The German 16,971 gross ton passenger liner Cleveland, built in 1909 at Hamburg, was turned over to the United States after the World War I Armistice. She was placed in commission as USS Mobile (ID # 4043) in late March 1919 and soon began work as a trans-Atlantic troop transport. During the next five months she brought over 21,000 servicemen back to the United States from Europe. USS Mobile was decommissioned in November 1919 and transferred to the U.S. Shipping Board. She later became a British passenger ship, carrying immigrants from the United Kingdom to the U.S. and, after being renamed King Alexander, from Greece to New York. She returned to U.S. registry in 1923 under her original name, Cleveland, for operation between America and Germany. The ship was purchased by German interests in 1926.