Bulgaria

SS Bulgaria was a passenger-cargo steamship built in 1898 for the Hamburg American Line ("Hapag"). During World War I, she operated as a United States Army animal and cargo ship under the names USAT Hercules and USAT Philippines, and after the war was converted into the troop transport USS Philippines (ID-1677). In 1899, after only a few months in service, Bulgaria was caught in a severe hurricane and disabled in mid-ocean for some weeks, her captain and officers later being decorated for their conduct during the incident. After this, Bulgaria settled into regular service between Hamburg, Germany and various ports in the United States until 1913, when she was acquired by Unione Austriaca and renamed SS Canada. After making only two trips between Trieste and Canada with this company however, the ship returned to service with Hapag and reverted to her original name. With the outbreak of World War I, Bulgaria was laid up in Baltimore until the entry of the United States into the war in 1917, when she was seized by the U.S. and used as the animal and general cargo transport USAT Hercules, later renamed USAT Philippines. In the postwar period, Philippines was transferred to the U.S. Navy, commissioned as USS Philippines (ID-1677), and used to help repatriate U.S. troops from France. After decommissioning in 1919, the ship was converted into the cargo-only merchant steamer SS Philippines, but made only a couple of voyages in this role before being laid up in 1921. Philippines was broken up at New Jersey in 1924. Construction and design thumb|left | Sketch of SS Bulgaria, ca. 1899 SS Bulgaria—a steel-hulled, twin-screw passenger-cargo steamer—was built by Blohm & Voss at Steinwerder, Germany, in 1898 for the Hamburg–America Line (Hapag). Her yard number was 125. She was launched on 5 February and completed 4 April 1898.