SS Admiral Halstead was a merchant ship built in 1920 by the Submarine Boat Corporation, Newark, New Jersey, and operating originally as Suwordenco.

The ship was bought for operation from the Puget Sound to California ports until it was caught up in the prelude to the United States' entry into the war.

[1] The ship played a role in the effort to support the Philippines, finding itself in the Pensacola Convoy that was diverted to Australia.

Submarine Boat Corporation, Newark, New Jersey, had operated the Newark yard to build Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) Design 1023 ships designed by Theodore E. Ferris for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) with thirty-two hulls cancelled as the war ended.

It was formed by a standard prefix "Su" and suffix "co" from Submarine Boat Corporation with an intervening "word" based on a person, place or company.

Ship's power for propulsion and auxiliaries was steam from two Babcock & Wilcox oil fired water tube boilers.

Propulsion was by a Westinghouse steam turbine providing 1,500 shaft horsepower that could propel the ship at 10.5 kn (12.1 mph; 19.4 km/h).

Suwordenco, the last operating ship, arrived in the port of San Pedro, California on 13 January 1930 with an uncertain future.

[12] Pacific Lighterage's Admiral Halstead entered the war as part of the Pensacola Convoy that departed Honolulu on the way to the Philippines.