USAT Meigs
Encyclopedia
The USAT Meigs, a United States Army
transport vessel (sometimes incorrectly referred to as the USS Meigs), was sunk in Darwin
Harbour during the first Japanese air raid against the Australia mainland on 19 February 1942.
Built San Pedro, California, in 1921 as the West Lewart, the Meigs had a steel hull
, measured 12,568 Gross Tons (also cited as 11358 tons), 430.7 feet (140m) long, 54.3 feet (16m) beam and 26.2 feet draft. USAT Meigs was part of the Pensacola Convoy
attempting to reinforce the Philippines
during the early stages of World War II
. As the largest vessel in Darwin Harbour she was frequently under air attack, and went down in flames after being struck by incendiary bombs. Two of its crew of sixty-six were killed.
Although the superstructure of the wreck was salvaged after the war by Fujita Salvage of Osaka
, Japan, the cargo of munitions, railway lines, Bren gun carriers
and trucks intended for Allied forces in Portuguese Timor
remains. The Meigs is now a dive site
, where the remnants of the cargo are as visible as the remains of the vessel itself. It lies in 18 metres (59 ft) of water at coordinates 12°29.26′S 130°49.10′E., and due to the large tidal movements creating strong currents and poor visibility, is only divable around neap tides
.
.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
transport vessel (sometimes incorrectly referred to as the USS Meigs), was sunk in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
Harbour during the first Japanese air raid against the Australia mainland on 19 February 1942.
Built San Pedro, California, in 1921 as the West Lewart, the Meigs had a steel hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
, measured 12,568 Gross Tons (also cited as 11358 tons), 430.7 feet (140m) long, 54.3 feet (16m) beam and 26.2 feet draft. USAT Meigs was part of the Pensacola Convoy
Pensacola Convoy
The Pensacola Convoy is a colloquialism for a United States military shipping convoy that took place in late 1941 as the Pacific War began. The name was derived from that of its primary escort ship, the heavy cruiser . It was intended that the convoy, dispatched in peacetime, would reinforce the...
attempting to reinforce the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the early stages of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. As the largest vessel in Darwin Harbour she was frequently under air attack, and went down in flames after being struck by incendiary bombs. Two of its crew of sixty-six were killed.
Although the superstructure of the wreck was salvaged after the war by Fujita Salvage of Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan, the cargo of munitions, railway lines, Bren gun carriers
Universal Carrier
The Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War...
and trucks intended for Allied forces in Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
remains. The Meigs is now a dive site
Wreck diving
Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
, where the remnants of the cargo are as visible as the remains of the vessel itself. It lies in 18 metres (59 ft) of water at coordinates 12°29.26′S 130°49.10′E., and due to the large tidal movements creating strong currents and poor visibility, is only divable around neap tides
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
.
Namesakes
The name USS Meigs is incorrectly applied to the USAT Meigs and also to the , which saw service in the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.