After the end of the First World War she made at last two round trip voyages between the US and France, and repatriated a few dozen US troops.

[27] In 1898 an electrician in Willehad's crew, Adolph Pahlmann, had courted a Viennese passenger, Marie Brenner, and the couple had become engaged.

The couple planned to move to Pahlmann's home city of Hanover, Germany, with the bride sailing as a passenger aboard Willehad.

[28][29] Willehad remained on NDL's Baltimore route until November 1899,[30] and then in December 1899 and January 1900 made two voyages between Bremen and Hoboken.

She made one round trip on the Reichspostdampfer route between Bremen and Sydney, New South Wales via the Suez Canal, as a temporary substitute for the liner Gera.

[34] One Perth newspaper said "From outward appearances the vessel does not give a favorable impression not being up to the standard of the Norddeutscher Lloyd liners in cleanliness or beauty".

As she left Adelaide on 29 September, she saluted the Australia Station flagship HMS Royal Arthur by lowering her German ensign, and by her band playing God Save the King.

[7] In March 1904 NDL and Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) announced a joint service between Scandinavian ports and New York.

[47] During the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian Empire expelled several hundred Japanese from Vladivostok, Port Arthur (now Dalian in China), and Outer Manchuria.

[48] NDL planned a new mail service between Yokohama and Sydney via Kobe, Hong Kong, German New Guinea, New Britain, and Brisbane.

[7] By the end of July 1914 she was in Montreal, loading a cargo that included wheat, barley, flour, and oil cake.

However, on the eve of war the German government ordered her to leave Montreal and seek refuge in neutral Boston, to avoid being seized in Canada.

[76] In 1915, events such as the Thrasher incident at the end of March and the Sinking of RMS Lusitania early in May increased tension between the US and Germany.

At the end of May, US armed forces were ordered to fire upon any German or Austro-Hungarian ship that tried to leave a US port, and to sink her if she did not heave to.

[77] In August 1916 the Eastern Forwarding Company (EFC), agents for the cargo submarines Deutschland and Bremen, chartered Willehad.

[78] On 23 August she left dry dock, bunkered several hundred tons of coal, ice and stores, and returned to her pier.

Scott Towing Company, Alert, put out of New London to try to meet Willehad and convoy her into port, but ran into thick fog.

Alert carried Captain Hinsch, EFC's Marine Superintendent, who was previously Master of the NDL liner Neckar.

[81] At 16:00 hrs on 24 August Willehad passed Hen and Chickens Light in Buzzard's Bay, but ran into afog an hour later, and anchored for the night.

This enclosed a space between the ship and the pier large enough for a cargo submarine to dock, and then be secluded when the floating gate was closed.

Cargo worth $10 million was discharged from Deutschland to the shed: including synthetic dyes, pharmaceuticals, gems, and financial stocks and bonds.

[89][90] On 8 November, 2,000 New London townspeople attended a reception at the Municipal Building for Deutschland's Master, Paul König, and his officers.

After the reception, the New London Chamber of Commerce hosted a dinner for König; and for Captain Jachens of Willehad; seven members of their respective crews; and 300 guests.

On 20 September enough of a legal agreement was reached between the parties for Deutschland to leave port, and her crew returned from Willehad to their submarine.

[105] Also on 6 February, Bridgeport's Collector of Customs, James McGovern, announced that Willehad's crew would be removed and treated as immigrants.

A captain, four lieutenants, 30 enlisted men, and 14 Coast Guard cadets took over the ship, and Collector McGovern requisitioned her.

[118][119] On 30 June President Woodrow Wilson issued an executive order authorising the USSB to take possession and title of 87 German ships, including Willehad.

[121] Early in June it was reported that work to recondition and fit out Willehad and other seized ships "will go along steadily", and that she would be ready for US war service in July.

[122] However, on the evening of 29 August fire was discovered aboard her, when she was moored at "Army Pier 6" in Hoboken, which was part of the former HAPAG liner terminal.

An investigation found the fire had started in oneof her cargo holds, where plumbers had been working, and one of them had carelessly used a blowtorch near a box of flammable supplies.