Victory ship
Encyclopedia
The Victory ship was a type of cargo ship
produced in large numbers by North American
shipyard
s during World War II
to replace shipping losses caused by German
submarine
s. Based on an earlier design, the Liberty ship
, 531 Victory ships were built.
One of the first acts of the United States
War Shipping Administration
when it was formed in February 1942 was to commission the design of the class,
initially designated EC2-S-AP1, where EC2 = Emergency Cargo, type 2 (Load Waterline Length between 400 and 450 feet), S = steam propulsion with one propeller (EC2-S-C1 had been the designation of the Liberty ship design). It was changed to VC2-S-AP1, and the title Victory Ship officially adopted on 28 April 1943.
They were an enhancement of the previous Liberty ship
design that was produced in much greater numbers; in particular, they had a higher speed of 15 to 17 knots (28 to 31 km/h) compared to 11 knots (20 km/h) and longer range. The higher speed was particularly important because it made them less easy prey to U-boat
s, and was achieved by using improved engines over the Liberty's triple expansion reciprocating steam engine—Lenz type
reciprocating steam engines, steam turbines
or diesel engine
s with a power output between 6000 and 8500 horsepower
(4.5 and 6 MW). They also had electrically powered auxiliary equipment rather than steam powered. They were oil fired, although some Canadian vessels were completed with both coal bunkers and oil tanks so that they could use either fuel.
They also had strengthened hulls compared to Liberty ships since a few of the latter had suffered fractured hulls. To improve the hull flexibility (to reduce stresses), the frames were 36 inches (914 mm) apart as opposed to 30 inches (762 mm). Victory ships were slightly larger than Liberty ships, at 455 feet (139 m) long and 62 feet (19 m) wide with 28 feet (7.6 m) draft (loaded). With a fine raked bow and a 'cruiser' stern
, to help achieve the higher speed, they had a quite different appearance to Liberty ships.
The VC2-S-AP2,VC2-S-AP3, and VC2-M-AP4 were armed with a 5 inch (127 mm) stern gun for use against submarines, a bow-mounted 3 inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun and eight 20 mm cannon
, also for use against aircraft. These weapons were manned by United States Naval Armed Guard
personnel, members of the United States Navy
. The VC2-S-AP5 Haskell-class attack transports
were armed with the 5 inch (127 mm) stern gun, one quad 40mm Bofors cannon
, four dual 40mm Bofors cannon, and ten single 20mm cannon. The Haskells were operated and crewed exclusively by US Navy personnel.
on 12 January 1944 and completed on 28 February 1944, and had her maiden voyage a month later. American vessels frequently had a name incorporating the word "Victory". The British
and Canadians
used "Fort" and "Park" respectively. After United Victory, the next 34 vessels were named after allied countries, the following 218 after American cities, the next 150 after educational institutions and the remainder given miscellaneous names. The AP5 type attack transports were named after US counties
, without "Victory" in their name, with the exception of , which was named after President
Roosevelt's late personal secretary.
Although initial deliveries were slow — only 15 had been delivered by May 1944 — by the end of the war 531 had been constructed. The Commission cancelled orders for a further 132 vessels, although 3 were completed in 1946 for the Alcoa Steamship Company, making a total built in the United States of 534, made up of:
Of the wartime construction, 414 of these were of the standard cargo variant and 117 were attack transports. Because the Atlantic battle had been won by the time that the first ships appeared, only two were sunk by U-boats. These were Fort Bellingham and Fort St. Nicholas. Three more were sunk by Japan
ese Kamikaze
attack in April 1945, Logan Victory, Hobbs Victory and Canada Victory. Baton Rouge Victory was sunk in the Mekong
delta by a Viet Cong mine in August 1966 and temporarily blocked the channel to Saigon.
Many saw postwar conversion and various uses for years afterward. The single VC2-M-AP4 diesel-powered Emory Victory operated in Alaskan waters for the Bureau of Indian Affairs
as North Star III. AP3 types South Bend Victory and Tuskegee Victory were converted in 1957-58 to ocean hydrographic surveying ships USNS Bowditch (T-AGS-21) and Dutton (T-AGS-22)
, respectively. Dutton aided in locating the lost hydrogen bomb following the 1966 Palomares B-52 crash.
Starting in 1959, several were removed from the reserve fleet
and refitted for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
. One such ship was the SS Kingsport Victory, which was renamed USNS Kingsport
and converted into the world's first satellite communications ship. Another was the former Haiti Victory, which recovered the first man-made object to return from space, the nose cone of Discoverer 13
, on 11 August 1960. was converted in 1969-70 to the range instrumentation ship for downrange tracking of ballistic missile tests.
Four Victory ships became fleet ballistic missile cargo ships transporting torpedoes, Poseidon missiles, packaged petroleum, and spare parts to deployed submarine tender
s:
In the 1960s two Victory ships were reactivated and converted to technical research ship
s by the U.S. Navy
with the hull type
AGTR. SS Iran Victory became the USS Belmont (AGTR-4)
and SS Simmons Victory became the USS Liberty (AGTR-5)
. The Liberty was attacked and severely damaged
by Israeli forces in June 1967 and subsequently decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Register
. The Belmont was decommissioned and stricken in 1970.
and Baltimore
emergency shipyards that sprang up in World War II to build Liberty, Victory, and other ships. The Victory ship design was prepared to accommodate the smallest capacity crane at these shipyards. In addition to the American construction, some ships were also built in British
, and three hundred hulls in Canadian
yards.
s:
One is laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
.
At James River Reserve Fleet:
Four are at Brownsville, Texas
undergoing scrapping:
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
produced in large numbers by North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s 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...
to replace shipping losses caused by German
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...
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. Based on an earlier design, the Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
, 531 Victory ships were built.
VC2 design
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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....
when it was formed in February 1942 was to commission the design of the class,
initially designated EC2-S-AP1, where EC2 = Emergency Cargo, type 2 (Load Waterline Length between 400 and 450 feet), S = steam propulsion with one propeller (EC2-S-C1 had been the designation of the Liberty ship design). It was changed to VC2-S-AP1, and the title Victory Ship officially adopted on 28 April 1943.
They were an enhancement of the previous Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
design that was produced in much greater numbers; in particular, they had a higher speed of 15 to 17 knots (28 to 31 km/h) compared to 11 knots (20 km/h) and longer range. The higher speed was particularly important because it made them less easy prey to U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s, and was achieved by using improved engines over the Liberty's triple expansion reciprocating steam engine—Lenz type
Hugo Lentz
Hugo Lentz was an Austrian mechanical engineer, born in South Africa. He was the inventor of many award winning improvements to the steam engine....
reciprocating steam engines, steam turbines
Compound turbine
A compound turbine is a steam turbine in which there are two casings, a high-pressure casing and a low-pressure casing, operating in concert to extract work from a single source of steam...
or diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s with a power output between 6000 and 8500 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(4.5 and 6 MW). They also had electrically powered auxiliary equipment rather than steam powered. They were oil fired, although some Canadian vessels were completed with both coal bunkers and oil tanks so that they could use either fuel.
They also had strengthened hulls compared to Liberty ships since a few of the latter had suffered fractured hulls. To improve the hull flexibility (to reduce stresses), the frames were 36 inches (914 mm) apart as opposed to 30 inches (762 mm). Victory ships were slightly larger than Liberty ships, at 455 feet (139 m) long and 62 feet (19 m) wide with 28 feet (7.6 m) draft (loaded). With a fine raked bow and a 'cruiser' stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
, to help achieve the higher speed, they had a quite different appearance to Liberty ships.
The VC2-S-AP2,VC2-S-AP3, and VC2-M-AP4 were armed with a 5 inch (127 mm) stern gun for use against submarines, a bow-mounted 3 inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun and eight 20 mm cannon
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
, also for use against aircraft. These weapons were manned by United States Naval Armed Guard
United States Navy Armed Guard
United States Navy Armed Guard units were established during World War I in an attempt to provide defensive firepower to merchant ships in convoy or merchant ships traveling alone...
personnel, members of 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...
. The VC2-S-AP5 Haskell-class attack transports
Haskell class attack transport
Haskell-class attack transports were amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy created in 1944. They were designed to transport 1,500 troops and their combat equipment, and land them on hostile shores with the ships' integral landing craft....
were armed with the 5 inch (127 mm) stern gun, one quad 40mm Bofors cannon
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
, four dual 40mm Bofors cannon, and ten single 20mm cannon. The Haskells were operated and crewed exclusively by US Navy personnel.
Construction
The first vessel was SS United Victory launched at Oregon Shipbuilding CorporationOregon Shipbuilding Corporation
Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation was a World War II emergency shipyard located in Portland, Oregon, United States, that built over 1000 Liberty and Victory ships between 1941 and 1945. It was closed after the war ended....
on 12 January 1944 and completed on 28 February 1944, and had her maiden voyage a month later. American vessels frequently had a name incorporating the word "Victory". 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...
and Canadians
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
used "Fort" and "Park" respectively. After United Victory, the next 34 vessels were named after allied countries, the following 218 after American cities, the next 150 after educational institutions and the remainder given miscellaneous names. The AP5 type attack transports were named after US counties
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
, without "Victory" in their name, with the exception of , which was named after President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Roosevelt's late personal secretary.
Although initial deliveries were slow — only 15 had been delivered by May 1944 — by the end of the war 531 had been constructed. The Commission cancelled orders for a further 132 vessels, although 3 were completed in 1946 for the Alcoa Steamship Company, making a total built in the United States of 534, made up of:
| Quantity Built |
Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 272 | VC2-S-AP2 | 6,000 hp (4.5 MW) general cargo vessels |
| 141 | VC2-S-AP3 | 8,500 hp (6.3 MW) vessels |
| 1 | VC2-M-AP4 | Diesel |
| 117 | VC2-S-AP5 | Haskell-class attack transports Haskell class attack transport Haskell-class attack transports were amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy created in 1944. They were designed to transport 1,500 troops and their combat equipment, and land them on hostile shores with the ships' integral landing craft.... |
| 3 | VC2-S-AP7 | Post war completion |
Of the wartime construction, 414 of these were of the standard cargo variant and 117 were attack transports. Because the Atlantic battle had been won by the time that the first ships appeared, only two were sunk by U-boats. These were Fort Bellingham and Fort St. Nicholas. Three more were sunk by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attack in April 1945, Logan Victory, Hobbs Victory and Canada Victory. Baton Rouge Victory was sunk in the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
delta by a Viet Cong mine in August 1966 and temporarily blocked the channel to Saigon.
Many saw postwar conversion and various uses for years afterward. The single VC2-M-AP4 diesel-powered Emory Victory operated in Alaskan waters for the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
as North Star III. AP3 types South Bend Victory and Tuskegee Victory were converted in 1957-58 to ocean hydrographic surveying ships USNS Bowditch (T-AGS-21) and Dutton (T-AGS-22)
USNS Dutton (T-AGS-22)
USNS Dutton was an oceanographic survey ship for the United States Navy from the late 1950s through the 1980s. She was launched as SS Tuskegee Victory in 1945, Maritime Commission hull number MCV 682, a type VC2-S-AP3 Victory ship. In her U.S. Navy service, she was named after Captain Benjamin...
, respectively. Dutton aided in locating the lost hydrogen bomb following the 1966 Palomares B-52 crash.
Starting in 1959, several were removed from the reserve fleet
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
and refitted for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. One such ship was the SS Kingsport Victory, which was renamed USNS Kingsport
USNS Kingsport (T-AG 164)
USNS Kingsport began its career as Kingsport Victory , which served as a cargo vessel during World War II. The ship was laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet after transfer to the Maritime Commission on 29 September 1947...
and converted into the world's first satellite communications ship. Another was the former Haiti Victory, which recovered the first man-made object to return from space, the nose cone of Discoverer 13
Corona (satellite)
The Corona program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force...
, on 11 August 1960. was converted in 1969-70 to the range instrumentation ship for downrange tracking of ballistic missile tests.
Four Victory ships became fleet ballistic missile cargo ships transporting torpedoes, Poseidon missiles, packaged petroleum, and spare parts to deployed submarine tender
Submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...
s:
In the 1960s two Victory ships were reactivated and converted to technical research ship
Technical research ship
Technical research ships were used by the United States Navy during the 1960s to gather intelligence by monitoring the electronic communications of nations in various parts of the world. At the time these ships were active, the mission of the ships was covert and discussion of the true mission was...
s by the U.S. 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...
with the hull type
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...
AGTR. SS Iran Victory became the USS Belmont (AGTR-4)
USS Belmont (AGTR-4)
USS Belmont was a Belmont-class technical research ship acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of conducting research in the reception of electromagnetic propagations.- Belmonts civilian life :...
and SS Simmons Victory became the USS Liberty (AGTR-5)
USS Liberty (AGTR-5)
USS Liberty was a Belmont-class technical research ship that was attacked by Israel Defense Forces during the 1967 Six-Day War.-History:...
. The Liberty was attacked and severely damaged
USS Liberty incident
The USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship, , by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy torpedo boats, on June 8, 1967, during the Six-Day War. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members , wounded 170 crew members, and...
by Israeli forces in June 1967 and subsequently decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
. The Belmont was decommissioned and stricken in 1970.
Shipyards
The Victory ship were constructed in six west coastWest Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
and Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
emergency shipyards that sprang up in World War II to build Liberty, Victory, and other ships. The Victory ship design was prepared to accommodate the smallest capacity crane at these shipyards. In addition to the American construction, some ships were also built in British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and three hundred hulls in Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
yards.
| Shipyard | Location | Quantity Yard |
Type | Quantity Type |
MCV Hull Numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Fairfield | Baltimore, Maryland | 94 | VC2-S-AP2 | 93 | 602-653, 816-856 | 23 more cancelled |
| VC2-M-AP4 | 1 | 654 | Diesel engine Diesel engine A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber... variant |
|||
| California Shipbuilding California Shipbuilding Corporation California Shipbuilding Corporation built 467 Liberty and Victory ships during World War II, including Haskell-class attack transports. California Shipbuilding Corporation was often referred to as Calship... |
Wilmington, California | 131 | VC2-S-AP3 | 32 | 1-24, 27, 29, 31-33, 37, 41, 42 | |
| VC2-S-AP5 | 30 | 25, 26, 28, 30, 34-36, 38-40, 43-62 | 63-66 Transferred to Vancouver as 812-815 | |||
| VC2-S-AP2 | 69 | 67-84, 767-811, 885-890 | 10 more cancelled | |||
| Kaiser Shipbuilding Kaiser Shipyards The Kaiser Shipyards were seven major shipbuilding yards located mostly on the U.S. west coast during World War II. They were owned by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, a creation of American industrialist Henry J... |
Vancouver, Washington Vancouver, Washington Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010... |
31 | VC2-S-AP5 | 31 | 655-681, 812-815 | 17 more cancelled |
| Oregon Shipbuilding Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation was a World War II emergency shipyard located in Portland, Oregon, United States, that built over 1000 Liberty and Victory ships between 1941 and 1945. It was closed after the war ended.... |
Portland, Oregon Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... |
136 | VC2-S-AP3 | 99 | 85-116, 147-189, 682-701, 872-875 | 19 more cancelled |
| VC2-S-AP5 | 34 | 117-146, 860-863 | 12 more cancelled | |||
| VC2-S-AP7 | 1 | 866 | Originally AP5 | |||
| VC2-S1-AP7 | 2 | 876, 877 | Originally AP3 | |||
| Permanente/Kaiser Yard #1 Richmond Shipyards The four Richmond Shipyards, located in the city of Richmond, California, United States, were run by Permanente Metals and part of the Kaiser Shipyards, and were responsible for constructing more ships during World War II than any other shipyard in the country. The shipyards are part of the Rosie... |
Richmond, California Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been... |
53 | VC2-S-AP3 | 10 | 525-534 | |
| VC2-S-AP2 | 43 | 535-550, 581-596, 702-711 | ||||
| Permanente/Kaiser Yard #2 | 89 | VC2-S-AP5 | 22 | 552-573 | ||
| VC2-S-AP2 | 67 | 574-580, 597-601, 712-766 |
Status of remaining Victory ships
Three are now open for tours as museum shipMuseum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
s:
- SS American VictorySS American VictorySS American Victory is a Second World War Victory ship which has been preserved as a museum ship in Tampa, Florida. The ship is the main feature of the American Victory Ship & Museum, also known as the American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship.-History:Named after American University in...
(Tampa, Florida) - SS Lane VictorySS Lane VictorySS Lane Victory is a Second World War Victory ship which is preserved as a museum ship in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles, California. As a rare surviving Victory ship, it is a U.S...
(Los Angeles, California) - SS Red Oak VictorySS Red Oak Victory (AK-235)SS Red Oak Victory is a World War II Victory ship preserved as a museum ship in Richmond, California. It was one of 534 Victories built during World War II, but one of only a few of these ships to be transferred from the Merchant Marine to the United States Navy. It was named after Red Oak, Iowa,...
(Richmond, California)
One is laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
.
- Status indicated is as of 2010-3-31 MARADMaradMarad was an ancient Sumerian city. Marad was situated on the west bank of the then western branch of the Upper Euphrates River west of Nippur in modern day Iraq and roughly 50 km southeast of Kish, on the Arahtu River.The city's ziggurat E-igi-kalama was dedicated to Ninurta the god of...
inventory.
At James River Reserve Fleet:
- USS Range Sentinel (AGM-22) - Hull Number 553, type VC2-S-AP5, status Disposal (former USS Sherburne (APA-205))
Four are at Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
undergoing scrapping:
- Status indicated is as of 2010-3-31 MARADMaradMarad was an ancient Sumerian city. Marad was situated on the west bank of the then western branch of the Upper Euphrates River west of Nippur in modern day Iraq and roughly 50 km southeast of Kish, on the Arahtu River.The city's ziggurat E-igi-kalama was dedicated to Ninurta the god of...
inventory.- SS Earlham Victory - Hull Number 763, type VC2-S-AP2, status: being scrapped at All Star Metals
- SS Pan American Victory - Hull Number 746, type VC2-S-AP2, status: being scrapped at All Star Metals
- SS Rider Victory - Hull Number 777, type VC2-S-AP2, status: being scrapped at ESCO Marine, Brownsville, Tx.
- SS Winthrop Victory - Hull Number 790, type VC2-S-AP2, status: being scrapped at ESCO Marine, Brownsville, Tx.
See also
- Empire ships
- Liberty shipLiberty shipLiberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
- List of Victory ships
- Park shipsPark shipPark Ships were merchant steamships constructed for Canada’s Merchant Navy during World War II. Park ships were the Canadian equivalent of the American Liberty Ships and the British Fort ships. All three shared a similar design by J.L...
- Port Chicago disasterPort Chicago disasterThe Port Chicago disaster was a deadly munitions explosion that occurred on July 17, 1944, at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Port Chicago, California, United States. Munitions detonated while being loaded onto a cargo vessel bound for the Pacific Theater of Operations, killing 320 sailors and...
- T2 tankerT2 tankerThe T2 tanker, or T2, was an oil tanker constructed and produced in large quantities in the United States during World War II. The largest "navy oilers" after the T3s at the time, nearly 500 of them were built between 1940 and the end of 1945....
- Type C1 shipType C1 shipType C1 was a designation for small cargo ships built for the U.S. Maritime Commission before and during World War II. The first C1 types were the smallest of the three original Maritime Commission designs, meant for shorter routes where high speed and capacity were less important. Only a handful...
- Type C2 shipType C2 shipType C2 ships were designed by the United States Maritime Commission in 1937-38. They were all-purpose cargo ships with five holds, and U.S. shipyards built 173 of them from 1939-1945. Compared to ships built before 1939, the C2s were remarkable for their speed and fuel economy. Their design speed...
- Type C3 shipType C3 shipType C3 ships were the third type of cargo ship designed by the United States Maritime Commission in the late 1930s. As it had done with the Type C1 ships and Type C2 ships, MARCOM circulated preliminary plans for comment...
External links
- Liberty Ships and Victory Ships, America's Lifeline in War - a lesson on Liberty ships and Victory ships from the National Park Service's Teaching with Historic Places
- "Victory Ship Makes 15 knots, Outstrips Liberty" Popular Mechanics, December 1943