USS President Taylor
Encyclopedia
President Taylor was a U.S. troopship
in the Pacific Ocean
in World War II
.
as the Granite State for the New York to London service, she burned to the main deck in 1924. She was sold, and re-named the President Polk.
on January 31, 1942, under the command of Captain A. W. Aitken. She was beached on Kanton Island
on February 14, 1942, while attempting to avoid Japanese submarine
s. In 1952 the remains of the ship were sold to North Coast Corporation, and scrapping began in 1954.
Troopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
in 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...
.
Civilian career
Originally built by the New York Shipbuilding CorporationNew York Shipbuilding
The New York Shipbuilding Corporation was founded in 1899 and opened its first shipyard in 1900. Located in Camden, New Jersey on the east shore of the Delaware River, New York Ship built more than 500 vessels for the U.S...
as the Granite State for the New York to London service, she burned to the main deck in 1924. She was sold, and re-named the President Polk.
World War II
She was re-fitted for use as a troop carrier in San Francisco in December 1941. Her initial voyage as a troopship was a round trip from San Francisco to Honolulu and back.Wreck on Canton
The ship left San Francisco for the PhilippinesPhilippines
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...
on January 31, 1942, under the command of Captain A. W. Aitken. She was beached on Kanton Island
Kanton Island
Kanton Island , alternatively known as "Mary Island", "Mary Balcout's Island" or "Swallow Island", is the largest, northernmost, and as of 2007, the sole inhabited island of the Phoenix Islands, in the Republic of Kiribati. It is an atoll located in the South Pacific Ocean roughly halfway between...
on February 14, 1942, while attempting to avoid Japanese submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s. In 1952 the remains of the ship were sold to North Coast Corporation, and scrapping began in 1954.