SS Rutland Victory

Last updated
OregonShipbuildingCorporation1944.jpg
Rutland Victory and sister ships at the Oregon Shipbuilding Company in Portland, Oregon
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameSS Rutland Victory
Namesake Rutland, Vermont
Owner War Shipping Administration
Operator United States Lines
Builder Oregon Shipbuilding Company
Laid downMarch 20, 1944
LaunchedMay 9, 1944
Sponsored byMrs. Ada May Brannon
ChristenedMay 19, 1944
CompletedMay 29, 1944
FateSold to private use, sank in 1976
General characteristics
Class and typeVC2-S-AP3 Victory ship
Tonnage7612 GRT, 4,553 NRT
Displacement15,200 tons
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draft28 ft (8.5 m)
Installed power8,500  shp (6,300 kW)
PropulsionHP & LP turbines geared to a single 20.5-foot (6.2 m) propeller
Speed16.5 knots
Boats & landing
craft carried
4 Lifeboats
Complement62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards
Armament
Notes [1]

The SS Rutland Victory was a Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. It was built and launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on May 9, 1944, and completed on May 29, 1944. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3 and hull number 104 (1020). The ship was Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation's 20th victory ship. The Maritime Commission turned it over for Merchant navy operation to a civilian contractor, the United States Lines. [2]

Contents

Mrs. Ada May Brannor, of La Grande, Oregon, christened the SS Rutland Victory. She worked at the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation yard on the swing shift. Mrs. Brannor was given a gold jewel case with her name and the ship engraved on it. [3] [4]

World War II

In 1944, for the vessel's first mission, the Rutland Victory took ammunition from Washington, D.C., to Pearl Harbor. [5]

On August 29, 1944, the Rutland Victory transferred cargo to and from the USS Massachusetts (BB-59) at Enewetak Atoll. Task force 38 was at the Enewetak Atoll in August 1944 and the Rutland Victory delivered cargo and goods to the Task force. [6] [7] In May 1945, she traveled from California to Iwo Jima with 82 days-worth of supplies for the American troops stationed at Iwo Jima for the purpose of preparing them for the Battle of Okinawa, lasting from April 1 to June 22, 1945. After the war she moved to ports where supplies were required.

Honors

Rutland Victory earned Battle Stars for combat action from June 17, 1945, to June 30, 1945, at the Battle of Okinawa at Okinawa in the Pacific Ocean. On those days, the Rutland Victory used its deck guns to defend itself and other ships from Japanese Kamikaze plane attacks. [8]

Film

A short film about the Panama Canal featured the Rushville Victory crossing was made entitled "Ocean to Ocean: Panama Canal"; it shows the crossing of the Rushville Victory through the Panama canal to demonstrate how the canal worked. The film is now part of a DVD titled "USN Oil Tankers Supply and Cargo Ships" by Campbell films, with a running time of 8:10 min.

Private use

In 1948, the SS Rutland Victory was sold to the American President Lines of San Francisco and renamed the SS President Fillmore. In 1962, the boat was sold to Victory Shipping Enterprises Inc. from Wilmington, Delaware and renamed SS Smith Victory. In 1965, Victory Shipping Enterprises renamed it the SS US Victory. The vessel was later sold to Transpacific Container Services of Liberia in 1969 and renamed the SS Oriental Arrow. In 1969, Transpacific Container Services converted it to a 7,511 g.t. container ship and in 1972, it was sold to Universal Enterprise Inc. of Monrovia, Liberia, and renamed the SS Oriental Ace.

In 1976, the Oriental Ace sank. The SS Oriental Ace, operating as a Liberian container ship, started to leak in rough seas on its way from Seattle to Kobe, Japan. The crew abandoned ship into the lifeboats and it sank on February 13, 1976 at 32.05N 152.43E, 600 miles East of Tokyo, Japan.

[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

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SS <i>Cody Victory</i> United States Merchant Marine ship

The SS Cody Victory was a Victory ship (VC2-S-AP3) built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The ship's keel was laid by the California Shipbuilding Company as hull number 69 on 26 October 1944 with launch on 12 December 1944. The ship was completed on 22 January 1945. On completion the ship, U.S. Official Number 247094, was delivered to the War Shipping Administration for operation by the Alcoa Steamship Company as agent.

SS <i>Canada Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

The SS Canada Victory was one of 531 Victory ships built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on January 12, 1944, and was completed on February 28, 1944. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 93 (1009). The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor, the Alaska SS Company, for operation.

SS <i>Claremont Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

The SS Claremont Victory was the 18th of 531 Victory ships built during World War II. She was built in the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in 1944. She served during the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, she was owned by a number of merchant shipping companies in Argentina before being scrapped in 1978.

SS <i>Colgate Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

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SS <i>Rushville Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

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SS <i>Bucknell Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

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SS <i>Lewiston Victory</i> United States Merchant Marine ship

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SS <i>Wheaton Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

The SS Wheaton Victory was a class of Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on 22 March 1945. The ship was completed and delivered to the wartime operator of all United States oceangoing shipping, the War Shipping Administration (WSA), on 14 April 1945. Wheaton Victory was assigned to Marine Transport Line, under a standard WSA operating agreement at that time. That agreement continued until the ship's sale in 1947. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 776. Wheaton Victory was converted from a cargo ship to a troopship to bring troops home after the war as part of Operation Magic Carpet.

SS <i>Skagway Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

SS Skagway Victory was a Victory ship built for the United States during World War II. She was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on June 21, 1944, and was completed on July 15, 1944. The ship's US Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 116 (V-116). She was built in 64 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor, the Alcoa, for operation until the end of World War II hostilities. She was operated under the US Merchant Marine Act for the War Shipping Administration.

References

  1. Babcock & Wilcox (April 1944). "Victory Ships". Marine Engineering and Shipping Review.
  2. shipbuildinghistory.com Merchant ships Victory ships
  3. La Grande Observer from La Grande, Oregon, Page 3, May 20, 1944
  4. oregonlive.com Rutland victory
  5. Dirk Perrefort (January 17, 2010), Merchant Marine vet wants people to remember
  6. Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil - The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the WW2, August of 1944, By Rear Adm. Worrall Reed Carter
  7. The U.S. Coast Guard in World War II, page 163, By Malcolm Willoughby
  8. usmm.org U.S. Merchant Marine Ships whose Naval Armed Guard crews earned "Battle Stars" in World War II
  9. theshipslist.com American President
  10. photo of SS Oriental Ace as Liberian container ship, flickr.com
  11. Mariners, the Website of the Mariners Mailing List., Victory Ships
  12. Wreck "SS Rutland Victory"
  13. Wreck SS Oriental Ace (+1976)

Sources