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USS Sylvan Arrow (ID-2150)
Encyclopedia
USS Sylvan Arrow (ID-2150) was a United States Navy
tanker
in commission from 1918 to 1919.
_launching.jpg)
SS Sylvan Arrow was laid down and launched in 1917 at Camden
, New Jersey
, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation as a commercial tanker for the Standard Oil Company. She was completed in January 1918 and entered commercial service. The U.S. Navy inspected her that month in the 3rd Naval District for possible World War I
Navy service, and, when she arrived at New York City
on 15 July 1918, the Navy took control of her. She was assigned the naval registry Identification Number (Id. No.) 2150 and commissioned
on 19 July 1918 as USS Sylvan Arrow.
of fuel oil
and seaplane
s at New York City and departed for England
on 28 July 1918. She arrived at Devonport
, England, on 14 August 1918 and began her return voyage to the United States
on 17 August 1918.
Sylvan Arrows second U.S. Navy voyage was to Brest
, France
, where she delivered cargo on 22 September 1918. Her third voyage was to Sheerness
, England, where she delivered cargo on 11 November 1918, the day of the Armistice
with Germany
that ended the war.
When Sylvan Arrow returned to New York City from Sheerness on 29 November 1918, she was ordered demobilized
. She was decommissioned
on 21 January 1919 and returned to Standard Oil the same day.
in 1941, retaining her name throughout her career.
Sylvan Arrow was on a commercial voyage during World War II
when the German submarine
U-155 torpedo
ed her on 20 May 1942 southwest of Grenada
in the Caribbean Sea
at position 11° 25' North, 62° 18' West. Attempts to tow her to port did not succeed, and she sank on 28 May 1942 at position 12° 50' North, 67° 32' West.
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...
tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
in commission from 1918 to 1919.
Construction, acquisition, and commissioning
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation as a commercial tanker for the Standard Oil Company. She was completed in January 1918 and entered commercial service. The U.S. Navy inspected her that month in the 3rd Naval District for possible World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Navy service, and, when she arrived at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 15 July 1918, the Navy took control of her. She was assigned the naval registry Identification Number (Id. No.) 2150 and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 19 July 1918 as USS Sylvan Arrow.
United States Navy service, 1918-1919
Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, Sylvan Arrow loaded a cargoCargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
of fuel oil
Fuel oil
Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash...
and seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s at New York City and departed for 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...
on 28 July 1918. She arrived at Devonport
Devonport, Devon
Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889...
, England, on 14 August 1918 and began her return voyage to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 17 August 1918.
Sylvan Arrows second U.S. Navy voyage was to Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where she delivered cargo on 22 September 1918. Her third voyage was to Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
, England, where she delivered cargo on 11 November 1918, the day of the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
that ended the war.
When Sylvan Arrow returned to New York City from Sheerness on 29 November 1918, she was ordered demobilized
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
. She was decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
on 21 January 1919 and returned to Standard Oil the same day.
Commercial service, 1919-1942
Once again SS Sylvan Arrow, the ship resumed commercial operations for Standard Oil. She was sold in 1931 to the Standard-Vacuum Transportation Company, Inc. of New York City, then to the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, Inc. of New York City in 1935, and finally to the Brilliant Transportation Company, S.A., of PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
in 1941, retaining her name throughout her career.
Sylvan Arrow was on a commercial voyage during 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...
when the German 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...
U-155 torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed her on 20 May 1942 southwest of Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
at position 11° 25' North, 62° 18' West. Attempts to tow her to port did not succeed, and she sank on 28 May 1942 at position 12° 50' North, 67° 32' West.