After World War II the ship was laid up at the Hudson RiverUnited States Maritime Administration facility on 7 October 1949.[4] During the Hŭngnam evacuation on 10 December 1950, Enid Victory, serving as a chartered Military Sea Transportation Service vessel, cut the eastern point of the harbor too close and ran aground. The one-foot tide of the Sea of Japan made it difficult, but by next afternoon the ARL Askari, the fleet tug Tawakoni, and two harbor tugs managed free the ship, and she continued to Pusan.[5] In February 1952, the SS Enid Victory returned 280 bodies of fallen servicemen home to the United States.[6]
Post war
In 1955 the ship was used to determine best shipping routes based on marine weather forecasts. The Enid Victory followed a path that was based on these forecasts while control ships went more conventional routes.[7] For the first of these, the Enid Victory departed La Pallice, France and a control ship, the SS Monroe Victory, departed from Liverpool, England, on 7 January 1955, bound for New York City.[8] The Enid Victory arrived at New York on 17 January 1955, traveling a distance of 3,318 miles at an average speed of 14.57 knots. On 19 January 1955, the Monroe Victory arrived in New York, 2 days, 18 hours and 54 minutes later.[7] This ship had also traveled 3,318 miles but its speed on the standard route was only 11.30 knots.[7] On 15 November 1956, Lykes Brothers chartered the Enid Victory from the United States at Norfolk, Virginia.[9][10]
Vietnam War
Enid Victory was reactivated during the Vietnam War.[11] The ship had been held in reserve in Houston, Texas and underwent $257,000 worth of topside and internal reconditioning.[12] While en route to Vietnam and serving as an ammunition ship, an explosion occurred in the engine room and killed the second assistant engineer.[13] While in the Subic Bay, Philippines, the USS Tillamook (ATA-192) answered the call for a rescue mission with only the duty section embarked. The call came in around 2200 on 20 December 1966, and the tug got under way immediately to rendezvous with SS Enid Victory which was unable to return to port because of a damaged steering engine.[14] The Tillamook brought the merchantman safely back to Subic Bay.[15]
Retirement
By 1974, the ship was again mothballed at Beaumont, Texas.[16] The Enid Victory was sold for scrap on 16 August 1993.[4]
↑Sawyer, Leonard Arthur, and Mitchell, William Harry, "712 ENID VICTORY", Victory Ships and Tankers: the history of the Victory type cargo ships and of the tankers built in the United States of America during World War II, Cornell Maritime Press, 1974, pg 51
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