The ship's keel was laid 14 November 1927 as hull number 326 with launch 18 August 1928 and delivery to the owner on 28 November 1928. Virginia sailed under the line's senior captain, H. A. T. Candy, from New York on 8 December arriving in San Francisco on 24 December 1928.[5][6][8]
Virginia was registered with U.S. Official Number 227983, signal MHBN, at 20,773GRT, 12,167 net tons with a registry length of 586.4ft (178.7m), 80.3ft (24.5m) beam and depth of 20.5ft (6.2m) with a crew of 380.[9] Length overall was 613ft 3in (186.9m), molded depth 52ft (15.8m) and depth from keel to upper deck of 100ft (30.5m) with 32,830 tons displacement with 8,500 ton freight capacity.[5] The 1938-39 U.S register under Brazil shows slight change in GRT with signal WSBW and the U.S. Maritime Commission as owner.[10]
As built, Virginia had accommodation for 400 first or cabin class passengers and 400 tourist class passengers. Cabin class rooms were all outside with beds and additional persons could be accommodated in sofa berths and Pullman uppers. Many had en suite bathrooms and private sitting rooms. 52 of her first class cabins were suites for up to seven persons in two bedrooms with each having twin beds and settee and an additional settee in the living room. A private bath and verandah completed the suite. The tourist class accommodations were also all outside with hot and cold running water.[5][3]
The ship was similar to the preceding California. Besides being slightly longer at 613ft (186.8m) vice 601ft (183.2m) length overall Virginia had a different boiler arrangement with eight Babcock & Wilcox inter-deck, superheater boilers vice the twelve boilers of California. The ship also had a closed ventilation system on the generator and propulsion system to prevent dust and oil build up on coils and parts.
Two General Electric steam turbo generators each having a rating of 6,600 kilowatts at 4,000 volts supplied two synchronous-induction type motors each directly connected to its shaft. One generator could operate both motors at reduced speed.[11] The ship's propulsion was rated at 2,833 NHP.[12]
In June 1937 the United States Congress withdrew all maritime mail subsidies, which by then included a total of $450,000 per year for Panama Pacific's three liners.[15] At the beginning of March 1938 the Panama Canal tolls were revised, increasing Panama Pacific's costs by $37,000 per year.[15] As a result of these cost increases and continuing labor difficulties Panama Pacific discontinued its New York – California service and took all three liners out of service.[15]
Brazil
On 10 June 1938 the US Maritime Commission purchased Brazil and the two sister ships Uruguay and Argentina.[16][17][18] The Commission had the ships extensively refurbished and each was fireproofed to comply with Federal safety regulations,[19] which had been revised as a result of the fire in 1934 that destroyed the liner Morro Castle.
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation's 56th St Shipyard in Brooklyn, New York undertook Virginia's refit. She was given new watertight doors electrically controlled from her bridge and was equipped with a fathometer.[3] Her well decks were closed in: the forward one to increase deck space and the after on to create a sheltered tourist class deck, a lido deck, a swimming pool and a first class veranda café.[3] Her 52 staterooms were combined to provide half that number of larger cabins.[3] This revised her passenger capacity to 470.[3] Her air conditioning was extended to the tourist class dining saloon.[3] A modern laundry was installed to give passengers a 12-hour service.[3] Her crew accommodation was completely rearranged.[3]
Virginia was equipped to carry 450,000 pounds (200 tonnes) of cargo, of which 95,000 pounds (43 tonnes) was refrigerated.[3] She had been built with two funnels but during the refit this was reduced to one.[3] The refit increased Virginia's tonnage by about 2,000 tons.[1]
On 6 September 1938 Emmet McCormack, co-founder of Moore-McCormack Lines, declared
The South American trade, in so far as the United States is concerned, has been touched only at its surface. With this ship [i.e. SS Virginia] and her two sister liners in service the United States will be making a new bid for its proper place in the South American field. They are larger than any other American ships now serving South America and will be able, in conjunction with our fleet of freight ships, to provide a speed that is now lacking.[3]
On 3 October 1938 Virginia, now renamed Brazil, successfully made her sea trials. The next day Moore-McCormack contracted to operate California, Virginia, Pennsylvania and 10 cargo ships between the USA and South America[19] as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Good Neighbor policy. Moore-McCormack renamed the three passenger liners Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, and assigned them to the fleet of its American Republics Lines subsidiary.
With Moore-McCormack Lines Brazil's funnel would have been buff with a black top.[20] A broad green band divided the buff from the black.[20] On each side of the funnel the green band bore a red capital M within a white disk.[20]
Moore-McCormack put the three sisters into service between New York and Buenos Airesvia the Caribbean, Brazil and Montevideo. Brazil started from New York on her first voyage on the route on 15 November 1938, returning on 31 December with 141 passengers.[3] On 10 February 1939 the Maritime Commission's agreement with the line was for a bareboat charter of the ship.[16] Passenger numbers improved and on 18 September 1939 Brazil docked in New York from South America with 358 passengers.[3]
In April 1940 Brazil made a record run from Buenos Aires to New York in 14 days and 12 hours, achieving speeds of up to 18.96 knots (35.11km/h).[3] On the trip she carried 273 passengers, of which 195 traveled first class.[3]
On 13 September 1940 Brazil sailed from Buenos Aires to New York with exiled Lithuanian composer Vytautas Bacevicius, aged 35, on the passenger list.
On 28 September 1941 Brazil was leaving Buenos Aires when she accidentally struck a Spanish-owned freighter, the 12,595gross register tons(GRT) turbine steamship Cabo de Buena Esperanza.[3] No-one was injured and no damage was caused.[3]
Wartime civilian voyage
On the morning of 6 December 1941 Brazil sailed from New York for South America carrying 316 passengers and a record amount of mail, between 8,000 and 9,000 sacks.[3] The passengers included four Japanese diplomats, one of whom was accompanied by his wife.[3] The next morning Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and on 8 December the USA declared war on Japan.[3] As blackout precautions Brazil's crew sealed and blacked out her portholes and painted her interior lights blue and purple.[3] On 10 December Brazil arrived to make her scheduled call in Barbados, and British intelligence officers boarded her and removed the five Japanese.[3]
From 17 to 25 December the crew camouflaged Brazil with grey paint.[21] In Rio de Janeiro they painted out the Stars and Stripes painted on each side of her hull, and then near Montevideo they painted her funnel gray.[21]Brazil reached Buenos Aires on 23 December and the crew finished painting her gray all over on Christmas Day.[21]
Brazil then began a slow return voyage to the USA.[3] She carried only 135 passengers, of whom 56 were Argentinian, Uruguayan and Brazilian aviation cadets on their way to be trained in the USA.[3] This was Brazil's last civilian voyage for six and a half years.[3]
The War Shipping Administration, which took over all ocean shipping for the duration, entered into a General Agency Agreement (GAA) with Moore McCormick to operate the ship on 4 March 1942.[16]Brazil was converted to carry 5,155 troops to operate as one of the large, fast vessels able to sail independently when required and became one of the most active troop ships of the war.[3][7][22]
On March 9, 1943 she departed from Port Hueneme, California bringing two Seabee battalions to the South Pacific. [26] Her service also included calls at Hobart, Tasmania; Honolulu; Bora Bora; Sydney and Bombay, before returning to San Francisco in July 1943.[23]
Brazil was then returned to transatlantic service, taking troops to the United Kingdom and France.[23] In October 1944 she' arrived in Boston carrying US Army personnel and prisoners of war from Europe.[3] On 22 October she sailed from Staten Island, New York carrying the 290th Infantry Regiment and the 258th Engineer Combat Battalion, reaching Swansea, Wales on 1 November.[3] On 1 January 1945 Brazil sailed from New York as the flagship of the 57th Ship Convoy, reaching Le Havre on 15 January.[3] On 16 June she departed Le Havre carrying the 97th Infantry Division across the Atlantic and up the Hudson River to Camp Shanks, New York, arriving on 24 June.[27]
After a transatlantic voyage to Marseille in July 1945 Brazil was sent via the Panama Canal to Manila, and then made two transpacific voyages to bring troops home to the USA.[3] After repairs in San Francisco the ship made a round trip to Manila in November–December 1945. In January 1946 the ship departed San Francisco for transit of the Atlantic and stops at Liverpool, LeHavre and Southampton destined for New York. From New York the ship made three more voyages to LeHavre by May 1946.[22]
Early in 1946 Brazil returned to transatlantic service.[3] In March she provided "dependent transport" taking war brides and their children from Europe to the USA.[3] She still had her cramped and spartan troopship accommodation, but on 12 June the Maritime Commission issued invitations to bid to convert Brazil back into a civilian ocean liner.[3] On 4 August she completed her last voyage before reconversion, arriving at North River with 531 passengers from Le Havre; Southampton, England and Cobh, Ireland.[3]
Post-war
On 13 August 1946 Brazil entered the Atlantic Basin Iron Works of New York for conversion to civilian service at a quoted $3,944,000 and completion within 200 days. Redecoration was awarded to William F. Schorn of New York at a quote of $26,850.[16][28]
Brazil's fireproofing was completely revised. Fire screen bulkheads, with and fire doors controlled from her bridge, divided her into 12 fire zones.[3] She was fitted with a fire sprinkler system, and her water intakes were fitted with filters that would allow her to draw water from the muddy bottoms of South American harbors.[3]
Brazil's accommodation was completely rebuilt with cabins for 359 first class and 160 cabin class passengers and designed by William F Schorn,[3] who at the same time designed the new interior of her sister ship Uruguay.[29]
Brazil successfully made her sea trials in May 1948.[3] The Maritime Commission restored her to Moore-McCormack Lines on 7 May: the last of the three sisters to return to civilian service.[3]
After her refit Brazil's first class library was dedicated in memory of William Binder, Jr; a former Moore-McCormack employee who was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor.[30]
On 20 May Brazil sailed on her first civilian voyage since the war: a 12-day cruise to Bermuda and the Caribbean.[3] On 4 June she left New York on the Buenos Aires run for the first time since 1941.[3]
On 10 December 1954 Brazil left New York on a scheduled run to Buenos Aires.[3] One day out of port she developed engine trouble and had to return for repairs.[3] As a result, she completed her round trip a week late, reaching New York on 24 January.[3] This was the first time in her career that Brazil had been delayed by a technical fault.[3]
On 30 November 1957 the United States Federal Maritime Board approved Brazil's withdrawal from service, to be replaced by a new and faster Brasil[3] already under construction. The old Brazil and her sister ship Argentina were laid up as members of the James River Reserve Fleet at Fort Eustis, Virginia,[3] where Uruguay had already been laid up since 1954.
The ship was offered for sale 3 January 1964 with award to First Steel and Ship Corporation on 28 January for $166,698.61 with withdrawal from the fleet 11 March 1964 for scrapping.[16]
Notable passengers
Rear Admiral Robert C. Lee and his family holidayed aboard Brazil in 1938.[31]
From 31 May to 12 June 1940 conductor Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra sailed aboard Brazil on the outbound journey of the NBC Symphony's goodwill tour of South America.
American fighter ace and Medal of Honor recipient, Pappy Boyington, returning from Burma after serving in the AVG (Flying Tigers), sailed from Karachi to New York in July 1942.
↑ There are significant differences in the U.S. registry and Lloyd's with regard to GRT. The U.S. registry information is used below unless otherwise noted.
Related Research Articles
USS Charger (CVE-30) was an escort carrier of the United States Navy during World War II converted from a commercial C3-P&C cargo/passenger liner hull built as Rio de la Plata intended for the Moore-McCormack company's American Republics Line serving the east coast of South America. The ship was requisitioned for conversion to an escort carrier type intended for Royal Navy use and initially commissioned as HMS Charger (D27). Days later the transfer was rescinded with the ship returning to U.S. Navy control to become USS Charger which operated throughout the war as a training ship on the Chesapeake Bay with two ferry missions to Bermuda and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
USS Susan B. Anthony (AP-72) was a turbo-electric ocean liner, Santa Clara, of the Grace Steamship Company that was built in 1930. Santa Clara was turned over to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) on 28 February 1942 and operated by Grace Lines as agent for WSA as a troop ship making voyages to the South Pacific. The ship was chartered to the Navy on 7 August 1942 for operation as a United States Navy transport ship. The ship was sunk 7 June 1944 off Normandy by a mine while cruising through a swept channel with all 2,689 people aboard being saved.
USS Florence Nightingale (AP-70) was a Maritime Commission type C3-M cargo ship built as Mormacsun for Moore-McCormack Lines. Mormacsun operated for Moore-McCormack from May 1941 until December 1941 when she came under the War Shipping Administration (WSA) for the duration of World War II. The ship operated with Moore-McCormack as the WSA agent, playing an important role in early supply of the Southwest Pacific, until transfer to the United States Navy September 1942 and commissioning as Florence Nightingale whereupon she became an Elizabeth C. Stanton-class transport ship. She was named for Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), the nursing pioneer, and is one of the few United States Navy ships named after a woman. The ship was returned to WSA in 1946 and then to Moore-McCormack operating as Mormacsun until sold to operate as Japan Transport and lastly as Texas.
USS Elizabeth C. Stanton (AP-69) was the lead ship of her class of Second World War United States Navy transport ships, named for the suffragist and abolitionist Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company was founded April 18, 1848, as a joint stock company under the laws of the State of New York by a group of New York City merchants. Incorporators included William H. Aspinwall, Edwin Bartlett, Henry Chauncey, Mr. Alsop, G.G. Howland and S.S. Howland.
USS Salamonie (AO-26) was a Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler, named for the Salamonie River in Indiana.
SS Mongolia was a 13,369-ton passenger-and-cargo liner originally built for Pacific Mail Steamship Company in 1904. She later sailed as USS Mongolia (ID-1615) for the U.S. Navy, as SS President Fillmore for the Dollar Line and as SS Panamanian for Cia Transatlantica Centroamericano.
USS Alhena (AKA-9) was an attack cargo ship named after Alhena, a star in the constellation Gemini. Robin Kettering had been purchased from Robin Line of the Seas Shipping Company some four months after launch and served as a commissioned ship for five years and four months. On 12 September 1946 the ship was transferred to the War Shipping Administration and placed in reserve until repurchased by Seas Shipping for operation as Robin Kettering. In 1957 the ship was sold, renamed Flying Hawk operating in cargo—passenger service until sold for scrap in 1971.
USS Algorab (AKA-8) was laid down as Mormacwren, one of the earliest Maritime Commission-type C2 ships, on 10 August 1938 by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania as hull 177 for Moore-McCormack. Mormacwren was acquired by the United States Navy 6 June 1941, commissioned 15 June 1941 as USS Algorab (AK-25) and was redesignated an attack transport on 1 February 1943 with the hull number chanted to AKA-8. Algorab decommissioned on 3 December 1945 and was delivered to the Maritime Commission on 30 June 1946 for disposal, purchased by Wallem & Co. on 4 April 1947 for commercial service.
SS Argentina was a US turbo-electric ocean liner. She was completed in 1929 as SS Pennsylvania, and refitted and renamed as SS Argentina in 1938. From 1942 to 1946 she was the War Shipping Administration operated troopship Argentina. She was laid up in 1958 and scrapped in 1964.
USS Leedstown (AP-73), built as the Grace Line passenger and cargo ocean liner SS Santa Lucia, served as a United States Navy amphibious assault ship in World War II. The ship had first been turned over to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) and operated by Grace Line as the WSA agent from February to August 1942 in the Pacific. In August the ship, at New York, was turned over to the Navy under sub-bareboat charter from WSA. She was sunk 9 November 1942 off the Algerian coast by a German submarine after German bombers caused damage the day before.
SS Monterey was a luxury ocean liner launched on 10 October 1931. The ship was completed April 1932 and is shown in registers as a 1932 ship. Monterey was the third of the four ships of the Matson Lines "White Fleet", which were designed by William Francis Gibbs and also included SS Malolo, SS Mariposa and SS Lurline. Monterey was identical to Mariposa and very similar to Lurline. During World War II Monterey was used as a troopship operated by Matson as agents of the War Shipping Administration (WSA). Monterey was a large, fast transport capable of sailing independently and was allocated to serving Army troop transport requirements. The ship was involved in an attack on a convoy near Cape Bougaroun.
SS California was the World's first major ocean liner built with turbo-electric propulsion. When launched in 1927 she was also the largest merchant ship yet built in the US, although she was a modest size compared with the biggest European liners of her era.
The Atlantic Basin Iron Works was a ship repair and conversion facility that operated in Brooklyn, New York, from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. It converted numerous ships to military use in World War II.
USS George F. Elliott (AP-105) was a cargo liner built for the Mississippi Shipping Company as SS Delbrasil for operation between New Orleans and the east coast of South America in 1939 by its operator, Delta Line. The ship entered that service and operated until taken over by the War Shipping Administration (WSA) on 28 April 1942 for operation by Delta Line acting as WSA's agent. On 25 August 1943 WSA allocated the ship to the Navy for conversion to a troop transport commissioned and operated by the Navy for the duration of the war. Ownership of the ship was transferred from Mississippi Shipping to WSA on 4 February 1944 while under Navy operation and was retained until sale to American South African Lines on 22 December 1948. The ship was renamed African Endeavor until returned as a trade in to the Maritime Commission on 22 September 1960 for layup in the James River reserve fleet and later sold to Boston Metals for scrapping.
Panama Pacific Line was a subsidiary of International Mercantile Marine (IMM) established to carry passengers and freight between the US East and West Coasts via the Panama Canal.
The Moore-McCormack Lines was a series of companies operating as shipping lines, operated by the Moore-McCormack Company, Incorporated, later Moore-McCormack Lines, Incorporated, and simply Mooremack, founded in 1913 in New York City. It ceased trading on its buy-out in 1982. The founders were Albert V. Moore (1880–1953) (director/president) and Emmet J. McCormack (director/treasurer), with Mr Molloy (director/secretary).
SS Santa Paula was a passenger and cargo ocean liner built for the Grace Line. She was the second of four sister ships ordered in 1930 from the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Kearny, NJ. Her regular service route included inter-coastal service between the east coast and the west coast of the US via the Caribbean and the Panama Canal. She later sailed on cruises from New York to the Caribbean and South America. She was the second of three vessels to bear the name Santa Paula for Grace Line service.
SS Argentina was an ocean liner launched at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States in 1958. The ship was the last ocean liner to be completed in the United States. Sister ship, Brasil had been launched in December 1957. Both ships operated in Moore-McCormack's South American service serving ports on the east coasts of North and South America.
SS Brasil was an American built ocean liner launched at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi in 1957. The ship was originally named Brasil for Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc.'s South American service, but was renamed a number of times. During its history the ship served as a cruise ship and later served in the Semester at Sea program as Universe Explorer. The ship was scrapped in Alang, India, in 2004 sailing under the name Universe for the final voyage.
1 2 3 4 Pacific American Steamship Association; Shipowners Association of the Pacific Coast (January 1929). "A New International Queen". Pacific Marine Review. San Francisco: J.S. Hines: 4–9, 13. Retrieved 2 December 2020.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
1 2 Pacific American Steamship Association; Shipowners Association of the Pacific Coast (October 1928). "Launching of Liner Virginia". Pacific Marine Review. San Francisco: J.S. Hines: 484. Retrieved 2 December 2020.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Pacific American Steamship Association; Shipowners Association of the Pacific Coast (January 1929). "Virginia Carries Most Modern Equipment". Pacific Marine Review. San Francisco: J.S. Hines: 13. Retrieved 2 December 2020.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
1 2 3 4 5 Maritime Administration. "Brazil". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
↑ Maritime Administration. "Uruguay". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
↑ Maritime Administration. "Argentina". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
Harnack, Edwin P (1938) [1903]. All About Ships & Shipping (7thed.). London: Faber and Faber.
Talbot-Booth, E.C. (1942) [1936]. Ships and the Sea (Seventhed.). London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd.
Wardlow, Chester (1999). The Technical Services — The Transportation Corps: Responsibilities, Organization, and Operations. United States Army In World War II. Washington, DC: Center Of Military History, United States Army. LCCN99490905.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States 
