USS Alchiba (AKA-6)

USS "Alchiba" (AKA-6) was an of the United States Navy, named after Alchiba, a star in the Constellation Corvus. She served as a commissioned ship for 4 years and 7 months.
Operational history.
Laid down as "Mormacdove" under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 21) on 15 August 1938 at Chester, Pennsylvania, by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Hull 178; launched on 6 July 1939; sponsored by Miss Alice W. Clement; delivered 21 September 1939 to owner/operator Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc.; acquired by the Navy on 2 June 1941; renamed "Alchiba" the next day and simultaneously designated AK-23; converted by the Boston Navy Yard for naval service as a cargo ship; and placed in commission at Boston on 15 June 1941, Comdr. Allen P. Mullinix in command.
1941.
"Alchiba" was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service and sailed to Charleston, South Carolina, for shakedown training. She then carried out training exercises along the East Coast through early October and sailed — via Quonset Point, Rhode Island — for Halifax, Nova Scotia, to take on cargo and personnel for transportation to Iceland. She departed Halifax on 22 October in convoy HX 156 and reached Reykjavík, Iceland, on 30 November. The vessel discharged cargo there before sailing back to the United States. She reached New York City on 26 December, and was briefly drydocked there for repairs.
1942.
The ship got underway on 11 January 1942, arrived at Charleston — via Norfolk, Virginia — on the 19th, took on supplies and equipment destined for the Pacific theater, and set sail on 27 January. She transited the Panama Canal on 2 February; joined the Base Force, Pacific Fleet; and continued on to the Society Islands. "Alchiba" reached Bora Bora on the 17th and began discharging her cargo. She departed that port on 14 March and shaped a course for Chile. She reached Antofagasta, Chile, on 29 March and took on a load of ingot and electrolytic copper. After transiting the Panama Canal on 8 April, the cargo ship arrived back in New York City on 19 April and unloaded her cargo.
One week later, "Alchiba" moved to Charleston and underwent a period of repairs and alterations. She resumed duty late in May and sailed for Hampton Roads to take on cargo and personnel destined for service in the South Pacific. The ship then got underway on 10 June, transited the Panama Canal on the 17th, and reached Wellington, New Zealand, on 11 July.
The vessel was assigned to Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, and became a member of Transport Division C. For Operation Watchtower, Alchiba's Division served under Task Force 62 (South Pacific Amphibious Force), Task Group 62.1, Transport Group X-Ray. On 22 July, she sailed for Korp Island, Fiji Islands, to participate in amphibious landing exercises — the rehearsal for the first American assault landing in the Pacific theater. Upon completing this training, she embarked marines and filled her holds with ammunition, amphibious tractors, gasoline, and general supplies and got underway for operations in the Solomon Islands. The vessel arrived off Guadalcanal on 7 August, where she disembarked her troops, unloaded her cargo, and helped rescue survivors from the "USS Astoria", sunk after the Battle of Savo Island. She left the Solomons on 9 August, bound for New Caledonia. After her arrival at Nouméa on the 13th, the ship loaded on more cargo and, nine days later, commenced a voyage which took her to Pago Pago, American Samoa; Tongatapu, Tonga Islands; and Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides.
"Alchiba" returned to Guadalcanal on 18 September. After unloading cargo to support Marines struggling for that island, she sailed back to New Caledonia (7–10 October) for more supplies and returned to Guadalcanal on 1 November. During November the ship shuttled supplies and personnel between Guadalcanal and Tulagi. She was anchored off Lunga Point at 0616 on 28 November, when two torpedoes from Japanese Ko-hyoteki class midget submarine "Ha-10" (launched from submarine ) exploded on the vessel's port side. At that time, her No. 2 hold was loaded with drums of aviation gasoline and ammunition, and the resulting explosion shot flames 150 feet in the air. The commanding officer, James Shepherd Freeman, ordered the ship to weigh anchor and run upon the beach. This action undoubtedly saved the ship. Hungry flames raged in the ship for over five days before weary fire fighting parties finally brought them under control. Captain Freeman was awarded the Navy Cross and executive officer Commander Howard R. Shaw the Silver Star for their leadership in saving this vessel.
Salvage operations began soon thereafter. Most of her cargo was saved, and temporary repairs were in progress when "Alchiba" was torpedoed again on 7 December, this time by midget submarine "Ha-38" (launched from ). An enemy submarine's conning tower had been spotted shortly before two torpedoes were fired. One passed close under the cargo ship's stern, but the other struck her No. 4 hold on the port side near the engine room. Although the hold cargo (500-pound bombs) had been unloaded earlier, the blast killed three men, including Everett M. Stuermer, MM2 wounded six others, and caused considerable structural damage. Once the fires and flooding were controlled, salvage operations resumed and enabled the ship to get underway for Tulagi on 27 December 1942.
1943.
"Alchiba" remained at Tulagi through 18 January 1943. On that day, she was moved to Espiritu Santo for further repair work. While at that island, the ship was redesignated AKA-6 on 1 February. She left Espiritu Santo on 6 May, bound for the West Coast of the United States, and entered the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California, on 2 June.
Her refurbishing there lasted until early August when she conducted sea trials off the California coast before sailing on 13 August for Port Hueneme, California, to take on cargo. Six days later, she headed for the South Pacific to continue her service providing logistics support for Allied fighting men. "Alchiba" left Espiritu Santo on 12 September. She made runs to New Caledonia and Guadalcanal and in mid-November, participated in the landings on Bougainville, as part of Transport Division C, III Amphibious Force. "Alchiba" returned to Espiritu Santo on 13 December.
1944.
"Alchiba" continued her supply duties in the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia through late March 1944. In April, "Alchiba" was assigned to carry elements of the 25th RCT (Regimental Combat Team), 4th Marines, for the invasion of Saipan as part of Transport Division 20. However, during the rehearsal in mid-May she had to return to Pearl Harbor for major repairs, and her place was taken by AKA 19 (USS Thuban). On 25 May, the ship left Pearl Harbor for the West Coast of the United States.
On 30 May, "Alchiba" entered the Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland, California, to undergo extensive alterations and repairs. The work was completed late in August, and the cargo ship got underway for sea trials in San Francisco Bay. Engine trouble developed during these tests, and the ship returned to the yard on 1 September for further repairs. She took on cargo at the Hunters Point Navy Yard on the 22d and sailed once again for Espiritu Santo.
While en route, the ship experienced more engine problems, but she reached her destination on 9 October and commenced repair work. This process continued until early November, when the vessel shaped a course back to San Francisco. She arrived at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California, on the 29th and underwent extensive repairs to her main engine.
1945.
On 24 February 1945, "Alchiba" commenced sea trials but was forced to return to Mare Island two days later for still more work. Two weeks later, the ship sailed to Morehaven(?), California, to load cargo and got underway on 20 March for Pearl Harbor. During the run to Hawaii, the engines continued to give trouble, and "Alchiba" returned to San Francisco for further repairs, this time by the General Engineering & Drydock Corp.
The cargo ship left the shipyard on 3 June; sailed to the Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, California; took on cargo there; and put to sea on the 15th, bound for Ulithi. While she was en route there, her destination was changed to Pearl Harbor because of still more engine trouble. Upon her arrival at Hawaii on the 24th, repair work was resumed. The ship sailed again on 8 July for Eniwetok, Marshall Islands; Ulithi, Caroline Islands; Guam, Mariana Islands; and Manila, Philippines. The end of World War II in mid-August found "Alchiba" in port at Ulithi unloading cargo. She remained on duty in the western Pacific through 26 October, when she was ordered back to the United States.
"Alchiba" arrived at San Francisco on 19 November. Eight days later, she began a voyage to the East Coast, transited the Panama Canal on 10 December, and sailed for Norfolk where she arrived on the 18th. Preparations for her deactivation then began.
Decommissioning and sale.
The ship was decommissioned at Portsmouth, Virginia, on 14 January 1946; and her name was struck from the Navy List on 25 February 1946. She was transferred on 19 July 1946 to the Maritime Commission for disposal. She was sold in 1948 and refitted for merchant service in the Netherlands as "Tjipanas", later renamed "Tong Jit", and scrapped in 1973.
Awards.
"Alchiba" won three battle stars for her World War II service, and was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for her service at Guadalcanal from August through December 1942. Alchiba is the only cargo ship in the history of the U.S. Navy to receive the Presidential Unit Citation. As a Citation awardee, the Alchiba was entitled to fly the Presidential Unit Citation pennant beneath her ensign, and to be saluted by other warships whenever entering a military port.


Ohio-class submarine

The "Ohio" class of nuclear-powered submarines includes the United States Navy's 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and its four cruise missile submarines (SSGNs). Each displacing 18,750 tons submerged, the "Ohio"-class boats are the largest submarines ever built for the U.S. Navy. They are the world's third-largest submarines, behind the Russian Navy's Soviet-designed 48,000-ton and 24,000-ton . The "Ohios" carry more missiles than either: 24 Trident II missiles apiece, versus 16 by the Borei class (20 by the Borei II) and 20 by the "Typhoon" class.
Like its predecessor - and subs, the "Ohio" SSBNs are part of the United States' nuclear-deterrent triad, along with U.S. Air Force strategic bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The 14 SSBNs together carry about half of U.S. active strategic thermonuclear warheads. Although the Trident missiles have no preset targets when the submarines go on patrol, they can be given targets quickly, from the United States Strategic Command based in Nebraska, using secure and constant radio communications links, including very low frequency systems.
The lead submarine of this class is . All the "Ohio"-class submarines, except for , are named for U.S. states, which U.S. Navy tradition had previously reserved for battleships and cruisers. The "Ohio" class is to be gradually replaced by the beginning in 2031.
Description.
The "Ohio"-class submarine was designed for extended strategic deterrent patrols. Each submarine is assigned two complete crews, called the Blue crew and the Gold crew, each typically serving 70-to-90-day deterrent patrols. To decrease the time in port for crew turnover and replenishment, three large logistics hatches have been installed to provide large-diameter resupply and repair access. These hatches allow rapid transfer of supply pallets, equipment replacement modules, and machinery components, speeding up replenishment and maintenance of the submarines. Moreover, the "stealth" ability of the submarines was significantly improved over all previous ballistic-missile subs. " Ohio" was virtually undetectable in her sea trials in 1982, giving the U.S. Navy extremely advanced flexibility.
The class's design allows the boat to operate for about 15 years between major overhauls. These submarines are reported to be as quiet at their cruising speed of or more as the previous s at , although exact information remains classified. Fire control for their Mark 48 torpedoes is carried out by Mark 118 Mod 2 system, while the Missile Fire Control system is a Mark 98.
The "Ohio"-class submarines were constructed from sections of hull, with each four-deck section being in diameter. The sections were produced at the General Dynamics Electric Boat facility, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, and then assembled at its shipyard at Groton, Connecticut.
The US Navy has a total of 18 "Ohio"-class submarines which consist of 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), and four cruise missile submarines (SSGNs). The SSBN submarines provide the sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad. Each SSBN submarine is armed with up to 24 Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM). Each SSGN is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of Harpoon missiles to be fired through their torpedo tubes.
As part of the New START treaty, four tubes on each SSBN will be deactivated, leaving each ship with only 20 available for war loads.
History.
The "Ohio" class was designed in the 1970s to carry the concurrently designed Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile. The first eight "Ohio"-class submarines were armed at first with 24 Trident I C4 SLBMs. Beginning with the ninth Trident submarine, , the remaining boats were equipped with the larger, three-stage Trident II D5 missile. The Trident I missile carries eight multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles, while the Trident II missile carries 12, in total delivering more destructive power than the Trident I missile and with greater accuracy. Starting with in 2000, the Navy began converting its remaining ballistic missile submarines armed with C4 missiles to carry D5 missiles. This task was completed in mid-2008. The first eight submarines had their home ports at Bangor, Washington, to replace the submarines carrying Polaris A3 missiles that were then being decommissioned. The remaining 10 submarines originally had their home ports at Kings Bay, Georgia, replacing the Poseidon and Trident Backfit submarines of the Atlantic Fleet.
SSBN/SSGN conversions.
In 1994, the Nuclear Posture Review study determined that, of the 18 "Ohio" SSBNs the U.S. Navy would be operating in total, 14 would be sufficient for the strategic needs of the U.S. The decision was made to convert four "Ohio"-class boats into SSGNs capable of conducting conventional land attack and special operations. As a result, the four oldest boats of the class—"Ohio", "Michigan", "Florida", and "Georgia"—progressively entered the conversion process in late 2002 and were returned to active service by 2008. The boats could thereafter carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 66 special operations personnel, among other capabilities and upgrades. The cost to refit the four boats was around US$1 billion (2008 dollars) per vessel. During the conversion of the first four submarines to SSGNs (see below), five of the submarines, , , , , and , were transferred from Kings Bay to Bangor. Further transfers occur as the strategic weapons goals of the United States change.
In 2011, "Ohio"-class submarines carried out 28 deterrent patrols. Each patrol lasts around 70 days. Four boats are on station ("hard alert") in designated patrol areas at any given time. From January to June 2014, "Pennsylvania" carried out a 140-day-long patrol, the longest to date.
The conversion modified 22 of the 24 diameter Trident missile tubes to contain large vertical launch systems, one configuration of which may be a cluster of seven Tomahawk cruise missiles. In this configuration, the number of cruise missiles carried could be a maximum of 154, the equivalent of what is typically deployed in a surface battle group. Other payload possibilities include new generations of supersonic and hypersonic cruise missiles, and Submarine Launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, the ADM-160 MALD, sensors for antisubmarine warfare or intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, counter mine warfare payloads such as the AN/BLQ-11 Long Term Mine Reconnaissance System, and the broaching universal buoyant launcher and stealthy affordable capsule system specialized payload canisters.
The missile tubes also have room for stowage canisters that can extend the forward deployment time for special forces. The other two Trident tubes are converted to swimmer lockout chambers. For special operations, the Advanced SEAL Delivery System and the dry deck shelter can be mounted on the lockout chamber and the boat will be able to host up to 66 special-operations sailors or Marines, such as Navy SEALs, or USMC MARSOC teams. Improved communications equipment installed during the upgrade allows the SSGNs to serve as a forward-deployed, clandestine Small Combatant Joint Command Center.
On 26 September 2002, the Navy awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a US$442.9 million contract to begin the first phase of the SSGN submarine conversion program. Those funds covered only the initial phase of conversion for the first two boats on the schedule. Advanced procurement was funded at $355 million in fiscal year 2002, $825 million in the FY 2003 budget and, through the five-year defense budget plan, at $936 million in FY 2004, $505 million in FY 2005, and $170 million in FY 2006. Thus, the total cost to refit the four boats is just under $700 million per vessel.
In November 2002, "Ohio" entered a dry-dock, beginning her 36-month refueling and missile-conversion overhaul. Electric Boat announced on 9 January 2006 that the conversion had been completed. The converted "Ohio" rejoined the fleet in February 2006, followed by "Florida" in April 2006. The converted "Michigan" was delivered in November 2006. The converted "Ohio" went to sea for the first time in October 2007. "Georgia" returned to the fleet in March 2008 at Kings Bay. These four SSGNs are expected to remain in service until about 2023–2026. At that point, their capabilities will be replaced with Virginia Payload Module-equipped .
List of boats.
Note: Boats based at Naval Base Kitsap, Washington are operated by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, while boats based at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia are operated by U.S. Fleet Forces Command, (formerly the U.S. Atlantic Fleet).
Replacement.
The U.S. Department of Defense anticipates a continued need for a sea-based strategic nuclear force. The first of the current "Ohio" SSBNs is expected to be retired by 2029, so the replacement submarine must be seaworthy by that time. A replacement may cost over $4 billion per unit compared to "Ohio"s $2 billion. The U.S. Navy is exploring two options. The first is a variant of the nuclear-powered attack submarines. The second is a dedicated SSBN, either with a new hull or based on an overhaul of the current "Ohio".
With the cooperation of both Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding, in 2007, the U.S. Navy began a cost-control study. Then in December 2008, the U.S. Navy awarded Electric Boat a contract for the missile compartment design of the "Ohio"-class replacement, worth up to $592 million. Newport News is expected to receive close to 4% of that project. In April 2009, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stated that the U.S. Navy was expected to begin such a program in 2010. The new vessel was scheduled to enter the design phase by 2014. If a new hull design was to be used, the program needed to be initiated by 2016 to meet the 2029 deadline.
The "Columbia"-class was officially designated on 14 December 2016, by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, and the lead submarine will be . The Navy wants to procure the first Columbia-class boat in FY2021.
In popular culture.
As ballistic-missile submarines, the "Ohio" class has occasionally been portrayed in fiction books and films.


Type 639 oceanographic surveillance ship

Type 639 is a type of ocean surveillance ship is the newest oceanographic surveillance ship (as of mid 2014) developed by China for its People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). A single unit of Type 639 with pennant number Bei-diao 991 is currently in service as an oceanographic research ship and five more modified version serving as hydrographic survey ships are designated as Type 639A
Type 639 is a SWATH design of 1500 tons of displacement with three anchors. In addition to the SWATH hull form, another unique feature of Type 639 oceanographic research ship is the adaptation of integrated electric propulsion system. Developed by China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), the subsystems are developed by various subsidiaries and divisions of CSIC. The ship is jointly developed by 701st (中国船舶重工集团公司第七零一研究所) and The 702nd Institute of CSIC (中国船舶重工集团公司第七零二研究所). The ship was built by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Co. Ltd (武昌船舶重工有限责任公司) of CASIC. The integrated electric propulsion system was the result of work of several CASIC subsidiaries and divisions, including Wuhan Machinery Plant Co. Ltd (武汉船用机械有限责任公司), Henan Diesel Engine Industry Co. Ltd (河南柴油机重工有限责任公司), Shanxi Fenxi Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (山西汾西重工有限责任公司), Chongqing Huayu Electrical Instrumentation Plant (重庆华渝电气仪表总厂),Beijing Great Wall Electronic Equipment Co. Ltd. (北京长城电子装备有限责任公司), and the final integration of various subsystems of the integrated electric propulsion system is The 712th Institute of CSIC (中国船舶重工集团公司第七一二研究所). To meet the strict requirement, nearly a dozen new technologies were incorporated, most of them were for the first time in China. The most obvious visual feature of Type 639 oceanographic surveillance ship is that there is a well in the center to lower acoustic or other scientific equipment. Type 639/639A series ships in PLAN service are designated by a combination of two Chinese characters followed by three-digit number. The second Chinese character is Shui (调), meaning research, or Ce (测), meaning survey, because these ships are classified either as oceanographic or hydrographic research. The first Chinese character denotes which fleet the ship is service with, with East (Dōng, 东) for East Sea Fleet, North (Běi, 北) for North Sea Fleet, and South (Nán, 南) for South Sea Fleet.


Submarine-launched satellite

There have been a number of ventures into submarine-launched satellites. The advantage of launching a satellite from a submarine compared to from land is that the launch vehicle can reach a large number of different inclinations and could increase its performance to low Earth orbit by launching from equatorial sites. Missiles used for this purpose include the Volna and the Shtil', as well as theoretically the R-39 Rif. Submarines used include Delta-class submarines.
Attempts.
The first known attempt to launch a satellite from a submarine was conducted on July 7, 1998, when a Russian nuclear submarine (the K-407 Novomoskovsk) launched the Tubsat-N in Barents Sea using a Shtil' rocket. Tubsat-N was a German miniaturized satellite for communication designed by the Technical University of Berlin.
Another launch was conducted on May 29, 2006, using a Shtil 1 rocket.


SS Wabash Victory


Soviet K-class submarine

The K class were the largest submarines built for the Soviet Navy in the World War II era.
Design.
The design was approved in 1936 as a long range "cruiser submarine" with a heavy torpedo and gun armament. The boats could operate as a "fleet submarine" working with the battle fleet or as long range commerce raiders.
They were a significantly improved version of the and overcame most of their shortcomings (Conway's Fighting Ships). The double hull was divided into seven compartments. It was originally planned to carry a small floatplane for scouting but this concept was abandoned when the planned aircraft proved too flimsy.
Yakubov and Worth state that these were the most successful Soviet submarines of the World War II era, with high speed and good seakeeping. This class of submarine possessed better ventilation and air conditioning systems than any other class of Soviet submarine in World War II. They had amenities such as a bunk for every sailor, small cabins for each officer, showers, electric heaters (this class was designed to operate primarily in the Arctic), and an electric galley. The hull provided spacious accommodation. Diving time was 60 seconds. American naval constructors inspected "K-21" in 1944, and thought the design to be workmanlike but technically inferior to contemporary American boats such as the s
An improved design, the KU class, which was to be of welded construction was in planning in 1941. 24 KU boats were planned. but none were started.
Boats.
All twelve boats were built by Marti Yard / Ordzhinikidze Yard, Leningrad, on the Baltic Sea, for the Soviet Northern Fleet. "K-1" to "K-23" were transferred before the German Invasion, and "K-51" to "K-56" were trapped in Leningrad during the blockade; they were completed after the war and transferred to the Arctic


Convict ship

A convict ship was any ship engaged on a voyage to carry convicted felons under sentence of penal transportation from their place of conviction to their place of exile.
Description.
A convict ship, as used to convey convicts to the British colonies in America, the Caribbean and Australian Colonies, were ordinary British merchant ships as seen in ports around the world at that time. There was no ship specifically built as a convict vessel. There was no ship engaged exclusively for convict transportation use, all being used for general cargo, or passenger transport, at various times.
Vessels chartered for convict transport were mainly square rigged ships or barques, with the exception of a few brigs, the majority being small to moderate tonnage. The fees paid to the ship owners were so low that only the worst and most decrepit ships were utilised.
English Parliamentary records indicate that the average rate paid by the Government to hire a ship for convict service in 1816 was £6 1s 9d per vessel ton, with tonnages typically between 372 and 584.
Purpose.
Convict ships generally engaged in carrying convicts from Great Britain to the Australian Colonies. The First Fleet saw the first convict ships arrive in Australia in January 1788, and the last convict ship, "Hougoumont", arrived in Western Australia in 1868.
Over the 80 years of transportation, between 1788 and 1868, 608 convict ships transported more than 162,000 convicts to Australia.
Following serious outbreaks of disease with heavy loss of life on board some early convict ship voyages, from 1801 voyages were subject to more strict regulation by the British Government in terms of provisions and medical support, as a result of which during the nineteenth century deaths on board ship during these long passages were generally lower than on assisted immigrant ships on similar voyages, and many convicts actually arrived in a better state of health than they had enjoyed before leaving.
Loss of life due to accident or natural disaster was also rare, although there were four serious shipwrecks concerning convict ships to Australia - on the coast of France, on the south-east coast of Tasmania, off King Island in Bass Strait and in Table Bay, South Africa.
Many vessels, both government and privately owned, moved convicts around the Australian coastline, but these are not normally referred to as convict ships. Where moving convicts and/or troops was the main reason for an individual voyage the term convict transport or just transport was used.


MV Empire Day

Empire Day was a cargo ship that was built in 1941 as a CAM ship by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1943, she was converted to a standard cargo ship. She served until August 1944 when she was torpedoed and sunk by .
Description.
The ship was built in 1941 by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham. She was yard number 673.
The ship was long, with a beam of . She had a depth of and a draught of . She was assessed at , . Her DWT was 10,255.
The ship was propelled by a 516 nhp diesel engine.which had 3 cylinders of diameter by stroke. The engines was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland.
History.
"Empire Day" was built for the MoWT as an Empire ship. Yard number 673, she was launched on 27 March 1941 and completed in July. She was initially placed under the management of Stephens Sutton Ltd. Management would later pass to Lyle Shipping Co Ltd. The United Kingdom Official Number 168914 was allocated and Code Letters BCMG were allocated. Her port of registry was Sunderland.
Built as a CAM ship, her armament consisted a Hawker Sea Hurricane, one 4-inch gun, one 12-pounder gun and two 20mm guns.
"Empire Day" sailed from Sunderland to the Tyne on 21 July 1941. Five days later, she joined Convoy EC 50, which had departed from Southend, Essex on 25 July and arrived at the Clyde on 28 July. "Empire Day" lost her anchor and chain, and did not arrive until 30 July. She departed the Clyde on 4 August and sailed to Belfast, County Antrim. On 12 August, she departed from Belfast Lough to join Convoy ON 6, which had departed from Liverpool, Lancashire the previous day and dispersed at sea on 11 August. Her destination was Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where she arrived on 26 August. Loaded with a cargo of grain, she departed Halifax on 4 September as a member of Convoy HX 148, which arrived at Liverpool on 17 September.
"Empire Day" departed from Liverpool on 28 September as a member of Convoy ON 21, which dispersed at sea () on 14 October. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived on 16 October. A cargo of grain was loaded and she departed from Halifax on 22 October as a member of Convoy HX 156, which arrived at Liverpool on 5 November. She departed from Liverpool in ballast on 13 November as a member of Convoy ON 36, which dispersed at sea () on 25 November. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived on 28 November. Loaded with grain, she departed Halifax on 8 December as a member of Convoy HX 164, which arrived at Liverpool on 23 December.
"Emoire Day" departed from Liverpool on 23 January 1942 as a member of Convoy ON 59, which dispersed at sea () on 6 February. She was carrying the convoy's Vice-Commodore. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived the next day. Laden with grain, she returned with Convoy SC 70, departing on 15 February and arriving at Liverpool on 7 March. "Empire Day" was carrying the convoy's Commodore. She departed from Liverpool on 17 March as a member of Convoy ON 77, which dispersed at sea () on 28 March. Her destination was Halifax, arriving the next day. She returned with a cargo of grain as a member of Convoy HX 184, which departed on 8 April and arrived at Liverpool on 20 April. "Empire Day" was noted as carrying her Hurricane, she was first CAM ship to leave Halifax carrying her aircraft for many weeks.
"Empire Day" departed from Liverpool on 22 May as a member of Convoy ON 97, which arrived at Halifax on 5 June. Laden with grain, she departed from Halifax on 14 June as a member of Convoy HX 194, which arrived at Liverpool on 26 June. She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 25 June, to join Convoy BB 191, which departed the next day and arrived at Avonmouth, Somerset on 27 June.
"Empire Day" departed from Avonmouth on 6 July and arrived at the Belfast Lough two days later. On 10 July, she joined Convoy On 111, which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed at sea ( on 24 July. Her destination was Halifax, where she was to disembark her Hurricane. She arrived that day, and departed the next day for New York, United States, where she arrived on 27 July. "Empire Day" departed from New York on 16 August for Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, from where she departed on 19 August as a member of Convoy BX 34, which arrived at Halifax on 22 August. Carrying general cargo and steel, she departed from Halifax the next day as a member of Convoy Hx 204, which arrived at Liverpool on 4 September.
"Empire Day" departed from Liverpool on 22 October to join Convoy KMS 1G, which departed from the Clyde that day and arrived at Algiers, Algeria on 8 November. She then sailed to Gibraltar, from where she sailed on 24 November to join Convoy MKS 2, which had departed from Algiers on 21 November and arrived at Liverpool on 3 December.
"Empire Day" departed from Liverpool on 31 December for the Clyde, arriving the next day. She departed the Clyde on 7 January 1943 as a member of Convoy KMS 7G, which arrived at Algiers on 21 January. She left the convoy at Gibraltar on 18 January. On 26 January, she joined Convoy TE 14, which arrived at Bône, Algeria on 30 January. She left the convoy at Algiers on 29 January, departing on 11 February to join Convoy ET 11, which had departed from Bône on 9 February and arrived at Gibraltar on 13 February. She departed Gibraltar on 22 February to join Convoy MKS 8, which had departed from Bône on 17 February and arrived at Liverpool on 1 March. She left the convoy in home waters, sailing to Newport, Monmouthshire where she arrived on 1 March.
Loaded with a cargo of coal, "Empire Day" departed from Newport on 11 March for Milford Haven, arriving the next day and departing the day after that to join Convoy ON 173, which departed from Liverpool on 13 March and arrived at Halifax on 29 March. On 24 March, "Empire Day" was straggling behind the convoy. Laden with grain, she departed from Halifax on 14 April to join Convoy HX 234, which had departed from New York and arrived at Liverpool on 29 April She left the convoy at the Clyde on 28 April. "Empire Day" departed from the Clyde on 5 June for Milford Haven, arriving the next day and departing the day after that as a member of Convoy WP 351, which arrived at Portsmouth on 9 June. She was the only merchant ship in the convoy, and was escorted by , , and . She left the convoy at Falmouth, Cornwall on 8 June.
"Empire Day" departed from Falmouth on 18 June and sailed to Gibraltar, arriving on 24 June. She then formed Convoy TE 23, of which she was the only ship. She arrived at Algiers on 26 June, departing on 11 July to join Convoy ET 22, which departed from Bône on 12 July and arrived at Gibraltar the next day. She departed from Gibraltar on 22 July to join Convoy GUS 10, which had departed from Bizerta, Algeria on 18 July and arrived at the Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States on 9 August. "Empire Day" departed sailed on to New York, from where she departed on 2 September for the Hampton Roads, where she joined Convoy UGS 17, which departed on 3 September and arrived at Port Said, Egypt on 3 October. She left the convoy at Algiers, where she arrived on 25 September. She departed from Algiers on 16 November to join Convoy GUS 21, which had departed from Port Said on 7 November and arrived at the Hampton Roads on 5 December. Her destination was New York.
"Empire Day" departed from New York on 2 January 1944 for the Hampton Roads, where she joined Convoy UGS 29, which arrived at Port Said on 31 January. She then sailed to Suez and Aden, arriving there on 7 February. She then joined Convoy AB 30, which departed that day and arrived at Bombay India on 15 February. She departed from Bombay on 4 March as a member of Convoy BM 88, which arrived at Madras, India on 10 March. She left the convoy at Colombo, Ceylon on 9 March. She departed from Colombo on 25 March with Convoy JC 42, arriving at Calcutta, India on 1 April and returning with Convoy CJ 24, which departed on 15 April and arrived at Colombo on 22 April. Two days later, she departed for Lourenço Marques, Mozambique, where she arrived on 8 May.
"Empire Day" departed from Lourenço Marques on 21 May for Durban, South Africa, where she arrived the next day. She departed three days later as a member of Convoy DKA 18, which arrived at Kilindini Harbour, Kenya on 3 June. She departed from Kilindini Harbour on 15 June with Convoy KD 5, which arrived at Durban on 24 June. She left the convoy at Lourenço Marques on 23 June. Carrying a cargo of coal bound for Adem and Port Said, she departed from Lourenço Marques on 31 July as a member of Convoy DK 21A, which dispersed off Beira, Mozambique on 2 August. On 7 August 1944, "Empire Day" was torpedoed and sunk by some east of Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika (). All 34 crew and eight DEMS gunners survived. Her Chief Officer was taken prisoner by "U-198". He was killed when "U-198" was sunk by and off the Seychelles on 12 August. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial. The survivors from "Empire Day" landed on Zanzibar island, which they reached on 11 August and the sinking of "Empire Day" was then reported. Her loss had not been realised as she was unable to send out a Mayday at the time of her sinking.


I-52-class submarine

The , also called were operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by Mitsubishi Corporation, between 1943 and 1944, as cargo carriers.
The Japanese constructed only three of these during World War II, although twenty were planned.


MS Marina

MS "Marina" is an , which was constructed at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente yards in Italy for Oceania Cruises. "Marina" is the first in a duo of cruise ships, and was followed by in May 2012, the option for the third ship was declined. The ship was named in Miami by Mary Hart on 5 February 2011.
Concept and construction.
The finalization of contract for the construction of "Marina" and her sister ship, plus an option for a third, was reached on 18 June 2007. "Marina" was designed by Norwegian architectural firm Yran & Storbraaten (Y&S). The keel of "Marina" was laid on 10 March 2009 and included the welding of a U.S. silver dollar coin and a pre-Castro Cuban peso coin in the keel, which according to shipbuilding tradition is believed to bring fortune to the ship, its passengers and crew during their seagoing life. "Marina" has a diesel-electric powerplant with a pair of fixed pitch propellers.
The ship measures 66,084 gross tons and has the capacity for 1,250 passengers at double occupancy.


Rodney-class ship of the line

The "Rodney"-class ships of the line were a class of 3 two-deck 90-gun second rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir Robert Seppings.


Mein Schiff Herz

Mein Schiff Herz (formerly MV "Mercury, Celebrity Mercury and Mein Schiff 2") is the second of two s operated by TUI Cruises. Built for Celebrity Cruises at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, she was launched on 11July 1997, and was christened and entered service as MV "Mercury" on 27October 1997.
In 2008, after some eleven years in operation as "Mercury", she was renamed "Celebrity Mercury". In 2011, she was transferred to the fleet of TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI AG and Celebrity Cruises' owner Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. At the same time, she was renamed "Mein Schiff 2".
In January 2019, she was again renamed, as "Mein Schiff Herz". Her sister ship "Marella Explorer" is the former MV "Galaxy", also previously operated by Celebrity Cruises.
History.
On May 19, 2006, just prior to "Mercury"s planned departure for an Alaska cruise, Seattle-based inspectors from the U.S. Coast Guard arrested the captain of the "Mercury" for intoxication during a routine safety inspection. Celebrity Cruises arranged for a replacement, and fired the original captain.
While cruising from Charleston, South Carolina to the eastern Caribbean in February 2010, the ship was struck with a major outbreak of norovirus, affecting nearly 500 people on board, out of a total of just over 1,800. According to Celebrity Cruises, those taken ill were treated with over-the-counter medicine. Additionally, a doctor and two nurses joined the ship midway to assist with the outbreak.
TUI Cruises.
In February 2011 "Celebrity Mercury" left Celebrity Cruises to be renovated by Imtech and join TUI Cruises' fleet as "Mein Schiff 2", alongside "Mein Schiff 1", her sister ship, the former "Celebrity Galaxy". In May 2015, TUI Group announced that as part of their modernization strategy, TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 1 and Mein Schiff 2 would be transferred to Thomson Cruises over the next few years.
In March 2018 TUI Cruises announced that "Mein Schiff 2" would remain in the fleet and sail under a new name. In October 2018 the name was announced as Mein Schiff Herz. It was also announced that Mein Schiff Herz will be handed over to Marella Cruises in April 2022. A new ship, built in 2019, is now known as "Mein Schiff 2".


USS Manasquan (AG-36)

USS "Manasquan" (AG-36) was a cargo ship that served in the United States Navy at the end of World War I, and was reacquired during World War II and converted into a meteorological patrol vessel, and was also used in testing radio navigation systems.
The ship was built in 1918 as "Lake Catherine" by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company of Toledo, Ohio and taken over by the United States Shipping Board at New York City on 4 October 1918, and commissioned the same day for duty with the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS) as USS "Lake Catherine" (ID-3568), Lt. Comdr. Richard F. McNabb, USNRF, in command.
Service history.
World War I, 1918–1919.
After steaming to Norfolk and back to load cargo, "Lake Catherine" departed New York in convoy on 19 October and steamed to Rochefort, France, where she arrived on 10 November - one day before the Armistice ended the fighting on the Western Front.
Assigned to coaling duty, she operated between British and French ports until 24 February 1919 when she arrived Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Two days later she began service for the U.S. Food Administration. While en route to Danzig, Germany, on 3 March, she rescued nine survivors after the German trawler "Berthold" struck a mine and sank.
"Lake Catherine" continued food relief runs until 5 July when she departed Barry, Wales, for the United States. Loaded with general military cargo, she arrived New York on 8 August. She decommissioned on 15 August and was returned to the U.S. Shipping Board the same day.
In merchant service, 1919–1941.
Subsequently, "Lake Catherine" resumed merchant service. She was renamed "Oscar J. Lingeman" in 1926, and "Aetna" in 1937. "Aetna" was purchased by the Maritime Commission from her owner, Mid-West Transportation Co., Inc., Bay City, Michigan, in 1941, and transferred to the Navy on 14 October 1941. Renamed Manasquan on 15 October 1941, she was converted for use as a weather patrol ship by Bethlehem Steel Co. of East Boston, Massachusetts, and commissioned as Miscellaneous Auxiliary AG-36, under loan to the United States Coast Guard on 2 April 1942.
World War II, 1942–1946.
"Manasquan" served the important, but little praised weather patrol stations in the stormy, U-boat-infested North Atlantic. Equipped with special meteorological instruments, she plied her assigned patrol areas out of Boston, and Argentia, Newfoundland. Braving dangers of the sea and submarines, she operated in isolation for weeks at a time to collect valuable weather data used in forecasting weather for the Atlantic area, north Africa, and Axis-occupied Western Europe. Realizing the strategic importance of data collected by weather patrol ships such as "Manasquan", the chief of the U.S. Weather Bureau wrote during World War II: "...the weather reports from these vessels were among the most vital meteorological information for war operations of the United Nations...The difficulty and hardships of service on these station vessels was fully recognized but the value of their reports more than compensated for those difficulties, and the men so serving were performing duties of high priority in the war effort."
In addition, "Manasquan" took part in the initial at-sea testing of LORAN (long-range navigation) system, which became of inestimable value both to naval and merchant ships and to military and commercial aircraft. As a highly accurate and reliable electronics position finding system, LORAN emerged to become a revolutionary navigation aid in all kinds of weather and at great distances from land.
As a result of experiments conducted by MIT's Radiation Laboratory, by the Bell Telephone Laboratory, and by the National Defense Research Committee during the final months of American neutrality in 1941, the impetus for full development occurred in the hectic months after Pearl Harbor. Under Rear Admiral Julius A. Furer, coordinator of research and development for the Secretary of the Navy, the Navy provided "active and aggressive sponsorship" for the project. Capt. Lawrence M. Harding, USCG, who later coined the word LORAN, played an important role in the research aspects of its development.
By June 1942 the system was ready for environmental testing. From mid-June to mid-July "Manasquan", equipped with special receiving instruments, successfully carried out the first shipboard tests which proved the feasibility and practicality of the system. As a result of these tests, construction and completion of the important seven-unit northwest Atlantic chain, which extended from Delaware to Greenland, was completed in less than a year.
"Manasquan" continued weather patrol duty during the remainder of World War II. She collided at dock with the , causing considerable damage to the tender. In mid-1943 she was rebuilt at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland, as a gunnery practice ship. On 7 October 1944 she collided with the SS "Edward Pearce", causing only slight damage, but destroying her sonar array. The Navy permanently transferred her to the U.S. Coast Guard on 22 October 1943, and she continued to serve as USCGC "Manasquan" (WAG-273). Her name was struck from the Navy List on 30 October 1943. From 29 August 1944 to 22 February 1945 she was assigned to the Coast Guard Academy and used for training duty. Following the end of the war, she was decommissioned on 22 February 1945, and was sold on 11 March 1946.


Argonaute-class submarine

The "Argonaute" class were a sub-class of the 600 Series submarines built for the French Navy prior to World War II. There were five vessels in the class, built to a Schneider-Laubeuf design. They were ordered in 1927 and completed by 1935.
Development.
The "Argonaute" class, though designated as Class 2 coastal submarines, were built for service in the Mediterranean. Ordered in 1927 and completed in 1935, they were built to conform to the interwar naval treaties arising from the 1922 Washington and 1930 London conferences, which placed restrictions on the number and size of warships of various types that nations could build. The coastal submarine was limited to a 600-ton surface displacement, though there was no limit placed on the numbers of these vessels that could be built.
General characteristics.
The "Argonaute" class were long, and displaced 630 tonnes surfaced and 798 tonnes submerged. They had a range of 4,000 nautical miles at 10 knots, with a maximum surface speed of 14 knots, and a submerged speed of 9 knots. Their armament consisted of eight torpedo tubes; six and two , a /35 M1928 deck gun and a single 8 mm/80 machine gun. They carried a crew of 41 men.
Service history.
During World War II the submarines were based in French North Africa. On 8 November 1942 during "Operation Torch" "Argonaute" was sunk off Oran by the British destroyers and . The remaining four boats joined the Free French Naval Forces in December 1942. "Aréthuse", "Atalante" and "La Vestale" were laid up in reserve in 1944, and all four were eventually sold for scrap in 1946.


SS Andrew Furuseth

SS "Andrew Furuseth" was a Liberty ship built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. The ship was named in honor of American merchant seaman and labor organizer Andrew Furuseth. The ship was assigned by the War Shipping Administration to Matson Navigation Company who operated it throughout the war in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. "Andrew Furuseth" was one of 220 Liberty ships converted to carry a limited number of troops or prisoners of war.
The "Andrew Furuseth" is likely best remembered as the ship that Carl M. Allen/Carlos Miguel Allende was to have been serving on in October 1943 when he claims to have witnessed the teleportation disappearance and reappearance of as part of the Philadelphia Experiment.
"Andrew Furuseth" was sold for private use and operated under the names Essi and Niobe before being scrapped in Japan in 1967.
History.
Construction and launching.
In July 1942, the Sailors' Union of the Pacific petitioned the United States Maritime Commission and the War Shipping Administration (WSA) for a liberty ship to be named in honor of Andrew Furuseth, the long-time president of their union. Accordingly, MC Hull No. 491 was assigned the name "Andrew Furuseth" and was laid down on 22 July 1942 on shipway 1 at Yard No. 1 by Permanente Metals Corp. of Richmond, California, as a standard Liberty ship. The ship was launched on 7 September 1942; delivered 8 October 1942, taking 78 days from laying of the keel to delivery. The ship was assigned by the WSA to Matson Navigation Company for operation.
Launching ceremony.
"Andrew Furuseth" was one of six Liberty ships named for labor leaders, and one of 174 ships total, launched on Labor Day, 7 September 1942. In addition to the "Furuseth", the other five Liberty ships were , , , , and . The launch ceremonies, held at four different shipyards around the country, were to be linked by a coast-to-coast broadcast and feature speeches by John P. Frey, an executive of the American Federation of Labor, and John W. Green, president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations.
Wartime service.
After shakedown on the West Coast, "Andrew Furuseth" transited the Panama Canal in April 1943. The ship departed Cristóbal, Panama, on 24 April for Guantánamo Bay and New York, arriving at that city on 8 May. The "Furuseth" left New York 28 May for Oran, passing Gibraltar around the middle of June.
In late June 1943, "Andrew Furuseth" arrived in Gibraltar, and on 7 July joined a convoy headed to Hampton Roads, Virginia, arriving there 23 July 1943. On 16 August, the ship made a round trip to Casablanca, arriving off Cape Henry on 4 October.
On 25 October 1943, "Andrew Furuseth" steamed from Hampton Roads as part of Convoy UGS 22 and arrived at Casablanca on 12 November. In November, the ship sailed from Oran to Augusta, Sicily. Through the end of 1943, the ship plied the waters of the Mediterranean, calling at Augusta, Oran, Naples, and Bizerte, before returning to Hampton Roads on 17 January 1944.
In February 1944, the "Furuseth" departed on another voyage to Augusta, with a cargo of explosives, 500 troops, and 2500 pieces of mail. The ship made a roundtrip to Naples before returning to Hampton Roads on 14 April 1944.
In May, the veteran steamship departed Hampton Roads for another trip to Oran with 44 troops aboard. The "Furuseth" returned to Virginia in mid June, but left again for Oran in mid July. The ship operated locally in the Mediterranean through the end of November, at which time "Andrew Furuseth" returned once again to Hampton Roads.
On 29 December 1944 and again on 14 March 1945, the Liberty ship departed on roundtrips to Oran, returning on 24 February and 9 May, respectively.
With the end of hostilities in Europe, "Andrew Furuseth" began the task returning troops to the United States. Typical voyages included returning troops to Boston on 3 August, 735 troops to New York on 2 October, 570 troops from Antwerp to New York on 10 December, and 573 troops from Le Havre to New York on 19 January 1946. During the December voyage from Antwerp, a soldier aboard "Andrew Furuseth" was transferred by motor launch in mid-ocean to U.S. Navy transport for an emergency appendectomy.
Later career.
In 1947, "Andrew Furuseth" was sold to Norwegian interests and renamed "Essi". In 1959, she was sold to Japanese owners and renamed "Niobe". In June 1967, "Niobe" was scrapped at Nirao, Japan.
Philadelphia Experiment.
SS "Andrew Furuseth" is associated with the Philadelphia Experiment, which is now widely regarded as a hoax. A reputed crew member of the "Andrew Furuseth", known variously as "Carl M. Allen" and "Carlos Miguel Allende", claimed to have witnessed the sudden appearance and disappearance of U.S. Navy destroyer escort in October 1943.
The story goes that, as part of U.S. Navy experiments into rendering ships invisible, "Eldridge" vanished from its berth in Philadelphia and was accidentally teleported to Norfolk, Virginia and back again on 28 October 1943. According to the U.S. Navy, no evidence has been uncovered supporting that such an experiment occurred and details of the story contradict facts about the "Eldridge". Also, the Navy archives contains a letter from Lt. (j.g.) William S. Dodge, USNR, (Ret.), the Master of "Andrew Furuseth" in 1943, categorically denying that he or his crew observed any unusual event while in Norfolk. "Eldridge" and "Andrew Furuseth" were not even in Norfolk at the same time.


Orient (clipper ship)

Orient was a clipper ship that traded between England and Adelaide from 1857 to 1877, and from which the Orient Line drew its name.
History.
"Orient" was a clipper ship of 1,032 tons, built in 1853 by Thomas Bilbe at Nelson Dock, Cuckold's Point, for Anderson, Thompson and Co. (formerly James Thompson and Co).
She was launched in London, December, 1853, and first served as "troopship 78" in 1854, conveying military equipment and personnel of the 88th Foot to the Crimea. She was fortunate to survive a storm that wrecked some 30 ships at Balaklava with the loss of over a thousand lives. She served as a hospital ship 1855–1856.
She had been built as a "packet" to carry prospectors to the Australian goldfields, but her first voyage to the antipodes was not until 1856, when she sailed under Captain A. Lawrence to Sydney; in 1857 she sailed direct from Portsmouth to Adelaide and made similar trips every year until 1877. It was at the inauguration of a liner service to Australia in 1861 that the company began trading as "The Orient Line of Packets", commonly referred to as the "Orient Line".
She was nearly destroyed by fire in January 1862 during the return voyage from Adelaide. A Dutch ship was standing by to rescue those on board, and the captain and crew could have left the ship, but resolutely over the course of a day brought the fire under control, and she was able to limp into Ascension for temporary repairs. Captain Lawrence, his officers and crew were handsomely rewarded by the insurance underwriters for their efforts.
Her second commander was Captain Harris, under whom she made some of her fastest passages from Plymouth to Port Adelaide, notably 72 days in 1866. Subsequent skippers were Roland De Steiger 1868–1871, W. H. Mitchell 1873–1876, and Martin Haffner 1876–1878.
In 1879 she was sold to Cox Brothers of Waterford, Ireland, and made many trips for them across the Atlantic before she was sold and converted into a coal hulk off Gibraltar. She was broken up in 1925.


USS Aldebaran

USS "Aldebaran" (AF-10), the lead ship of her class of stores ship is the only ship of the United States Navy to have this name. She is named after Aldebaran, a star of the first magnitude in the constellation Taurus.
Construction and commercial service.
Originally the SS "Stag Hound" was laid down on 28 November 1938 at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. under a United States Maritime Commission (MC) contract (MC hull 27, Yard hull 374); launched on 21 June 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Martha Macy Hill; and delivered to the on 4 December 1939. The ship was one of three C-2 type ships, all named for famous American sailing ships, purchased or chartered by Grace Lines for service between United States Pacific coast ports and the west coast of South America. "Stag Hound" was the first of the three, "Red Jacket" and "Flying Cloud" to follow, for Grace and the first of the type to arrive on the West Coast arriving at San Francisco on 9 April and delivered by the MC to Grace Lines on 19 April 1940.
In commercial configuration the ship was , Navy shows 13,910 ton displacement, , length overall, length between perpendiculars, beam with loaded draft of . The ship had refrigerated capacity in addition to regular cargo capacity. Power was furnished by two Babcock & Wilcox boilers driving a Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. trubine through a Westinghouse double reduction gear set. A single four-bladed propeller, in diameter, provided a loaded sea speed of .
Navy acquisition.
The cargo ship served with Grace Lines for a year before the Navy purchased her on 22 December 1940. Renamed "Aldebaran", classified a stores ship, and designated AF-10, she was placed in commission, in ordinary, on 26 December 1940. Comdr. Royal Abbott assumed command on 10 January 1941, and "Aldebaran" was placed in full commission at San Francisco on 14 January 1941.
History.
World War II.
The stores ship embarked upon her first Navy mission on 26 January, departing from San Francisco on a round-trip voyage via Pearl Harbor to Pago Pago, Samoa. Following her maiden mission for the Navy, "Aldebaran" remained at San Francisco until 29 March when she put to sea with a cargo bound for Hawaii. The ship made a seven-day layover at Pearl Harbor between 5 and 12 April and returned to San Francisco on the 18th. Upon her arrival back on the west coast, she entered a civilian drydock at Oakland, California, to begin conversion to a fleet provisioning ship. Major modifications were completed by 21 October, and finishing touches were added over the next three weeks. On 14 November, "Aldebaran" departed San Francisco on her way to San Diego. Following a three-day stay at that port between 16 and 19 November, she got underway for Hawaii. The ship discharged cargo at Pearl Harbor during the last six days of November and, after an overnight stop at Maui, headed back to the west coast on 1 December. "Aldebaran" arrived at San Francisco on the 6th. On the following morning, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and plunged the United States into World War II.
The ship embarked upon her first wartime voyage on 17 December. Over the next six months, "Aldebaran" completed four round-trip runs carrying provisions and passengers between San Francisco and Hawaii. She concluded the fourth of those Pearl Harbor shuttle assignments at San Francisco on 6 June 1942.
Her next assignment took the ship beyond Hawaii to the South Pacific. She stood out of San Francisco on 23 June, stopped at Pearl Harbor early in July, and then spent the remainder of the summer of 1942 making calls at ports on the South Pacific circuit. "Aldebaran" visited Samoa, Tongatapu, New Caledonia, and Espiritu Santo before returning to San Francisco on 23 September. That first wartime series of port calls in the South Pacific established a pattern of operations for her that endured through the next 20 months. "Aldebaran" loaded cargo at San Francisco and then embarked upon long, circuitous voyages that took her back to New Caledonia, Samoa, and Espiritu Santo.
In May 1944, during the run back to the west coast from Espiritu Santo, "Aldebaran" was diverted to Hawaii to load cargo bound for the Central Pacific. She arrived in Pearl Harbor on 24 May, took on her cargo, and returned to sea on the 29th. The ship entered Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands on 5 June and spent six days issuing fresh and frozen provisions to ships about to assault the Mariana Islands. She headed back to Pearl Harbor on 12 June and stood into that port on the 18th. "Aldebaran" spent the next nine months carrying provisions to ships at forward bases in the Marshalls and Carolines. Her most frequent ports of call were Eniwetok in the Marshalls and Ulithi in the Carolines; however, she made one visit each to Kwajalein in the Marshalls, Manus in the Admiralty Islands, and Guam in the Marianas. At the conclusion of each supply mission, she returned to either Pearl Harbor or San Francisco to load additional cargo.
On 29 March 1945, "Aldebaran" arrived in San Francisco to complete the last of her resupply missions to ships in the anchorages in the Central Pacific atolls. On 10 April, she departed San Francisco for Pearl Harbor where she spent the period 16 to 21 April fitting out for a new mission, replenishing the fast carriers and their screens at sea. "Aldebaran" stood out of Pearl Harbor on the 21st and arrived in Ulithi on 2 May. There, she reported for duty with Task Unit (TU) 50.8.5, part of the underway replenishment group. She departed Ulithi in company with TU 50.8.5 on May and joined the rest of Task Group (TG) 50.8 at sea. The stores ship spent about five weeks at sea replenishing the warships engaged in the Okinawa campaign before putting in at Guam on 13 June to reload. For the remaining two months of hostilities, "Aldebaran" provided logistics support for the carrier task groups making air strikes on the Japanese home islands, returning periodically to either Guam or Ulithi to restock her larder.
Cold War.
Hostilities ceased on 15 August 1945, but "Aldebaran" continued replenishment-at-sea operations during the initial stages of the occupation of Japan. She was present to Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945 when Japanese officials signed the surrender document on board "Missouri" (BB-63). For the remainder of 1945, "Aldebaran" provided logistics support for forces occupying Japan and her former conquests. On 17 January 1946, the stores ship departed Taku, China, on her way back to the United States. She arrived in Seattle, Washington, on 31 January and entered the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard a week later for a two-month repair period.
"Aldebaran" returned to Seattle on 6 April and began preparations for her last voyage to the Far East. On 22 April, she put to sea bound for Japan. The ship reached Yokosuka on 8 May and, from there, continued on to Tsingtao, China, and Okinawa. On 15 June, "Aldebaran" departed Okinawa to return to the United States. Her ultimate destination was the east coast. After a stop at San Pedro, California, she resumed her voyage, transited the Panama Canal, and arrived at Bayonne, New Jersey, on 18 July.
After a voyage to North Africa and western Europe in August and September, "Aldebaran" settled into a routine of operations along the east coast punctuated by voyages to the West Indies to provide logistics support to bases and ships in that region and to participate in exercises. Such pursuits occupied her time for almost 19 months, until the beginning of June 1948. On the 4th, she stood out of Chesapeake Bay to embark upon the first of many missions to the Mediterranean Sea.
For the next two decades, "Aldebaran" alternated between assignments to the Mediterranean Sea and operations in the western Atlantic. Unlike most other ships attached to the 6th Fleet, she did not normally serve extended periods of time in the Mediterranean. Instead, her cruises tended to be about six to ten weeks in duration, and she generally made two or three of them a year. She would remain in the Mediterranean as long as she retained a sufficient stock of provisions for issue. When those stocks began to run low, "Aldebaran". returned to the United States. Turnaround time at home varied. Scheduled overhauls meant extended periods in the United States. In addition, other resupply missions, such as to forces operating in the West Indies, replaced voyages to the Mediterranean on her schedule. Occasional interludes in northern European waters also varied "Aldebaran"'s itinerary.
Twice during her postwar career, "Aldebaran" participated in operations for which she received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. During the summer of 1958, the United States landed marines in Lebanon to help restore domestic order in that country. The stores ship got underway from Norfolk just four days after the landings to provide logistics services to the ships supporting those troops. Four years later, in the fall of 1962, President John F. Kennedy surrounded the island of Cuba with a cordon of warships to stop the flow of Soviet missiles to that island and to force the removal of those already in place. "Aldebaran"'s at-sea replenishment capabilities helped those ships maintain a constant vigil thereby contributing to the successful conclusion of the matter.
"Aldebaran" continued her active service to United States naval forces in the Mediterranean Sea and in the West Indies until mid-1968. On 28 June 1968, she was placed out of commission at Norfolk. Four months later, on 29 October, "Aldebaran" was transferred to the Maritime Administration to be berthed with the National Defense Reserve Fleet at James River, Virginia. That transfer was made permanent on 30 June 1969. "Aldebaran"'s name was struck from the Navy list on 1 June 1973, and she was sold on 14 November 1974 to Andy International, Brownsville, Texas, for scrapping.
"Aldebaran" was awarded two battle stars during World War II.
Popular Culture.
The USS "Aldebaran" was featured as a ship in the Japanese yuri manga "Kurogane Pukapuka-tai", which is about an all-female crew of IJN sailors during World War 2.


MSC Sabrina

MSC Sabrina is a container ship built in South Korea in 1989 and registered in Panama. She is managed by Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A.
She was involved in a collision off the coast of the Netherlands on June 13, 2000, with a fishing vessel, "Concordia", and 15 minutes later, with a United Kingdom-registered refrigerated ship, "Wintertide".
On March 8, 2008, during a snowstorm, she ran aground near Trois-Rivières, Canada.
On February 4, 2017, she was detained during a Port State Control in Antwerp and only released after 136 days.


Grace Bailey (schooner)

Grace Bailey, also known for many years as Mattie, is a two-masted schooner whose home port is Camden Harbor, Camden, Maine. Built in 1882 in Patchogue, New York, she is one of four surviving two-masted wooden-hulled schooners, once the most common vessel in the American coasting trade. She was one of the first ships in the fleet of historic vessels known as "Maine windjammers", which offer cruises in Penobscot Bay and the Maine coast, entering that service in 1939. She last underwent major restoration in 1989-90. She was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992.
Description and history.
"Grace Bailey" is a two-master schooner with an deck and an overall length of . Her rigging consists of
a mainsail, foresail, and two headsails. She has no engines, normally sailing with a small boat that is powered by an internal diesel engine. Her wooden hull is framed and planked in oak, with pine decking. When built, it was originally fastened with wooden treenails, but these were replaced by galvanized ship spikes during restoration. Below decks she is now outfitted with cabins for carrying passengers and crew.
"Grace Bailey" was built in 1882 in Patchogue, New York by Gilbert Smith for owner Edwin Bailey, who named her after his daughter who was born in that year. She was rebuilt in 1906, at which time she was renamed "Mattie", a name she sailed under until her restoration in 1989-90. She served in the coasting trade until 1939, the last twenty of those years on the Maine coastline. Relatively small ships like this were the workhorse of the coasting fleet, carrying goods and supplies to areas where road access at the time was difficult or impossible.
In 1939 she was chartered by Frank Swift, who had just two years earlier seized on the idea of using schooners for passenger excursions, since they had become financially unviable in the coasting freight trade. Meeting with financial success, he purchased her outright the following year. She has since then served in the "windjammer" fleet, providing sailing cruises to paying customers.


Matchanu-class submarine

The "Matchanu" class comprised the only four submarines ever employed by the Royal Thai Navy. They were built in Japan by Mitsubishi, and were in commission from 1938 throughout the Franco-Thai war and World War II. The boats were decommissioned following the Manhattan Rebellion in 1951 and the subsequent dissolution of the navy's Submarine Group.
Construction and design.
The Royal Siamese Navy had shown interest in submarines in various procurement proposals dating as early as 1910. However, its expansion plans were limited by financial constraints throughout the early twentieth century. In 1934, Sindhu Kamalanavin, then Chief of Staff of the Navy, led a warship-procurement project which was approved by parliament in 1935. The proposal included a 6.9 million-baht (630,000 GBP at the time) budget for three submarines. Bidding was held in October 1935, and was won by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan, which offered a price of 820,000 baht (75,000 GBP) each for four boats. Siamese navy officers and sailors were sent to Japan to be trained to operate the submarines by Imperial Japanese Navy personnel.
The submarines were built in Kobe, with the first two being laid down on 6 May 1936. Construction of the others began on 1 October. The first group was launched on 24 December 1936, with the second following on 14 May 1937. The first two submarines were completed and delivered to the Royal Siamese Navy on 4 September 1937, the date the Thai Navy still observes as Submarine Day. The others were delivered on 30 April 1938.
The Thai Navy's submarines were named after literary characters known for their mythical diving abilities from the "Ramakien", "Phra Aphai Mani", and "Khun Chang Khun Phaen". They are:
The Thai submarines were relatively small, since they were intended primarily for coastal defence. Each had a displacement of on the surface and when submerged. They were armed with four torpedo tubes, plus a 76/25-millimetre (3-inch) deck gun and an machine gun.
Careers.
All four submarines departed Kobe for Thailand on 5 June 1938. They stopped for supplies at Keelung, Japanese-controlled Taiwan on 9 June, and at Manila in the Philippines on 15 June. They arrived at Sattahip Naval Base on 25 June, and were officially welcomed in Bangkok on 29 June. They were commissioned on 19 July, as was the Japan-built coastal defence ship HTMS "Sri Ayudhya".
The submarine crews underwent several training exercises in 1938 and 1939. In November 1940, following a number of border skirmishes, the undeclared Franco-Thai War over disputed border areas began when the Royal Thai Air Force made air raids on military bases in French Indochina. The navy was mobilised to protect Thailand's territorial waters, and the submarines conducted reconnaissance in the Gulf of Thailand. However, they were unable to prevent a surprise French naval raid, which resulted in heavy Thai naval losses at the Battle of Ko Chang on 17 January 1941. Following the battle, the submarines were sent to patrol the vicinity of Ream Naval Base in present-day Cambodia, but no further naval clashes took place and Japan soon negotiated an end to the war.
The submarines remained in service throughout World War II, which Thailand officially joined in January 1942, but they saw no combat. However, two of them did serve an unconventional role during the war. On 14 April 1945, five months before the Japanese surrender, Bangkok's Samsen and Wat Liab Power Plants were bombed during Allied air raids, leaving the capital city without electricity. In response to a request from the Bangkok Electricity Authority, the "Matchanu" and "Wirun" anchored at the Bangkok Dock Company and served as power generators for one of Bangkok's tram lines.
After the war's end, supplies and parts for the submarines became unavailable because of the Allied occupation and disarmament of Japan. In addition, the Royal Thai Navy's battery factory was unable to produce the powerful batteries needed for the submarines. The Thai submarine service came to an end following a coup attempt against the military government of Plaek Pibunsongkhram known as the Manhattan Rebellion. The failed coup, led by a group of naval officers on 29 June 1951, led to the Navy's being stripped of its power and influence. The Submarine Group was dissolved on 16 July, and all four boats were decommissioned on 30 November 1951.
The submarines were moored for some time in the Chao Phraya River near Siriraj Hospital Pier, but they were finally sold to the Siam Cement Company for scrap. Part of the superstructure of the "Matchanu" is preserved at the Naval Museum in Samut Prakan Province, almost the only reminder that Thailand once had a submarine fleet.


Albacora-class submarine

The "Albacora" class was a diesel-electric attack submarine (SSK) developed for the Portuguese Navy based on the French .
In 1964, the Portuguese government ordered the construction of four of this class at the Dubigeòn-Normándie Shipyard to create the 4th Submarine Flotilla.
With the first submarine commissioned on 1 October 1967, the Portuguese Navy started to have a submarine able to operate in both coastal and oceanic zones, especially in the Portuguese exclusive economic zone.
The last "Albacora"-class submarine in service, NRP "Barracuda", made its final mission in 2010. The class was replaced by two Type 209PN/Type 214PN submarines.


MV Gastor

Gastor and Nestor were two LNG carriers built at the French shipyard Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire. Although delivered in 1976 both ships only entered real service in 1993, after their sale to Bonny Gas Transport Bermuda Shell, a subsidiary of Nigeria LNG Limited. Under their original names ("Gastor" and "Nestor"), the ships never transported any cargo.
History.
When first built in 1976–1977, the ships were sister ships owned by different companies: the Dutch Nedlloyd and US based Ocean. They were built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard of St. Nazaire, France. After completion they did not go into service for nearly two decades and were both laid-up for years in the Scottish Loch Striven as there was insufficient work for them to cause their owners to place them into operation into the LNG transport market.
A few years after completion it was discovered that there was a construction error in the insulation of the huge gas-tanks. These LNG carriers store their cargo at near atmospheric pressure and this requires that the gas is cooled down to the boiling temperature of LNG: . The cargo is at this temperature when loaded and then the temperature is maintained at this level using insulated tanks and, over time, some of the gas vaporizes which keeps the cargo cool despite the (intentionally low) incoming heat flux from the surrounding environment in the ship and the ocean. Both ships returned to the shipyard for repairs and then returned to storage in Loch Striven as there was still no work for them. The tonnage of the ships is 68,122
The building costs of each ship was €60 million; they were sold in 1991 for approximately €15 million each and came in service around 1993.
At the time these ships were the largest ships ever built at the Chantier d'Atlantique shipyard and a special large drydock was built for this project. After the completion of several large tankers in the 1970s this drydock was not used again until the yard was commissioned to build the new ocean liner by Cunard.
"Gastor".
"Gastor" was built for the Dutch company "Nederlandse Scheepvaart Unie", part of the shipping-company Nedlloyd. (Later Nedlloyd and P&O joined forces and formed P&O Nedlloyd specializing in container shipping until this company was sold to A. P. Moller-Maersk Group or Maersk for short).
The construction-number for the yard was 26 and the (current) IMO number is 7360124
The ship was built to transport LNG from the newly discovered gas-fields in Algeria to the West-European markets via the Dutch port of Delfzijl. Due to economic development at the time and the after effects of the 1973 oil crisis this project never materialized and after completion the ship was laid up in Loch Striven.
LNG "Lagos".
In 1993 "Gastor" was sold and renamed LNG "Lagos" and finally entered service under the new owner Bonny Gas Transport - Shell Bermuda. The ship carries cargo for that company to and from Nigeria. Before entering service the -now- LNG "Lagos" was fitted with a new bridge system by Litton Marine services (part of Sperry Marine Northrop Grumman) at the Sobrena shipyard in Brest (now Damen Shipyard).
The last registered position of the ship was registered in 2015 in the Java Sea and since then no further AIS positions were registered. Since 2016 new LNGtankers with names LNG Port Harcourt 2 and LNG Lagos 2 have been built.
"MV Nestor".
MV Nestor was commissioned by shipping-company Ocean Group from Liverpool. This ship was built to transport gas from Indonesia to the United States but suffered the same fate as "Gastor" being laid-up in Loch Striven between 1976–1993, except for a quick return to the shipyard in the mid 1980s when a construction/design error was being repaired: the isolation of the main gas tanks was not built according to the design and requirements and the shipyard had to repair that. "Nestor" had yard-number B26 and the IMO number is 7360136.
"LNG Port Harcourt".
Just like "Gastor", "Nestor" was also sold to Shell Bermuda/Bonny Gas Transport and was renamed to LNG Port Harcourt. "LNG Port Harcourt" is also used for the Shell Nigeria project in Nigeria
See also.
Largest LNG carrier "Mozah"


Fyodor Shalyapin (ship)

The Fyodor Shalyapin () (former Kliment Voroshilov) is a "Valerian Kuybyshev"-class (92-016, OL400) Soviet/Russian river cruise ship, cruising in the Volga basin. The ship was built by Slovenské Lodenice at their shipyard in Komárno, Czechoslovakia, and entered service in 1977. At 3,950 tonnes, "Fyodor Shalyapin" is one of the world's biggest river cruise ships. Her sister ships are "Valerian Kuybyshev", "Mikhail Frunze", "Feliks Dzerzhinskiy", "Sergey Kuchkin", "Mstislav Rostropovich", "Aleksandr Suvorov", "Semyon Budyonnyy" and "Georgiy Zhukov". "Fyodor Shalyapin" is currently operated by Vodohod, a Russian river cruise line. Her home port is currently Nizhny Novgorod.
Features.
The ship has two restaurants, three bars, solarium, sauna and resting area.


United States lightship Ambrose (LV-87)

The United States Lightship LV-87/WAL-512 ("Ambrose") is a riveted steel lightship built in 1907 and served at the Ambrose Channel lightship station from December 1, 1908, until 1932, and in other posts until her decommissioning in 1966. It is one of a small number of preserved American lightships, and now serves as a museum ship at the South Street Seaport Museum in southern Manhattan, New York City.
History.
In 1921, the first radio beacon in the United States was installed in the ship's radio shack. This addition greatly assisted ships navigating the congested Ambrose Channel in dense fog. LV-87 would also be the last steam-powered vessel to hold the Ambrose Channel post.
After the end of her Ambrose Channel assignment in 1932, LV-87 underwent a major refit, most significantly switching from steam propulsion to a direct drive Winton Diesel engine, as well as the removal of her anchor burton on her bow and a reorganization of her deck structures. Afterward, the ship was assigned to various posts which included being used as an examination vessel during World War II. Although her final post was at the Scotland Station she is commonly known by the name of her most famous station, "Ambrose".
LV-87 was decommissioned on March 4, 1966, from the Coast Guard after 59 years of service. In 1968 she was given to the South Street Seaport Museum in Lower Manhattan. Currently she is moored at Pier 16 on the East River and is used as a floating exhibit. In April 1989, the lightship was declared a National Historic Landmark.


F.P. von Knorring (ship)

F.P. von Knorring (originally Jan Nieveen) is a passenger ship which was built in 1928 in the Netherlands and has been in continuous use. The ship has been a floating restaurant since 1989. It is docked in Mariehamn, capital of the Finnish province of Åland. The ship was originally named after the beurtvaart captain Jan Nieveen, who transported goods and passengers from the city of Groningen to Lemmer.
Construction.
The steamboat "Jan Nieveen" was built in 1928 at the Arnhemsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij shipyard in Arnhem, the Netherlands, at a then-high price of 140,000 Dutch guilders. It was ordered by the Groninger & Lemmer Stoomboot Maatschappij, a shipping line which had been founded in 1870 by the brothers Reint, Jan and Geert Nieveen. The ship was designed with the maximum size that could pass through the locks of Lemmer when fully loaded. It entered service as a scheduled passenger and freight beurtvaart connection on the Zuiderzee between Lemmer and Amsterdam. "Jan Nieveen" had four sister ships, and was the flagship of the fleet.
The shipping line was successful during the 1930s, but later declined. The "Jan Nieveen" was then used for recreational trips along the coast and to the islands of Schokland and Urk.
Second World War.
During the Second World War, the ship transported food from the northern Dutch provinces to Holland (in exchange for gold and silver) and horses, in accordance with the German occupiers. Jews, in hiding, were smuggled on the lower deck to the relative freedom of the north-eastern Netherlands.
Collision.
During the night of 7-8 January 1945 (during the Dutch famine of 1944–45), the ship was involved in a collision near Urk with its sister ship "Groningen IV" from the same company. Fourteen passengers and crew on the "Groningen IV" drowned when the ship sank, trapped when the collision blocked the door. According to German regulations, the lights on both ships were dimmed except for small navigation lights. The "Jan Nieveen" was only slightly damaged.
Post-war makeovers and renamings.
In 1951, the "Jan Nieveen" heavy steam engine was replaced by a lighter diesel engine with almost the same power. The draught of the vessel diminished by . An October 1953 merger of three beurtvaart companies created a fleet of 34 ships, managed by the J.H. van Swieten company. "Jan Nieveen" and its sister ship, "Harm Nieveen"', were the showpieces of the fleet. Increasing competition from road transport ended the beurtvaart era, and the Lemmer–Amsterdam route was discontinued in 1959.
In 1958, the ship was sold and underwent several modifications. It was a tourist boat in Rotterdam as the "IJsselhaven" from 1961 to 1974, and did the same for two seasons in Biesbosch National Park as the "Wolga".
In 1977, the Nieveen family bought back the ship and renamed it "Jan Nieveen". Its home port was Lemmer, from which it made day trips to harbours around the IJsselmeer. Ten years later, ship enthusiast Arthur Nikkessen of Amsterdam purchased the ship; he partially restored it and rented it out as a party boat.
To Åland.
Two years later, the ship was sold to Dan Aalto and Ulf Danielsson of Åland in 1989. They converted the ship to a floating restaurant in the eastern harbour of Åland's capital, Mariehamn. The ship was renamed "F.P. von Knorring" after Frans Peter von Knorring (1792–1875), a vicar, teacher and founder of Åland's first schools and the islands' first newspaper. The restaurant was transferred to Kim and Karin Harju-Jeanty in 2002, and was still in operation in January 2019.


USS Delta (AR-9)

USS "Delta" (AK-29/AR-9) was the lead ship of her class of repair ships in the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally built as the merchant ship SS "Hawaiian Packer" before her requisition by the U.S. Navy in 1941. Before conversion to a repair ships, "Delta" briefly served as a U.S. Navy cargo ship.
Career.
World War II.
"Delta" was built in 1941 as the "Hawaiian Packer" by Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, one of four Type C3 ships ordered by the Matson Navigation Company. Launched on 2 April, she was acquired by the Navy on 4 June 1941; and commissioned as USS "Delta" (AK-29) on 16 June 1941, Commander C. D. Headee in command.
From 8 July 1941 to May 1942 "Delta" carried cargo from east coast ports to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Puerto Rico; Bermuda; Argentina; Newfoundland, Halifax, and Nova Scotia, Canada; and Reykjavík, Iceland. On 1 July 1942, "Delta" was reclassified as AR-9, and was placed in reserve commission for conversion to a fleet repair ship by Cramp Shipyard, Philadelphia.
"Delta" sailed from Philadelphia on 3 March 1943, and between March and June repaired amphibious ships and craft at Oran, Algeria. She served similarly at Bizerte, Tunisia, from June to March 1944, then at Palermo, Italy, and on 8 July sailed for Pozzuouli, Italy, to prepare landing craft for their return to the United States. Her final Mediterranean duty, from November to April 1945, was to tend destroyers at Oran.
She returned to Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul on 27 April 1945, and on 15 June sailed for Pearl Harbor for a month of repair duty. On 26 August, she arrived at Yokosuka Naval Base for general fleet repair work, including the assignment of preparing , the former Japanese battleship, for the atomic weapons tests of 1946 at Bikini. "Delta" served the Fleet at Shanghai from March through June 1946, and on 17 July arrived at Philadelphia, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 5 March 1947.
Korea.
Recommissioned 1 November 1950, "Delta" arrived at San Diego on 8 March 1951 to provide repair services to ships of the Pacific Fleet there and at Long Beach, California as well as on periodic deployments to the Far East. Her first such, during the Korean War, was from 25 June 1952 until 14 February 1953. On her second, in 1953 and 1954, she joined in Operation "Passage to Freedom", the evacuation of Vietnamese to South Vietnam upon the partition of Indochina. During her last Far Eastern service, in 1955, she served as flagship for the Blockading and Escort Force off Korea. She returned from this cruise to Tacoma, Washington, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 1 December 1955.
Vietnam.
On 31 October 1959, "Delta" was recommissioned in a dual ceremony at Bremerton Naval Shipyard, as was decommissioned and her crew simultaneously recommissioned "Delta". She served for another eleven years until being decommissioned on 20 June 1970 at Bremerton Naval Shipyard. "Delta" was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 October 1977 and transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. MARAD finally sold "Delta" on 19 July 1983, probably for scrapping.
"Delta" served as a floating machine shop at Mare Island Naval Shipyard under MARAD in 1980 and was located there until detached from MARAD in 1983.
Awards.
"Delta" received two battle stars for World War II service, one battle star for Korean War service and one campaign star for Vietnam War service.


SS E. Kirby Smith

SS "E. Kirby Smith" was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after E. Kirby Smith, a career United States Army officer who fought in the Mexican–American War, and for the Confederacy in the Civil War, rising to the rank of General in the CSA.
Construction.
"E. Kirby Smith" was laid down on 9 July 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1519, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; sponsored by Mrs. Raymond A. Jones, wife of Raymond A. Jones, vice president and general manager, JAJCC, she was launched on 30 December 1942.
History.
She was allocated to Marine Transport Lines, Inc., on 3 March 1943. On 23 May 1946, she was laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia. On 27 May 1954, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1954", she returned loaded on 21 June 1954. On 16 March 1956, she was withdrawn to be unload, she returned on empty 23 April 1956. On 18 July 1956, she was sold for $147,777.77 to Boston Metals Co., to be scrapped. She was removed from the fleet on 25 July 1956.
Bibliography.


SS Benjamin H. Hill

SS "Benjamin H. Hill" was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Benjamin H. Hill, a Confederate senator and later a US Representative, US senator from the state of Georgia.
Construction.
"Benjamin H. Hill" was laid down on 16 December 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1514, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. John D. Pellett, and launched on 7 February 1944.
History.
She was allocated to the A.L. Burbank Company, on 19 February 1944. On 8 October 1947, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in the James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia. On 20 May 1954, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1954", she returned loaded with grain on 28 May 1954. She was again withdrawn from the fleet on 4 April 1959, to have the grain unloaded, she returned empty on 11 April 1959. On 18 November 1960, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1960", she returned loaded with grain on 7 December 1960. She was again withdrawn from the fleet on 19 May 1963, to have the grain unloaded, she returned empty on 22 May 1963. On 2 February 1971, she was sold, along with the ship "Monterey", to Hierros Andes, S.A., for $172,500, for scrapping, she was delivered on 9 September 1971.


USAV Yaquina

USAV Yaquina is a hopper dredge of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Her primary mission is to maintain the entrance bars, rivers, and harbors along the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. She is assigned to the Portland District of the Army Corps of Engineers. Her homeport is Portland, Oregon. She was launched in 1980 and remains in service.
Construction and characteristics.
In October 1977 the Army Corps of Engineers invited bids for a new hopper dredge of its own design. Bids were opened on December 15, 1977. Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation won the bid to build "Yaquina" at its Norfolk, Virginia shipyard. The initial contract price was $13,985,700. She was the first new dredge built by the United States government in 13 years. Congress placed a moratorium on new dredges in 1967 seeking to provide opportunities for private dredging companies. "Yaquina" was launched on August 23, 1980. The ship was christened by Geraldine Morris, the wife of Lieutenant General John W. Morris, Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army, who gave the keynote address at the ceremony. She was commissioned at a ceremony at Newport, Oregon on June 12, 1981. The keynote speaker at her commissioning was Senator Mark Hatfield.
"Yaquina" is long and has a beam of . Her hull is constructed of welded steel plates. Her mean draft is , but she draws when her hopper is loaded with dredging spoil. Her gross tonnage is 2,001. Her hopper can hold up to 1,042 cubic yards of dredging spoil.
"Yaquina" is propelled by two four-bladed Hundested MP700 propellers driven by two Tier 2 MTU 8V 4000 M60 Diesel engines which develop 1,140 horsepower each. These MTU engines replaced the original Caterpillar 16-cylinder D399 Diesel engines during a refit in the winter of 2010-2011. The ship is capable of speeds up to when lightly loaded, and with her hopper full. Electrical power is provided by two Tier II MTU 12V 2000 P82 Diesel generators which produce 440 Kw each. The dredge pumps are powered by two Tier II MTU 12V 2000 P12 Diesel engines which produce 805 horsepower each. She has a bow thruster to improve maneuverability, which is powered by a Tier II MTU Series 60 Diesel engine which generates 425 horsepower.
The ship is crewed by 40 civilian mariners. These are broken into two tours of 20 men and women who alternate running "Yaquina". The crews normally work for 8 days and then take 6 days off. Crew members work 10-hour shifts, allowing the ship to operate around the clock. Each crew member has a private room. The ship has a galley and cook to provide meals, an exercise room, and laundry facilities.
Operating history.
Dredging operations.
"Yaquina" sucks sand, silt, and mud off the bottom of navigable waterways to increase their depth, creating a channel allowing larger ships to pass. She pulls two suctionheads, referred to as "dragheads", along the seafloor as she moves slowly through the water. The dragheads are connected to pipes which are in diameter called "drag arms" that descend from both sides of the ship. These drag arms are controlled by three winches each which can lower them to reach bottom as deep as . Loose material on the seafloor enters the dragheads and is pulled up through the drag arms by powerful pumps. It is then deposited in a hopper in the middle of the ship. When the hopper is full, the ship sails to an offshore location and opens doors in the bottom of the hopper, allowing the dredge spoil to fall to the sea bottom. It typically takes 35 minutes of dredging to fill the ship's hopper to capacity.
Stormy winter weather makes work in the entrance bars to many harbors too dangerous, so the dredging season is roughly March to November. During the winter pause in dredging operations, "Yaquina" visits a shipyard for maintenance. For example, in December 2020 the ship was serviced at Vigor Industrial's facilities in Seattle.
When she was placed in service, the Army Corps of Engineers budgeted for the entire cost of operating "Yaquina". Channels were dredged at no cost to the ports or the ships that used them. This policy changed in 1983. After that date, "Yaquina" typically only dredged where a port, city, state or some other entity was willing to pay for at least part of the cost of operating the ship. In 1991 this cost was $30,000 per day. By FY 2013 the daily rate had risen to $85,000 per day.
"Yaquina" is the smallest hopper dredge in the Corps of Engineers fleet, and thus is often employed in the smallest ports. Over the course of her career she has dredged channels in the following waterways, in many cases several times:
Exxon Valdez response.
On March 24, 1989 the "Exxon Valdez" ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska creating one of the largest oil spills in American history. On April 11, 1989 the task force overseeing the cleanup requested the use of "Yaquina". She loaded up with a month's fuel and food, a supply of spare parts, two thousand yards of oil boom, extra foul-weather and cold-weather clothes for the crew, and even a 34-foot skimming vessel, before sailing from Portland. Rough weather in the Gulf of Alaska forced her to take the longer Inside Passage route, but the ship arrived in Prince William Sound on April 19, 1989.
"Yaquina" was not designed for oil recovery, and her initial skimming attempts failed. With her dragheads in their usual position, she sucked up more water than oil. Experimentation led to inverting her dragheads so that oil was sucked down from the surface. Within 15 minutes of the first trial of this new method, "Yaquina" pumped aboard 63,000 gallons of oil sludge. "Yaquina" proved capable of recovering 100 barrels of sludge per minute and her hopper could hold 4,000 barrels. The recovered sludge was pumped to an Exxon barge by reversing the dredge pumps. "Yaquina" began her skimming operations around Knight Island in Prince William Sound and worked her way southwest to Kukak Bay"." She combined with another Corps of Engineers dredge, USAV "Essayons", to recover 379,720 gallons of oil.
Since the ship was intended for operations in crowded harbors, she had advanced systems for tracking and communicating with multiple vessels. Thus, in addition to skimming, she was also used as a command and control platform for the many small vessels assisting in the cleanup.
By the end of May, 1989 most of the oil had dispersed or washed ashore, so "Yaquina" was unable to skim meaningful amounts from the sea. She was released back to her regular duties, but first had to be cleaned. She was a mess. The oil in her hopper had solidified into an asphalt-like consistency. This gunk incorporated rotting carcasses of various animals that had died in the spill and the combination was emitting poisonous gasses. It took 12 days of cleaning at Seward before she could sail back to Portland. She departed Alaskan waters on June 8, 1989 and arrived back in Portland on June 15.
The total cost of "Yaquina's" response to the oil spill was $674,687 which, after some contention, was reimbursed by Exxon.
Accidents.
The ship's work routinely takes it to shallow water where ongoing silting requires dredging to restore a channel. This work is hazardous, and the ship has gone aground several times. The ship ran aground at the entrance to the Port of Bandon, Oregon and was stuck on the jetty for several days before she could be floated off. "Yaquina" hit an uncharted rock ledge while dredging a channel in the Umpqua River on July 27, 1990 which tore a 5-foot by 8-foot hole in its hull. Several compartments flooded and the ship settled into the mud. She was towed to Portland for repairs. She ran aground and was holed while dredging in Willapa Bay, Washington on August 9, 1997. Repairs were estimated at $50,000 to $100,000.
Other duties.
"Yaquina" has taken aboard cadets from maritime academies seeking to earn sea-time credit during their Summer break. In summer 2000, for example, there were two cadets aboard.


B-class submarine

B-class submarine may refer to the following