Typical Liberty Ship at sea.
History
United States
NameSS Colgate Victory
NamesakeColgate University
OwnerWar Shipping Administration
OperatorPacific-Atlantic Steamship Company
BuilderOregon Shipbuilding Company Portland
Laid downJanuary 9, 1945
LaunchedFebruary 20, 1945
CompletedMarch 21, 1945
FateSold
History
United States
NameSS Hong Kong Transport 1948
OperatorPacific Transport Lines
FateSold
History
United States
NameSS Illinois 1957
OperatorPacific Transport Lines
FateSold
History
United States
NameSS Illinois 1957
OperatorPacific Transport Lines
FateSold
History
United States
NameSS Illinois 1958
OperatorStates Steamship Co, San Francisco.
FateSold
History
United States
NameSS Oregon Victory 1962
OperatorWest Coast SS Company in Portland, Ore.
FateSold
History
United States
NameSS Ridgefield Victory 1964
OperatorSaxis SS Co
FateSold
History
United States
NameSS Ridgefield Victory 1966
OperatorStandard Steamship Corp, of Wilmington, Del.
FateSold
History
United States
NameSS Ridgefield Victory 1968
OperatorU.S. Maritime Administration in laid up
Fatescrapped in 1969 in Bilbao, Spain.
General characteristics
Class and typeVC2-S-AP3 Victory ship
Tonnage7612 GRT, 4,553 NRT
Displacement15,200 tons
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draught28 ft (8.5 m)
Installed power8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
PropulsionHP & LP turbines geared to a single 20.5-foot (6.2 m) propeller
Speed16.5 knots
Boats & landing
craft carried		4 Lifeboats
Complement62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards
Armament
Notes[1]

The SS Colgate Victory was the Second of 153 Victory ships built during World War II. She was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on December 15, 1944, completed on January 12, 1945. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 170 (1224) (MCV-170). The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor, Pacific-Atlantic SS Company, for operation.[2]

World War II

The SS Colgate Victory was used as cargo ship in World War II operated by the Pacific-Atlantic Steamship Company under charter with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. Colgate Victory was 170 of the new 10,500-ton class ship known as Victory ships. Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for WW2. 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, a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle.[3]

SS Colgate Victory was loaded full with 6,000 pounds of blockbuster bomb 500 lb. bombs and sent to help with the Battle of Okinawa and the planned invasion of Japan. She delivered the bombs to Marshall Islands at Enewetak Atoll base and then some bombs to the Caroline Island base. The Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands was used as a staging base for the invasion of Okinawa. She was close enough to see the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945.[4][5] She survived the October 1945 Louise typhoon.[6] June 19, 1945 the SS Tate sent a Medical Officers to help a crew member of Colgate Victory, just as they pass the International Date Line in the Pacific.[7] In 1947 she helped in the rescue of a ship that hit a reef near Iwo Jima, all 39 persons aboard the wrecked cargo freighter were moved to small boat and transferred to the SS Colgate Victory. She returned them to Los Angeles[8][9] Colgate Victory arrived to San Francisco from Manila on March 2, 1947.[10]

Post war use

She was sold on May 25, 1948 to Pacific Transport Lines of San Francisco and renamed SS Hong Kong Transport for $996,160.37.[11] In 1957 sold to the Pacific Transport Lines renamed her SS Illinois. In 1958 she was sold to the States Steamship Co, San Francisco. In 1961 she was sold to the US Department of Commerce and laid up in San Francisco. In 1962 she was sold to the West Coast SS Company in Portland, Ore. renamed SS Oregon Victory used as a Merchant Mariner ship again. In 1964 she was sold to Saxis SS Co and renamed the SS Ridgefield Victory used as a Merchant Mariner ship. In 1966 she was sold Standard Steamship Corp, Wilmington, Del. kept name Ridgefield Victory used as a Merchant Mariner ship. Ridgefield Victory was on Bangkok, Thailand, on January 12, 1967 when one of the Merchant Mariner seaman deserted she, court case came to be due to this action.[12] In 1968 she was transfer back to the U.S. Maritime Administration and laid up. She was scrapped in Dec. of 1969 in Bilbao, Spain.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Babcock & Wilcox (April 1944). "Victory Ships". Marine Engineering and Shipping Review.
  2. ↑ shipbuildinghistory.com Merchantships Victory ships
  3. ↑ shipbuildinghistory.com, Victory Ships list
  4. ↑ Salute to Veterans - News Progress, November 10, 2015
  5. ↑ Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois on November 11, 2008
  6. ↑ November 11, 2008, Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois · Page 18
  7. ↑ Combat Loaded: Across the Pacific on the USS Tate, By Thomas E. Crew
  8. ↑ [The Times from San Mateo, California · Page 1, February 14, 1947]
  9. ↑ The Daily Notes from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania · Page 5, March 5, 1947
  10. ↑ The Shanghai evening post and mercury, AUGUST 2, 1946.
  11. ↑ SS Hong Kong Transport
  12. ↑ IN THE MATTER OF MERCHANT MARINER'S DOCUMENT NO. Z-1135501 AND ALL OTHER SEAMAN'S DOCUMENTS, Issued to: HARVEY L. GLOTZER,DECISION OF THE COMMANDANT UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

Sources

  • Sawyer, L.A. and W.H. Mitchell. Victory ships and tankers: The history of the ‘Victory’ type cargo ships and of the tankers built in the United States of America during World War II, Cornell Maritime Press, 1974, 0-87033-182-5.
  • United States Maritime Commission:
  • Victory Cargo Ships
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