After the United States entered the war,
Martha Washington was taken over by the
U.S. Army Quartermaster Department on 6 April 1917. The former liner was acquired by the Navy in November 1917. She was
commissioned on 2 January 1918.
Martha Washington sailed from New York on 10 February on her first of voyage carrying troops to France with Navy transports , , and , and Army transport , under escort of the cruiser .
Martha Washington arrived back at New York on 14 March. Leaving New York again on 23 March, she convoyed with , ,
Finland, and cruiser
Pueblo, arriving in France on 4 April.
Martha Washington and
Powhatan returned to the U.S. on 22 April.
Martha Washington next departed Newport News on 30 April 1918 with
Powhatan. Rendezvousing with the two transports was a convoy sailing from New York consisting of , , , and
Finland (now a Navy transport). provided the convoy with protection until its arrival in France on 12 May.
Martha Washington returned to Virginia on 1 June. Departing Newport News on 10 June,
Martha Washington sailed with ,
Powhatan,
Matsonia, and British troopship . Meeting up with
Manchuria which sailed from New York, the convoy—escorted by cruisers and , and destroyer —reached France on 18 June.
Martha Washington returned to the U.S. on 30 June. Departing Newport News once again for France on 10 July,
Martha Washington, accompanied by
Aeolus,
Powhatan, and
Matsonia, joined with the New York contingent—Navy transports and
Manchuria, and steamers , , and —and arrived in France on 21 July. Cruiser
Seattle and destroyers , , , and served as escorts on the eastbound crossing.
Aeolus and
Matsonia joined
Martha Washington in arriving in Virginia on 5 August. With
Manchuria,
Henderson,
Aeolus, , and steamer ,
Martha Washington sailed from Newport News for France on 14 August. and
Matsonia, sailing from New York, joined the convoy, which was escorted by cruisers ,
Seattle, and
Frederick. Records of this convoy are sketchy, but
Henderson and
Matsonia are known to have arrived in France on 25 August, and the other ships probably arrived around that same time. Upon
Martha Washington 's return to the U.S. she shifted to New York. After embarking 3,029 troops,
Martha Washington departed again on 15 September sailing with , , ,
Finland,
Powhatan, and steamer
Ulua.
Martha Washington 's New York group met up with a Virginia group of Navy transports
Aeolus and
Koningen der Nederlanden, and steamers
Patria and . Escorts—consisting of
battleship , cruisers and
Pueblo, and destroyers , , and
Stringham—helped to ensure the safe arrival of all ships in France on 28 September.
Finland and
Pocahontas accompanied
Martha Washington on her return journey and arrived at New York on 12 October. Beginning what would be her final wartime crossing,
Martha Washington sailed with
Aeolus and Italian steamer on 21 October from Newport News. Navy transport
Pocahontas and
Brazilian steamer , sailing from New York, and escorts
New Hampshire, ,
South Dakota, , and filled out the convoy, which arrived on 4 November. Returning to the U.S. five days after the
Armistice,
Martha Washington made eight additional voyages—from 26 November 1918 to 11 November 1919—returning 19,687 troops and passengers from foreign ports. During her seventh voyage she also disembarked 945 interned
German aliens at
Rotterdam in the
Netherlands. On her final voyage she arrived at Brest on 14 August and received new orders to transport an American relief mission to
Turkey and
Russia. Under the leadership of
Major General James Harbord, U.S. Army, the mission spent the first two weeks in September at
Constantinople and after arriving at
Batum, Russia, on 18 September, spent the following three weeks there. In this period of civil turmoil,
Martha Washington brought 324
Armenian and
Polish refugees to Constantinople. Sailing for the United States on 15 October, she called at
Malta,
Marseille, and Brest before arriving at New York on the first anniversary of the Armistice signing. She was decommissioned on 18 November 1919 and was turned over to the
War Department. == Later career ==