War Beaver, a 2028 gross ton steam cargo ship, was built at Detroit, Michigan, in 1917. She was renamed Lake Erie by the United States Shipping Board soon after completion, and at the end of December 1917 was taken over by the Navy. Commissioned as USS Lake Erie (ID # 2190) in January 1918, she operated for a few months as a collier along the U.S. east coast. Beginning in April 1918, she made four round-trip voyages to Europe, carrying general cargo and mines for use in establishing anti-submarine barriers. Sunk in a collision in Welsh waters on 16 January 1919, Lake Erie was raised in August and sold in November 1919. She was named Gezina, Ragni, Arpeco and Force during her lengthy subsequent merchant service. The old ship was finally scrapped in 1959.