 A War-Torn Past
The ship’s luxury heritage was shattered when it became a prime contender to be used as a war ship in World War I. The US Navy was looking for small, fast-moving boats that could complete with the German’s spectacular U-boats. On July 3 1917, “Celt” was officially taken by the US Navy, as America entered the war after two and a half years of neutrality. Now named the USS Sachem, the ship became a coastal patrol vessel, complete with deadly machine guns.