Editing SS Imperator (section)

==World War I and U.S. Navy service==
In August 1914, as [[World War I]] began, she was laid up at Hamburg and remained inactive for more than four years, falling into dilapidation. Following the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918]], ''Imperator'' was taken over by the Allied Food Shipping and Finance Agreement, and allocated to the United States for temporary use as a transport alongside ''Vaterland'', which was now renamed SS ''Leviathan'' and bringing American service personnel home from France.<ref name=history.naval>{{Cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/i1/imperator.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212210549/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/i1/imperator.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 December 2012 |title=USS Imperator |publisher=Naval Historical Center }}</ref>

[[File:USS Imperator (ID-4080).jpg|thumb|left|USS ''Imperator'' (ID-4080) off Manhattan, New York City.]]
[[File:List of nurses returning from Brest, France in July of 1919.jpg|thumb|right|268x268px|List of nurses returning from Brest aboard USS ''Imperator'']]

She was commissioned as the USS ''Imperator'' (ID-4080) in early May 1919. After embarking 2,100 American troops and 1,100 passengers, ''Imperator'' departed [[Brest, France]] on 15 May 1919, arriving at New York City one week later. Operating with the [[Cruiser and Transport Force]] from 3 June to 10 August, she made three cruises from New York to Brest, returning over 25,000 troops, nurses, and civilians to the United States.

While en route to New York City on 17 June, ''Imperator'' assisted the {{ship|French cruiser|Jeanne d'Arc|1899|2|up=yes}}, which had broken down in the Atlantic Ocean. The then president-elect of Brazil [[Epit%C3%A1cio Pessoa]] was on board ''Jeanne d'Arc'' and ''Imperator'' received him and his party for transport to the United States, arriving there several days later.<ref>{{cite web |title=PESSOA TRANSFERS TO TRANSPORT AT SEA; Imperator Takes Brazil's President from Disabled French Cruiser in Midocean. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1919/06/19/archives/pessoa-transfers-to-transport-at-sea-imperator-takes-brazils.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=9 February 2023 |date=19 June 1919}}</ref>

Decommissioned at Hoboken, New Jersey in early 1919, ''Imperator'' was transferred to the [[British Shipping Controller]] on 20 September, and it was decided that Cunard would operate her. Captain Charles A. Smith and a full crew were sent out to New York on {{RMS|Carmania|1905|2}} the new operators and the official handover from the British Shipping Controller to Cunard took place on 24 November. ''Imperator'' was then transferred to Cunard's Pier 54 for Cunard service.