SS Manhattan (1931)

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SS Manhattan was a 24,189-ton luxury liner of the United States Lines, named after Manhattan, New York City.

Her maiden voyage on August 10, 1932 was from New York to Hamburg with calls at Cobh, Plymouth and Le Havre outbound, and Le Havre, Southampton and Cobh inbound. She remained on this route until World War II. Over the next year and a half, Manhattan was used for cruising and sailed from New York at various times to Le Verdon, Italy, Lisbon and San Francisco. In June 1941, Manhattan entered military service as the Navy transport USS Wakefield (AP-21).

On September 3, 1942, Wakefield caught fire in the North Atlantic. Although her crew abandoned her, she was later towed to Halifax. After being purchased by the Navy and refitted at the Boston Navy Yard, Wakefield resumed trooping duties in April 1944.

After the war, Wakefield was laid up in the Hudson River from May 1946 until May 1964, when she was sold to Union Metals & Alloy for scrapping. She arrived at the breakers in Kearny, New Jersey, in March 1965.