USS Manchuria ( ID - 1633 ) USS " Manchuria " ( ID - 1633 ) was a transport ship for the United States Navy during World War I . Before the war she was known as SS " Manchuria in civilian passenger service . In the interwar years she reverted to her original name but was later renamed SS " President Johnson . During World War II , she served as a transport ship for the United States Army . After World War II , she was sold and renamed SS " Santa Cruz " . The liner was scrapped in Italy in 1952 . Early career . " Manchuria " , a passenger liner transport , was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Co . of Camden , New Jersey , for the Pacific Mail Steamship Co . , also of Camden , on 3 September 1902 ; launched on 2 November 1903 ; sponsored by Miss Laura Wick ; acquired by the Navy from the Atlantic Transport Line , a subsidiary of International Mercantile Marine Co . , on 10 April 1918 ; and commissioned at New York on 25 April 1918 , Commander Charles S . Freeman in command . World War I . Assigned to the Cruiser and Transport Force , " Manchuria " departed New York with the 18th Field Artillery and the 153d and 154th Infantry Battalions embarked for Europe . She arrived in Saint - Nazaire , France , on 13 May to debark her passengers . Five days later she returned to the east coast , arriving at New York on 30 May . The troop transport made 13 round trips to Europe with nine of them after the Armistice , bringing approximately 39 , 500 troops home . On 25 August 1919 she arrived New York , decommissioned there 11 September , and was returned to her owner . Interwar years . " Manchuria " continued service on the New York to Hamburg run , begun in 1919 , until 1923 , when she was shifted to New York – Panama Canal – San Francisco run to operate under another subsidiary of International Mercantile Marine Co . , the Panama Pacific Line . On 1 November 1928 she was renamed " President Johnson " and sold 7 days later to Dollar Steamship Lines for round ‑ the ‑ world cruises . The ship was acquired by the Maritime Commission on 26 October 1938 and operated by American President Lines . World War II . On 29 November 1941 " President Johnson " was acquired by the U . S . Army from the War Shipping Administration . She departed from San Francisco for the Philippines on 5 December but turned back after learning of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , 2 days later . On 27 December she began the first of eight round trips to Honolulu , transporting troops into September 1942 . On 8 November , the ship sailed from San Francisco for the South Pacific to spend the next 2 years in support of the amphibious operations which had penetrated by July 1945 to the Japanese home islands . With stops at Eniwetok and Guam , Marshalls ; Ulithi , Carolines ; Peleliu , Palaus ; and Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides , long behind her , " President Johnson " returned to San Francisco 14 January 1946 to end her World War II service with the Army . Later career . She was returned to the Maritime Commission 26 April 1946 and sold to Tagus Navigational Co . of Panama City , Panama . Renamed " Santa Cruz " , she was chartered to Societa Saicen of Savona , Italy , in 1948 to transport Italian war refugees to South America . The transport was scrapped at Savona on 12 January 1952 .