Sword Line Inc.
IndustryTransportation and shipping
Founded1933 (1933) in New York City
Key people
  • Charilaos "Charles" G. Poulacos
  • Abbott Abercrombie

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.[1][2]

History

At the time Sword Line, Inc. was purchased, in 1932, Captain Charles G. Poulacos and Abbott Abercrombie were working as assistant director at steamship company. Poulacos was president of Sword Line, Inc. Poulacos and Abercrombie purchased the Eastern Sword from the United States Shipping Board for $54,000. Sword Line, Inc. headquarters was at 76 Beaver St., New York, New York. Poulacos was born in Greece in 1884 and came to America in 1915. Sword Line, Inc. was successful and purchased three more ships. In 1939 Poulacos purchased share of Abercrombie Sword Line, Inc. Poulacos then worked for an electrical distributing company. Eastern Sword had one sister ship, the Ugo Maru, it was not purchased by the United States Shipping Board. The Ugo Maru became an Auxiliary Transport ship in the Empire of Japan. On October 20, 1944, the Ugo Maru was also sunk. Ugo Maru was hit by a torpedo from an American submarine USS Hammerhead (SS-364) off Miri, Borneo.[3][4]

World War II

Sword Line, Inc. ships were used to help the World War II effort. During World War II Sword Line, Inc. operated Merchant navy ships for the United States Shipping Board. During World War II Sword Line, Inc. was active with charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. Sword Line, Inc. operated Liberty ships and Victory ships for the merchant navy. The ship was run by its Sword Line, Inc. crew and the US Navy supplied United States Navy Armed Guards to man the deck guns and radio.[5][6][7]

Ships

Liberty ship of World War II
    • World War II operated ships:
    • Liberty Ships:
  • SS  Pedro Menendez
  • SS  Cardinal Gibbons built in 1942 at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard.[23][24]
  • Milton J. Foreman, built in 1944 [25]
  • George A. Lawson, sank in 1964 as SS Union Atlantic [26][27]
  • Cecil G. Sellers, built in 1944, post war work in 1946, burnt and scrapped 1948 [28]
  • Daniel Hiester, built in 1942, post war work in 1946.[29]
  • Benjamin H. Bristow, built in 1942, post war work in 1946.[30]
  • SS  Abner Doubleday, built in 1942 at the Oregon SB Corp.[31]
  • Renald Fernald, built in 1943, post war work in 1946, wrecked and scrapped 1963 [32]
    • Victory ship:
  • SS  Carroll Victory, operated post war work in 1948, in 1949 transferred to US Coast Guard.[33]


    • Other
  • SS Golden Eagle, Type R ship R2-S-BV1, refrigerated cargo ship.
  • MV Arizona Pine, post war work in 1946 to 1948, a Type C1 ship, C1-MT-BU1 Cargo, became MV Arizona Sword in 1948.[34][35]

See also

References

  1. The Liberty Ships of World War II: By Greg H. Williams
  2. "Eastern Sword (American Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net". uboat.net.
  3. "Japanese Army Auxiliary Transports". www.combinedfleet.com.
  4. "WRECKSITE - UGO MARU CARGO SHIP 1941-1944".
  5. "Sea Lane Vigilantes". www.armed-guard.com.
  6. World War II U.S. Navy Armed Guard and World War II U.S. Merchant Marine, 2007-2014 Project Liberty Ship, Project Liberty Ship, P.O. Box 25846 Highlandtown Station, Baltimore, MD
  7. "Steamship Company Operators of American Flag Ships during World War II". www.usmm.org.
  8. "EmpireK". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
  9. "EmpireR". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
  10. "SILVER SWORD". vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov.
  11. armed-guard.com, Western Sword
  12. armed-guard.com, Yankee Sword
  13. Hearings Before the US Subcommittee, By United States Congress, House. Merchant Marine and Fisheries page 615, Sword Lines Inc.: Yankee Sword, Victory Sword and Western Sword, March 1, 1944
  14. "YANKEE SWORD". vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov.
  15. "Ships". www.armed-guard.com.
  16. "WRECKSITE - VICTORY SWORD TANKER 1910-1944".
  17. armed-guard.com Oregon Sword
  18. 1 2 3 "C1 Cargo Ships".
  19. "WRECKSITE - ARIZONA SWORD CARGO SHIP 1946-1951".
  20. "dco.uscg.mil, Arizona Sword" (PDF).
  21. Decline of Coastwise and Intercoastal Shipping Industry: Hearings, page 488, 1960
  22. "T2C". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
  23. "LibShipsC". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
  24. Dot.govr Cardinal Gibbons
  25. "LibShipsM". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
  26. wrecksite George A. Lawson
  27. "LibShipsG". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
  28. marad.dot.gov, Cecil G. Sellers
  29. marad.dot.gov, Daniel Hiester
  30. marad.dot.gov, Benjamin H. Bristow
  31. marad.dot.gov, Abner Doubleday
  32. "LibShipsR". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
  33. marad.dot.gov Carroll Victory
  34. marad.dot.gov, Arizona Pine
  35. "ARIZONA PINE". vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov.
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