The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. They were a more modern design compared to the earlier Liberty ship, were slightly larger and had more powerful steam turbine engines, giving higher speed to allow participation in high-speed convoys and make them more difficult targets for German U-boats. A total of 531 Victory ships were built in between 1944 and 1946.
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.
SS Mercer Victory was a Boulder Victory-class cargo ship built for World War II. Mercer Victory, a Victory ship, was launched 14 March 1945 by Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California and operated by the States Marine Line. At the ceremonial ship launching, Mercer University President Spright Dowell said the SS Mercer Victory should strive: “to do her full-part for the national defense” and “to study a plan for after war conditions and needs.”
The SS Carroll Victory was the twenty-seventh Victory ship built during the World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. shewas launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on June 13, 1944, and completed on August 31, 1944. The ship was named after Carroll, Iowa. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3 with a hull number 27 (V-27). shewas operated by the Lykes Brothers Steamship Company and sheserved in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. The Carroll was one of the new 10,500-ton class ship known as Victory ships that were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Unlike Liberty ships, Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ships differed from Liberty ships in that they were faster, longer and wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure, and had a long raised forecastle.
SS Cedar Rapids Victory was the 77th Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on January 14, 1945, and completed on February 17, 1945. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3 and her hull number was 77. Her operator was the American West African Line.
The SS Claremont Victory was the 18th of 531 Victory ships built during World War II. She was built in the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in 1944. She served during the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, she was owned by a number of merchant shipping companies in Argentina before being scrapped in 1978.
SS Logan Victory was a cargo Victory ship built for World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Logan Victory was launched January 16, 1945, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California and completed on February 6, 1945. She was operated by the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company under the United States Maritime Commission.
SS New Bern Victory was a cargo Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The New Bern Victory (MCV-639) was a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory ship built by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards. The Maritime Administration cargo ship was the 639 ship built. Her keel was laid on January 15, 1945. She was launched on March 8, 1945 and completed on March 31, 1945. The 10,600-ton ship was constructed for the Maritime Commission. The American Export Line and later the Isthmian Steamship Company operated her under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration. Named for the city of New Bern, North Carolina.
The SS Bucknell Victory was a Victory-class cargo ship built during World War II. The Bucknell 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 728th ship built. Her keel was laid on December 27, 1944. SS Bucknell Victory was an armed cargo ship, named for Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, one of 150 educational institutions that had Victory ships named after them. She was built in just 70 days, under the Emergency Shipbuilding program for World War II. The 10,600-ton ship was constructed for the Maritime Commission.
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 Pierre Victory was a Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. It was laid down and launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, and completed on February 5, 1945. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3 and hull number 150. The Maritime Commission turned it over for merchant navy operation to a civilian contractor, the United States Lines under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration. She was named after Pierre, South Dakota, the capital of the US state of South Dakota. The sponsor and christening of the SS Pierre Victory on Dec. 6, 1944 was Mrs. Emma S. Jassmann of Pierre, she had five sons who served during World War II,. The city of Pierre and the Pierre Chamber of Commerce sent Mrs. Jassmann to Oregon. The Mayor of City of Pierre, John B. Griffin, was also at the christening with other Pierre residents. She was built in only 98 days. Victory ships were designed to supersede the earlier Liberty ships. Unlike Liberty ships, Victory ships were designed to serve the US Navy after the war and to last longer. Compared to Liberty ships, Victory ships were faster, longer, wider, taller, and had a thinner stack which was set further forward on the superstructure. They also had a long, raised forecastle. SS Pierre Victory survived three separate kamikaze attacks by the Japanese in 1945.
USNS Norwalk (T-AK-279) was the first in her class, a Fleet Ballistic Missile Cargo Ship, which was launched as a World War II commercial Victory cargo ship SS Norwalk Victory under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Norwalk 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.
The SS Tufts Victory was a class of Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on 2 March 194. The ship was completed and delivered to the wartime operator of all United States oceangoing shipping, the War Shipping Administration (WSA), on 28 March 1945. Tufts Victory, official number 247512, was assigned to American Mail Line, under a standard WSA operating agreement at that time. That agreement continued until the ship's sale in 1947. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 771. Tufts Victory was converted from a cargo ship to a troopship to bring troops home after the war as part of Operation Magic Carpet.
South Atlantic Steamship Company was the passenger and cargo founded in 1928 in Savannah, Georgia that ran the South Atlantic steamship Line. At the started by chartering foreign ships to run the lines in tramp trade. Later scheduled cargo services was added to the line. In 1958 the company was taken over by United States Lines. In 1961 United States Lines closed the Atlantic steamship line and renamed the Atlantic steamship line ships. US homes ports were: Jacksonville, Florida, Savannah, Wilmington, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina. Main foreign ports were: London,Liverpool and Manchester UK. At its peak, it operated 60 ships during World War II. During World War II the South Atlantic steamship line was active with charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. During wartime, the South Atlantic steamship line operated Victory ships and Liberty shipss.
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.
Smith-Johnson Steamship Corporation, Smith & Johnson was founded by Howell B. Smith (1898-1979) and Algot W. Johnson (1900-1987) in 1921 in New York City. Howell B. Smith and Algot W. Johnson worked as ship brokers for the Munson Steamship Line before starting their own firm in 1921. Smith-Johnson Steamship Corporation's main work was as a shipbroker for Norwegian ships. During World War II Smith & Johnson operated ships to support the war effort, they also opened an office in New Orleans. Unlike other firms, they did not purchase any of the many surplus ships after the war. Smith and Johnson sold the firm in 1955, it continued to operate under other names till about 1982.
United States Navigation Company was founded by Edward Carl Wilhelm Oelsner (1888-1973) in New York City in 1917. Oelsner was a Prussian-born German, who came to America in 1908. In 1915 became a manager of the Hamburg America Line's New York office. In 1917 he became a steamship broker, he then founded his own steamship brokerage firm, United States Navigation Company. United States Navigation Company's first clients were the Hamburg-American Line and North German Lloyd Line. Next Oelsner entered into a joint venture with Biehl & Company chartering ships that serviced the Gulf of Mexico ports. United States Navigation Company when went from just a shipbroker to a ship owner, with the purchase of 1885 SS City of Salisbury, a 397-ton cargo ship. On March 7, 1973, Oelsner died, he and his wife, Eva, were on vacation in Torremolinos, Spain. United States Navigation Company continued doing business. In 1979 the United States Navigation Company was sold and in 1981 closed. The United States Navigation Company supported the World War II effort with its ship and as an operator of United States owned ships.
American Foreign Steamship Corporation was founded in Brooklyn, New York City, in 1932 by Ira L. Rosenson, Sophia Pruss and Elias Katz. Rosenson was an attorney and the major shareholder in the firm. American Foreign Steamship Corporation purchased a 5,570-ton cargo ship SS Eastern Glen from the American South African Line in 1933. American Foreign Steamship Corporation named the ship the SS American Oriole. The ship was built by Kabushiki Kaisha Uchida Zosengo company of Yokohama, Japan, in 1920. The ship was a United States Shipping Board ship. The next two ships purchased was the SS Liberty Glo and SS Wildwood, these were Hog Islanders type ships. The two ships were purchased from the South Atlantic Steamship Company. In 1938 another Hog Islanders ship was purchased the, SS Magmeric, renamed the SS American Robin. The American Oriole was sold to England in 1940 to help with the World War II efforts. She was renamed the SS Barberrys, but on November 26, 1942, she was sunk by a torpedoed from German submarine U-663 off of St. John's, Newfoundland.
Prudential Steamship Corporation was a shipping company founded in 1933 in New York City by Stephan Stephanidis. Prudential Steamship Corporation operated the Prudential Lines. Prudential Lines main routes was from the United States to Mediterranean ports. The Prudential Lines was never successful and was always near bankruptcy. Prudential Lines was active in supporting the World War II efforts. At its peak in the 1960s Prudential Lines owned and operated two tankers, and five cargo ships. In 1960 the Prudential Steamship Corporation was sold to Spyros Skouras and his family. In 1969 the Prudential Lines merged with Grace Lines, which continued to operate the fleet as the Prudential Grace Line.
