![]() A typical Victory ship | |
History | |
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Name | Fordham Victory |
Namesake | Fordham University |
Owner | War Shipping Administration |
Operator | Weyerhaeuser Steamship Company |
Ordered | as a Type VC2-S-AP2 hull, MCV hull 732 [1] |
Builder | Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California Kaiser Richmond No. 2 Yard |
Laid down | 13 January 1945 |
Launched | 24 February 1945 |
Commissioned | 21 March 1945 |
Identification | Official number: 247467 |
Fate | Scrapped July 1963 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Victory ship |
Displacement |
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Length | 455 ft (139 m) |
Beam | 62 ft (19 m) |
Draft | 29 ft 2 in (8.89 m) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed | 15.5 kn (17.8 mph; 28.7 km/h) |
Capacity |
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Complement | 62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards |
Armament |
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SS Fordham Victory was built and operated as Victory cargo ship which operated as a cargo carrier in World War II. For the war she was operated by the Weyerhaeuser Steamship Company under charter with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration.
Fordham Victory was laid down under U.S. Maritime Commission contract by Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California, Kaiser Richmond No. 2 Yard, on 13 January 1945, under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. [1] She was launched on 24 February 1945 [1] and was delivered to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) on 21 March 1945 . [2] [3] She is named after Fordham University in New York City. Early Victoryships were named after Allied nations, then 218 American cities were picked for names. Next Kaiser and the Navy department picked 150 names to honor American colleges. [4]
The SS Fordham Victory was used near the end of World War II. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number P No. 2 (732), Victory #732. The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor for operation. [5] Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, with a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle. [5] [6]
During World War II Fordham Victory operated as a merchantman and was chartered to Weyerhaeuser Steamship Company of San Francisco. With a civilian crew and United States Navy Armed Guard to man the ship guns. SS Fordham Victory served in the Pacific Ocean in World War II as part of the Pacific War.
In 1948 the Fordham Victory was sold by the War Shipping Administration to the United States Lines of New York and renamed the SS American Defender. A common trip for the American Defender was Antwerp to Boston and other transatlantic shipping runs. In 1956 she was sold to the Olympia S.S. Corporation and renamed back to the Fordham Victory. In 1957 she was sold to the Marine Bulk Carriers Inc of New York and renamed the SS Wang Archer. The Wang Archer ran aground off Grand Bahama on 9 May 1959 and sank. She was refloated and her badly damaged bottom was repaired. In 1959 she was sold to the Marine Bulk Carriers Inc of New York and renamed the SS Golden Sail. In 1960 she was laid up in the Columbia River after being taken over by the United States Marshals Service due to a Masters Liens on the ship. The United States Marshals Service sold her in 1960 to Intercontinental Victories Inc of New York and she was renamed SS Vivian. In 1962 she was sold to the Intercontinental Transportation Company of New York. On 28 April 1963 in the Indian Ocean at 10°29′N95°29′E / 10.48°N 95.48°E , off the Andaman Islands in the Andaman Sea, she was damaged beyond repair after her speed governor failed, causing an explosion. The steam turbine blew up, the propeller and its shaft were lost. She was towed to Singapore and later scrapped in Hong Kong in July 1963. [7] [8]
USS Lyra (AK-101) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II. It was the only ship of the Navy to have borne this name. It is named after the constellation Lyra.
USS Crater (AK-70) was the lead ship of her class of converted liberty ship cargo ships in the service of the US Navy in World War II. She was first named after John James Audubon, an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. She was renamed and commissioned after the constellation Crater, she was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.
SS A. Frank Lever was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. Her namesake was A. Francis "Frank" Lever. Her sponsor was Mrs. A. Frank Lever.
The Kaiser Shipyards were seven major shipbuilding yards located on the United States west coast during World War II. Kaiser ranked 20th among U.S. corporations in the value of wartime production contracts. The shipyards were owned by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, a creation of American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (1882–1967), who established the shipbuilding company around 1939 in order to help meet the construction goals set by the United States Maritime Commission for merchant shipping.
SS Uriah M. Rose was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Uriah M. Rose, an influential Arkansas lawyer.
Groote Beer, originally the Victory ship Costa Rica Victory, was laid down on 22 March 1944, at the Permanente No. 1 yard at Richmond, California, and launched on 17 June 1944.
USS Ganymede (AK-104) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone. Named after the largest of the moons of Jupiter, Ganymede was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.
The Type C4-class ship were the largest cargo ships built by the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) during World War II. The design was originally developed for the American-Hawaiian Lines in 1941, but in late 1941 the plans were taken over by the MARCOM.
SS Haiti Victory (T-AGM-238) was originally built and operated as Greenville class cargo Victory ship which operated as a cargo carrier in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean during World War II.
The SS Lindenwood Victory was a Victory-class cargo ship built during World War II. The Lindenwood Victory was a type VC2-S-AP2 victory ship built by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard 2, of Richmond, California. The Maritime Administration cargo ship was the 766th ship built. Her keel was laid on May 12, 1945. SS Lindenwood Victory was an armed cargo ship She was built in just 70 days, under the Emergency Shipbuilding program for World War II. SS Lindenwood Victory was an armed cargo ship, named for Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, one of 150 educational institutions that had Victory ships named after them. The 10,600-ton ship was constructed for the Maritime Commission.
The SS St. Lawrence Victory (MCV-735) was a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory-class cargo ship built for the United States during World War II. The ship was built as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding program by Permanente Metals Corporation in Yard 2 of the Richmond Shipyards in Richmond, California.
The SS Middlebury Victory was an American Victory-class cargo ship built during World War II. The Middlebury Victory (MCV-726), was a type VC2-S-AP2 victory ship built by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard 2, of Richmond, California. The Maritime Administration cargo ship was the 726th ship built. Her keel was laid on December 16, 1944. The ship was christened on March 1, 1945. SS Middlebury Victory was an armed cargo ship named for Middlebury College in Vermont, one of 150 educational institutions that had Victory ships named after them. She was built at the Oregon Shipbuilding yards in just 75 days, under the Emergency Shipbuilding program for World War II. The 10,600-ton ship was constructed for the Maritime Commission. She was operated by the General SS Company under the United States Merchant Marine Act for the War Shipping Administration.
The SS Brainerd Victory was a Victory-class cargo ship built during World War II.
SS Cuba Victory was built and operated as Victory ship class cargo ship which operated as a cargo carrier in World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War.
The SS Berea Victory (MCV-734) was a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory-class cargo ship built for the United States during World War II. The ship was built as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding program by Permanente Metals Corporation in Yard 2 of the Richmond Shipyards in Richmond, California. Launched on 3 March 1945, the Berea Victory delivered supplies for the Pacific War.
SS India Victory was a Victory ship built and operated as a cargo carrier and troopship in World War II. After the war the ship was used a private cargo ship. She sank on 12 July 1972, ran aground on a Pratas Reef in the South China in Typhoon Susan.
USNS Victoria (T-AK-281) was a Norwalk-class fleet ballistic missile cargo ship, which was launched as a World War II commercial Victory cargo ship SS Ethiopia Victory under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Ethiopia Victory was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1963.
SS Augustana Victory was built and operated as Victory ship class cargo ship which operated as a cargo carrier in World War II, and Vietnam War.
SS Skagway Victory was a Victory ship built for the United States during World War II. She was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on June 21, 1944, and was completed on July 15, 1944. The ship's US Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 116 (V-116). She was built in 64 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor, the Alcoa, for operation until the end of World War II hostilities. She was operated under the US Merchant Marine Act for the War Shipping Administration.
Northland Transportation Company operated cargo and passenger ships from Seattle to Southeast Alaska starting in 1923. During World War II Northland Transportation Company was active in charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. Northland Transportation Company, proposed a loan from United States Shipping Board to build a ship for Puget Sound-Alaska trade in 1933. In 1934, the company was granted a $350,000 loan to build a new ship. The 1,400 tons passenger ship, was built at Lake Washington Shipyard in Houghton, Washington. Northland Transportation Company Seattle dock and warehouse were at Pier 56, now Ainsworth and Dunn Wharf.