USS Siboney (ID-2999)

The USS Siboney (ID-2999) was a troop transport ship that served with the United States Navy during World War I. Originally built as the passenger liner SS Siboney for the Ward Line, she operated on the New York to Havana route before being acquired by the Navy in 1917.

Upon acquisition, SS Siboney was refitted for naval service and designated ID-2999. She was commissioned as USS Siboney and began transporting troops and supplies to France in support of the American Expeditionary Forces. The Siboney made numerous transatlantic voyages throughout the war, safely delivering thousands of soldiers to the European theater.

Following the Armistice in November 1918, USS Siboney reversed her role and began transporting returning American soldiers back to the United States. After completing her wartime service, she was decommissioned in 1919 and returned to her owners, the Ward Line.

The SS Siboney resumed her commercial passenger service for the Ward Line after her naval service. She continued in this capacity until she was scrapped in 1957. The USS Siboney played a vital role in the American war effort, exemplifying the contribution of civilian ships to the U.S. Navy's logistical capabilities during World War I.