USS Muscatine (ID-2226) | |
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | Muscatine |
Namesake | A city and county in Iowa named for a Native American word meaning "dweller in the prairie" |
Builder | Standard Shipbuilding Corp., Shooters Island, New York |
Laid down | 20 October 1917 as SS Scandinavic |
Acquired | by the U.S. Navy 28 April 1918 |
Commissioned | 2 May 1918 as USS Muscatine (ID 2226) |
Decommissioned | 16 July 1919 at New York City |
Renamed | Stian (date unknown); Muscatine (date unknown) |
Stricken | date unknown |
Fate | Sold in 1929 |
Notes | Sunk 21 May 1942 |
General characteristics | |
Type | commercial refrigerator ship |
Displacement | 10,502 tons |
Length | 392' 6" |
Beam | 52' |
Draft | 23' |
Propulsion | not known |
Speed | 10.5 knots |
Crew | 108 crew members |
Armament | one 5-inch gun and one 3-inch gun |
USS Muscatine (ID-2226) was a Norwegian refrigerator ship (reefer ship) obtained by the U.S. Navy from the United States Shipping Board (USSB) during World War I. She served for the duration of the war, carrying "beef and butter" for military personnel in Europe.
She returned to commercial service after the war and later was renamed Floridian and Elizabeth. During World War II, she was struck by torpedoes from a German submarine and sank in the Yucatán Channel. [1]
Muscatine, a refrigerator ship built in 1917 as Stian by Standard Shipbuilding Corps., Shooters Island, New York, for the Norwegian firm Salveson, Chr. & Co., was commandeered by the United States Shipping Board and transferred to the U.S. Navy on 28 April 1918. She was commissioned on 2 May 1918.
After refitting and loading a mixed cargo of U.S. Navy supplies, Muscatine cleared Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in convoy on 30 May 1918 bound for France. Arriving at St. Nazaire on 14 June 1918, she discharged her cargo, proceeded to Verdun-sur-Mer, and departed in convoy for New York on 7 July 1918. In the subsequent months the ship made five more round trip voyages to St. Nazaire with cargoes of beef and butter.
After completing her last run early in July 1919, Muscatine was decommissioned at New York City on 16 July 1919 and returned to the U.S. Shipping Board.
In 1929, Muscatine was sold to F. D. M. Stracham of Savannah, Georgia, and in 1930 she was renamed Floridian. In 1936, she was renamed Elizabeth.
During World War II, Elizabeth was torpedoed and sunk on 21 May 1942 in the Yucatán Channel by the German submarine German submarine U-103 under the command of Werner Winter. Six of her 42 crew were lost. [2]
The SS Empire Miniver was a British steam merchant ship. She was originally an American merchant, launched in 1918 as SS West Cobalt. During a brief stint in the United States Navy in 1919, she was known as USS West Cobalt (ID-3836).
USS Ice King was a refrigerated cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I. She was assigned to transport cargo across the Atlantic Ocean to Allied troops in Europe. On her first transatlantic crossing, a German submarine fired torpedoes at her, but, through skillful maneuvering, her captain was able to avoid being struck and sunk. Post-war she was sold, and continued her civilian maritime career.
Empire Bittern was a steamship, built as a livestock-carrying cargo ship in 1902 at Belfast, Ireland as Iowa for the White Diamond Steamship Company Ltd of Liverpool. The ship was sold to the Hamburg Amerika Linie and renamed Bohemia in 1913.
USS Henry R. Mallory (ID-1280) was a transport for the United States Navy during World War I. She was also sometimes referred to as USS H. R. Mallory or as USS Mallory. Before her Navy service she was USAT Henry R. Mallory as a United States Army transport ship. From her 1916 launch, and after her World War I military service, she was known as SS Henry R. Mallory for the Mallory Lines. Pressed into service as a troopship in World War II by the War Shipping Administration, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-402 in the North Atlantic Ocean and sank with the loss of 272 men—over half of those on board.
SS El Occidente was a cargo ship for the Morgan Line, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Company. During World War I, she was known as USAT El Occidente in service with the United States Army and as USS El Occidente (ID-3307) in service with the United States Navy. At the end of war, she reverted to her original name of SS El Occidente.
USS West Bridge (ID-2888) was a Design 1013 cargo ship in the United States Navy during World War I. She was begun as War Topaz for the British Government but was completed as West Bridge. After being decommissioned from the Navy, the ship returned to civilian service as West Bridge, but was renamed Barbara Cates, and Pan Gulf over the course of her commercial career under American registry.
The second USS Wachusett (ID-1840) was a cargo ship that served in the United States Navy from 1918 to 1919.
USS West Lianga (ID-2758) was a cargo ship for the United States Navy during World War I. She was later known as SS Helen Whittier and SS Kalani in civilian service under American registry, as SS Empire Cheetah under British registry, and as SS Hobbema under Dutch registry.
Empire Antelope was a 4,782-ton cargo ship which was built as Ophis in 1919. She was renamed Bangu in 1928. In 1941 she was renamed Empire Antelope. She was sunk by the German submarine U-402 on 2 November 1942.
USS Moccasin (ID-1322) was a United States Navy refrigerated cargo ship in commission from 1918-1919. She was the third ship to carry her name.
USS Buena Ventura (ID-1329), also spelled USS Buenaventura, was a United States Navy cargo ship in commission in 1918 that was sunk during World War I.
USS Texan (ID-1354) was a United States Navy cargo ship and troop transport in commission from 1918 to 1919.
USS West Gambo (ID-3220) was a steel-hulled, single-screw cargo ship that served in the United States Navy from 1918 to 1919. She later saw commercial service as SS West Gambo and SS Empire Hartebeeste, and under the latter name was sunk during World War II.
USS Teresa was a cargo ship that served in the United States Navy from 1918 to 1919.
USS Montclair (ID-3497) was a United States Navy refrigerated cargo ship in commission from 1918 to 1919.
USS M. J. Scanlon (ID-3513) was a United States Navy cargo ship in commission from 1918 to 1919.
USS West Mead (ID-3548), also spelled Westmead, was a United States Navy cargo ship in commission from 1918 to 1919.
USS Westover (ID-2867) was a cargo ship of the United States Navy that served during World War I and was sunk during her maiden voyage.
USS Westpool (ID-3675) – sometimes written as West Pool – was a cargo ship of the United States Navy that served during World War I and its immediate aftermath. As SS Westpool, she was sunk during World War II after being sold to the United Kingdom for use as a merchant ship.
SS Tivives was a United Fruit Company passenger and refrigerated fruit cargo ship built 1911 by Workman, Clark & Company, Ltd. in Belfast. The ship was launched 1 August 1911 as Peralta but renamed before completion. As a foreign built vessel operating for a company in the United States the ship was British flagged. With outbreak of war in Europe in 1914 the ship, as did all British registered company ships, changed flag to the United States. Between 5 July 1918 and 25 April 1919 the ship was chartered and commissioned by the United States Navy for operation as USS Tivives