SS Canadian Mariner

Last updated
History
Canadian Red Ensign 1921-1957.svg Canada
NameCanadian Mariner
OwnerCanadian Government Merchant Marine Ltd, Canadian National Steamship Company
OperatorCanadian Government Merchant Marine Ltd
Port of registry Flag of Canada 1921.svg Montreal, Quebec
OrderedMarch 1918
Builder Halifax Shipyards Ltd, Nova Scotia
LaunchedSeptember 4, 1920
CompletedNovember, 1920
Out of service1933
Identification
FateSold
Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Name
  • Choyo Maru
  • Tyoyo Maru
OwnerDairen Kisen KK
Acquired1933
Out of serviceDecember, 1942
FateTorpedoed & sunk
General characteristics
TypeGeneral cargo
Tonnage
Length399.3 ft (121.7 m)
Beam52.5 ft (16.0 m)
Depth28.4 ft (8.7 m)
Propulsion Triple expansion steam engine

SS Canadian Mariner was a freighter built by Halifax Shipyards Ltd in 1920. She was the first steel ship built in Halifax and was used as a general cargo ship until she was sunk in the Pacific in 1942.

Contents

Early life

The Canadian government commissioned the building of 63 ships in 1918 in an effort to start a crown funded shipping company, Canadian Government Merchant Marine Ltd. Canadian Mariner was built as the result of the two contracts awarded to Halifax Shipyards Ltd by the Canadian Government. The other contract was for her sister ship, SS Canadian Explorer. [2]

Transfer history

In 1928 management of Canadian Mariner was transferred from the failed Canadian Government Merchant Marine Ltd to Canadian National Steamship Company, which she steamed under until 1933 when she was eventually sold to Dairen Kisen KK of Japan [3] to be used as a general cargo and supply vessel for the Japanese occupied Pacific Islands under the name Choyo Maru.

Fate

On December 28, 1942, Choyo Maru was sunk by USS Kingfish off the northwest coast of Formosa, at position 24°46′N120°40′E / 24.767°N 120.667°E / 24.767; 120.667 Coordinates: 24°46′N120°40′E / 24.767°N 120.667°E / 24.767; 120.667 . [4]

Partial list of voyages

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax Shipyard</span>

The Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

USS <i>West Ekonk</i> (ID-3313) Cargo ship in the United States Navy

USS West Ekonk (ID-3313) was a cargo ship for the United States Navy during World War I. She was later known as SS West Ekonk in civilian service under American registry, and as SS Empire Wildebeeste under British registry.

Belgian Airman was a 6,959-ton cargo ship which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow in 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was launched as Empire Ballantyne and transferred to the Belgian Government in 1942. She was sunk by a German U-boat on 14 April 1945.

Empire Engineer was a 5,358 GRT refrigerated cargo ship that was built in 1921 as Canadian Commander by Canadian Vickers Ltd, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She was sold to an Italian firm in 1932 and renamed Giaocchino Lauro. She was seized by the United Kingdom in 1940, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Engineer. She served until 4 February 1941 when she was torpedoed and sunk by U-123.

Talthybius was a 10,224 GRT Cargo liner that was built in 1911 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Greenock, Renfrewshire, United Kingdom for a British shipping line. She was sunk at Singapore in an air raid in 1942. Salvaged by the Japanese, she was renamed Taruyasu Maru, serving with the Imperial Japanese Navy until 1945 when she either struck a mine off Sado Island and sank or was sunk in an attack by aircraft of Task Force 38. She was salvaged by the British, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Evenlode. She served until 1949, when she was scrapped.

SS Cornwallis was a 5,438 gross register tons (GRT) steam merchant ship built in 1921 for the Canadian Government as Canadian Transporter. In 1932 she was transferred to Canadian National Steamships Ltd and renamed SS Cornwallis. She was sunk on 3 December 1944 after being torpedoed by the German submarine U-1230 on its way to St John with a loss of 43 crew.

Gyoun Maru was an auxiliary transport of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Hakuyo Maru was a Japanese cargo ship of during World War II.

Design 1023 ship

The Design 1023 ship was a steel-hulled cargo ship design approved for mass production by the United States Shipping Board's (USSB) Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) in World War I. Like many of the early designs approved by the EFC, the Design 1023 did not originate with the EFC itself but was based on an existing cargo ship designed by Theodore E. Ferris for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). The ships, to be built by the Submarine Boat Corporation of Newark, New Jersey, were the first to be constructed under a standardized production system worked out by Ferris and approved by the USSB.

SSCapillo was a Design 1022 cargo ship built for the United States Shipping Board immediately after World War I.

SSMary was a Design 1022 cargo ship built for the United States Shipping Board immediately after World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Steamship Company</span> Shipping Company

General Steamship Company was founded in 1920 in Houston, Texas, as a Private Company, and now goes by Gensteam since 1996. General Steamship Company has a fleet of cargo ships that operate worldwide. Gensteam has a Gensteam Operations Desk website that tracks all shipping logistics. Gensteam headquarters is now in San Francisco, California. General Steamship Company was part owner of American Pacific Steamship Company in New York state and Los Angeles during and post World War II. American Pacific Steamship Company was founded in 1942 in New York City, and was previously called Los Angeles Tanker Operators Inc. which operated T2 tanker ships. During World War II the General Steamship Company and American Pacific Steamship Company were active with charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agwilines Inc</span> Passengers and Shipping Company

Agwilines Inc was a passenger and cargo shipping company of New York City. Agwilines is short for Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship Inc. AGWI Lines group operated four main lines in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Diamond Steamship Company</span> Passengers and Shipping Company

Black Diamond Steamship Company (BDSC) was a passengers and cargo Liners of New York City. The Black Diamond Steamship Corporation was founded by J.E. Dockendorff in 1919. First called the American Diamond Line which cargo routes were between New York to Rotterdam and Antwerp by the United States Shipping Board. The company was profitable in the 1920s and early 1930s. Before the United States entered World War II, the US's neutrality, ended much of the lines trade. Dockendorff stepped down as a principal executive in 1934. In 1934 he sold the only ship he had the SS New Britain which he had purchased in 1918, the other 20 ships were government owned. During World War II the company sold most of its American Diamond Line ships and moved to charter shipping. During World War II Black Diamond Steamship Company was active with charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. During wartime, the Black Diamond Steamship Company operated Victory ships and Liberty ships. The ship was run by its crew and the US Navy supplied United States Navy Armed Guards to man the deck guns and radio. The most common armament mounted on these merchant ships were the MK II 20mm Oerlikon autocannon and the 3"/50, 4"/50, and 5"/38 deck guns. After the war there were many surplus ships and much competitions. Black Diamond Steamship Company continued to operated after the war, but closed in the 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. H. Bull Steamship Company</span> American passengers and shipping company

A. H. Bull Steamship Company was a shipping company and passenger liner service founded in New York City in 1902 by Archibald H. Bull (1848-1920). Service started with shipping between New York and Florida. His fleet of ships then added service to other Eastcoast ports. The company is also often called the Bull Lines and the Bull Steamship Line or A. H. Bull & Company. While founded in New York, Bull soon move its headquarter to Peir 5 in Baltimore, Maryland. Bull Lines main Eastcoast ports were: Baltimore, Charleston, Philadelphia, Tampa and Norfolk, Virginia. Oversea ports: Porto Rico, Antwerp, Bordeaux, Hamburg, Bremen, Copenhagen, and West Africa. Bull Steamship Line supported the US war effort for both World War I and World War II, including the loss of ships.

Sword Line Inc. was a steamship company founded by Charilaos "Charles" G. Poulacos and Abbott Abercrombie in New York City in 1933. Sword Line Inc. had shipping routes from Atlantic ports to and Gulf of Mexico ports. Charilaos "Charles" G. Poulacos and Abbott Abercrombie purchased the ship Eastern Sword in 1932. The Eastern Sword was a 3,785-ton cargo ship built in 1920 at the Uraga Dry Dock Co. Ltd, at Uraga, Japan. The ship sank after being hit by a torpedo from German submarine U-162 on May 4, 1942 twelve miles (19 km) off the coast of Georgetown, Guyana. The Eastern Sword had a crew of 38 and only 13 survived the attack. Sword Line Inc. was active in supporting the World War II effort.

References

  1. Lloyd's Register 1920/1921.
  2. Mackay, Mac (December 15, 2011). The Ships of the Halifax Shipyard.
  3. Swiggum, S. (2014). "Canadian National Steamship Company". theshipslist.com. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  4. Cressman, Robert J. (2000). The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II (1942) . Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-55750-149-1 . Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  5. Canadian Railway and Marine World. Toronto: Southam Business Publications. 1921. Retrieved August 3, 2014.