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USS Southland (IX-168)
Encyclopedia
The USS Southland (IX-168) was built in 1908 at Newport News, Virginia
by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
as the SS Southland. The small steamer operated for the Norfolk and Washington Steamboat Company on the Potomac River
and Chesapeake Bay
, transporting passengers and freight between Washington, Alexandria, Old Point Comfort
, and Norfolk.
Southland was one of several light-draft, inland-water, steamers acquired by the War Shipping Administration
(WSA) in 1942 for transfer to the British
Ministry of War Transport. She was returned to representatives of WSA in England
the following year. After conversion to accommodate 544 passengers by Thorn Tanahill and Sons in Glasgow, Scotland, she was chartered by the United States Navy
, on a bare boat basis, and commissioned on 22 May 1944, with Lieutenant
S. A. Davis, USNR, in command.
Southland was assigned to the 12th Fleet, formerly the United States Naval Forces in Europe, until early 1945. Since there was doubt that she was capable of crossing the Atlantic
safely, she was returned to WSA at Falmouth, England on 24 July 1945. She was decommissioned the same day and struck from the Navy list on 13 August 1945.
Southland was sold subsequently to the Fu Chung International Corporation in China
and operated as the Hung Yung until scrapped in 1955.
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
Northrop Grumman Newport News
Newport News Shipbuilding , originally Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , was the largest privately-owned shipyard in the United States prior to being purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2001...
as the SS Southland. The small steamer operated for the Norfolk and Washington Steamboat Company on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, transporting passengers and freight between Washington, Alexandria, Old Point Comfort
Old Point Comfort
Old Point Comfort is a point of land located in the independent city of Hampton. It lies at the extreme tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads in the United States....
, and Norfolk.
Southland was one of several light-draft, inland-water, steamers acquired by the War Shipping Administration
War Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration was a World War II emergency war agency of the US Government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the US needed for fighting the war....
(WSA) in 1942 for transfer to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Ministry of War Transport. She was returned to representatives of WSA in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
the following year. After conversion to accommodate 544 passengers by Thorn Tanahill and Sons in Glasgow, Scotland, she was chartered by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, on a bare boat basis, and commissioned on 22 May 1944, with Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
S. A. Davis, USNR, in command.
Southland was assigned to the 12th Fleet, formerly the United States Naval Forces in Europe, until early 1945. Since there was doubt that she was capable of crossing the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
safely, she was returned to WSA at Falmouth, England on 24 July 1945. She was decommissioned the same day and struck from the Navy list on 13 August 1945.
Southland was sold subsequently to the Fu Chung International Corporation in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and operated as the Hung Yung until scrapped in 1955.
External links
- Photo gallery at navsource.org