed from New York , the convoy — escorted by cruisers and , and destroyer — reached France on 18 June . " Martha Washington " returned to the U . S . on 30 June . Departing Newport News once again for France on 10 July , " Martha Washington " , accompanied by " Aeolus " , " Powhatan " , and " Matsonia " , joined with the New York contingent — Navy transports and " Manchuria " , and steamers , , and — and arrived in France on 21 July . Cruiser " Seattle " and destroyers , , , and served as escorts on the eastbound crossing . " Aeolus " and " Matsonia " joined " Martha Washington " in arriving in Virginia on 5 August . With " Manchuria " , " Henderson " , " Aeolus " , , and steamer , " Martha Washington " sailed from Newport News for France on 14 August . and " Matsonia " , sailing from New York , joined the convoy , which was escorted by cruisers , " Seattle " , and " Frederick " . Records of this convoy are sketchy , but " Henderson " and " Matsonia " are known to have arrived in France on 25 August , and the other ships probably arrived around that same time . Upon " Martha Washington " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s return to the U . S . she shifted to New York . After embarking 3 , 029 troops , " Martha Washington " departed again on 15 September sailing with , , , " Finland " , " Powhatan " , and steamer " Ulua " . " Martha Washington " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s New York group met up with a Virginia group of Navy transports " Aeolus " and " Koningen der Nederlanden " , and steamers " Patria " and . Escorts — consisting of battleship , cruisers and " Pueblo " , and destroyers , , and " Stringham " — helped to ensure the safe arrival of all ships in France on 28 September . " Finland " and " Pocahontas " accompanied " Martha Washington " on her return journey and arrived at New York on 12 October . Beginning what would be her final wartime crossing , " Martha Washington " sailed with " Aeolus " and Italian steamer on 21 October from Newport News . Navy transport " Pocahontas " and Brazilian steamer , sailing from New York , and escorts " New Hampshire " , , " South Dakota " , , and filled out the convoy , which arrived on 4 November . Returning to the U . S . five days after the Armistice , " Martha Washington " made eight additional voyages — from 26 November 1918 to 11 November 1919 — returning 19 , 687 troops and passengers from foreign ports . During her seventh voyage she also disembarked 945 interned German aliens at Rotterdam in the Netherlands . On her final voyage she arrived at Brest on 14 August and received new orders to transport an American relief mission to Turkey and Russia . Under the leadership of Major General James Harbord , U . S . Army , the mission spent the first two weeks in September at Constantinople and after arriving at Batum , Russia , on 18 September , spent the following three weeks there . In this period of civil turmoil , " Martha Washington " brought 324 Armenia n and Polish refugees to Constantinople . Sailing for the United States on 15 October , she called at Malta , Marseille , and Brest before arriving at New York on the first anniversary of the Armistice signing . She was decommissioned on 18 November 1919 and was turned over to the War Department . Later career . In November 1922 , " Martha Washington " was sold to the Cosulich Line . Around the time that line was absorbed into the state - owned Italia Flotte Riunite in 1932 , " Martha Washington " was renamed " Tel Aviv " . The liner was scrapped in 1934 .