The SS St. Lawrence Victory (MCV-735) was a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory-class cargo ship built for the United States during World War II. The ship was built as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding program by Permanente Metals Corporation in Yard 2 of the Richmond Shipyards in Richmond, California. Launched in March 1945, the St Lawrence Victory delivered supplies for the Pacific War. After the war, it served as a relief ship delivering supplies to Europe under the Marshall Plan. Damaged by a sea mine in 1947, it was salvaged by Yugoslavia then changed hands several times in private use before it was scrapped in 1973. Early history The SS St. Lawrence Victorys keel was laid on January 25, 1945, before being christened on March 31, 1945. The St. Lawrence Victory was a US Maritime Administration armed cargo ship, named for St. Lawrence University in St. Lawrence County, New York as one of 150 educational institutions which had Victory ships named after them. Constructed for the US Maritime Commission (MARCOM), this 10,600-ton ship was built at the Oregon Shipbuilding yards in just 65 days. The ship was operated by the Agwilines Inc under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration. Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty ships. Liberty ships were intended to be used solely for World War II. In contrast, Victory ships were built to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were faster, longer, wider, taller, and had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and a long raised forecastle. Missions The first mission of the St. Lawrence Victory was to deliver bombs to Saipan for the Pacific War. Loaded with her maximum weight of 10,000 tons of explosive material, the ship traversed the Pacific Ocean to Saipan, traveling in a zig-zag motion to elude Japanese submarines; the ship journeyed under radio silence and without running lights at night. After delivering her cargo, she proceeded to Seattle, arriving in July 1945. On August 27 of that year, the St. Lawrence Victory joined Task Group 30.8, a Sea Logistics Group delivering supplies to troops stationed on Guam. After the war, the SS St. Lawrence Victory served as a relief ship as part of the Marshall Plan, carrying supplies to war-torn European nations. The cargo ship continued to serve in