USS Henderson (AP-1)

The first USS Henderson (AP-1) was a transport in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. In 1943, she was converted to a hospital ship and commissioned as USS Bountiful (AH-9). Named for Marine Colonel Archibald Henderson, she was launched by Philadelphia Navy Yard on 17 June 1916; sponsored by Miss Genevieve W. Taylor, great-granddaughter of General Henderson; and commissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 24 May 1917. Henderson arrived New York on 12 June 1917 and sailed two days later with Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves' Cruiser and Transport Force, which carried units of the American Expeditionary Force to France. In her holds she had space for 1,500 men and 24 mules. Reaching Saint-Nazaire on 27 June she disembarked troops and returned to Philadelphia on 17 July 1917. Subsequently, Henderson made eight more voyages to France with troops and supplies for the allies in the bitter European fighting. She established two large base hospitals in France during 1917. In constant danger from submarines, the transport was steaming near Army transport on 17 October 1917 when the latter was torpedoed. Henderson escaped attack by wrapping herself in an envelope of smoke. But torpedoes were not her only danger. She sailed for her seventh voyage on 30 June 1918 to France. A serious fire broke out in a cargo hold on 2 July 1918. Working throughout the night, and with Henderson listing as much as 15 degrees, and heavily rolling at times, making landing abreast possible on only one side, the destroyers and transferred her 1,600 troop passengers and baggage to the transport without loss of life, completing the transfer by 6:00 am on 3 July. Von Steuben continued on to Brest, France carrying 3,500 troops and their equipment. Determined firefighting crews soon brought the flames under control and Henderson returned to the U.S. with destroyers escorting. On 27 February, one day after departing Saint-Nazaire, troopship Finland 's steering gear jammed, forcing her into the path of Henderson.