In 1897 NDL took delivery of a trio of sister ships for its route between Bremen and South America. Blohm+Voss in Hamburg launched Coblenz on 18 March, and completed her on 5 May. Joh. C. Tecklenborg in Bremerhaven launched Mainz on 15 May, and completed her on 8 July. Schichau Seebeckwerft in Bremerhaven launched Trier on 5 June, and completed her on 15 June.
Coblenz's registered length was 306.0 ft (93.3 m), her beam was 42.0 ft (12.8 m) and her depth was 23.6 ft (7.2 m). Her tonnages were 3,169 GRT and 2,001 NRT.[1] As built, she had berths for 20 passengers in First class and 232 in Third Class.
Mainz had twin screws, each driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine the combined power of her twin engines was rated at 280 NHP,[1] and gave her a speed of 11+1⁄2 knots (21 km/h).
In 1909 NDL revised Coblenz's passenger accommodation to 24 First Class; 32 Second Class; and 68 Third Class, and transferred her to its route between Sydney and Kobe. On her first voyage on the route, she left Hong Kong on 13 August, and reached Sydney on 5 September.[3][4] Ports of call on this route were Brisbane; Rabaul; Friedrich-Wilhelms-Hafen; Maron (Hermit Islands, alternate voyages); Yap; Angaur (alternate voyages); Manila; and Hong Kong.[2] On this route she proved more satisfactory than NDL's Prinz Waldemar and Prinz Sigismund, so the German Government made her a Reichspostdampfer ("State Post Steamer").
On 25 July 1914 Coblenz left Sydney for Kobe as normal, and called at Brisbane two days later. She was in passage from Brisbane to Rabaul on the eve of the First World War, when the German Government ordered all German merchant ships to take refuge in the nearest German or neutral port. Coblenz increased speed, reached Rabaul, and there disembarked all her passengers.[5] From there she made for Manila, as the United States and its colonies were neutral.
Seizure by the US
By 1917 Coblenz was one of 17 German merchant ships in Manila.[6] On 3 February that year the US Government detained German ships in all ports of the US and its colonies.[7]
On 6 April 1917 the USA declared war on Germany, and the US Government seized all the German ships that had been detained since February.[8] The United States Shipping Board (USSB) assumed ownership of Coblenz. In September 1917 it was reported that the Pacific Mail Steamship Company had chartered three of the German ships seized in Manila: NDL's Coblenz, Princess Alice; and Tübingen.[9]
On 6 February 1920, Pacific Mail bought Sachem from the USSB for $400,000. She was renamed Cuba, and her code letters were changed to LHTM.[12] Pacific Mail put her on its route between San Francisco and Havana via the Panama Canal. Later it shortened Cuba's route to San Francisco – Cristóbal.
Despite the fog, a squadron of United States Navydestroyers was in the area undertaking a speed trial. One of the destroyers, USS Reno, changed course because of the fog. At about 15:00 hrs, Reno passed of Cuba's lifeboats at speed. After 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) Reno passed a second lifeboat, and turned back. She rescued all the occupants of the two boats, who included women and children passengers. The survivors then directed Reno to Cuba's wreck.[14][15]
At first, the Chief Officer and eight men who had left Cuba in the first boat were not accounted for. However, a Standard Oil of Californiatanker, W. S. Miller, happened to find them, and landed them at Los Angeles.[14][16]
The remainder of Reno's squadron continued with the speed trial. It led to the Honda Point disaster later that day, in which seven of the destroyers were wrecked.[17]
Cuba's wreck forms an artificial reef, and supports marine life including the California sheephead. As such, it is now a wreck diving site.[18]
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