SS Alfred I. Dupont

SS "Alfred I. Dupont" was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Alfred I. Dupont, an American industrialist, financier, philanthropist and a member of the influential Du Pont family.
Construction.
"Alfred I. Dupont" was laid down on 1 July 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2490, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Jessie Ball duPont, the widow of the namesake, and was launched on 15 August 1944.
History.
She was allocated to the International Freigting Corp., on 28 August 1944. On 25 November 1947, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama. She was sold for scrapping, 13 May 1970, to Southern Scrap Material Co., Ltd., along with , for $63,777. She was removed from the fleet, 13 August 1970.
Bibliography.


APL Raffles

APL Raffles is a "Temasek"-class container ship operated by APL. It was built in 2013 by Hyundai Heavy Industries at their Samho shipyard in South Korea.
Design and engineering.
The ship has overall length of , width of and summer draft of . The vessel has deadweight of and gross tonnage is , which allows maximum capacity for transportation of 13,900 TEU. The vessel if equipped with 1,200 reefer plugs for transportation of temperature controlled cargo.
Engineering.
The main engine is a Hyundai-MAN B&W 11S90ME-C9.2 with output power of 85,704 hp. The power is enough for the service to operate with speed of 19.5 kts, while the maximum speed under ballast exceeds 22.5 kts. The vessel has improved characteristics through lower resistance hull shape and paint, which reduces over-growth.


SS Empire Eve

Empire Eve was a CAM ship that was built in 1941 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She served until 1943, when she was torpedoed and sunk by off Algeria.
Description.
The ship was built in 1941 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham.
The ship was long, with a beam of . She had a depth of . She was assessed at , .
The ship was propelled by a 292 nhp triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke. The engine was built by George Clark (1938) Ltd, Sunderland.
History.
"Empire Eve" was launched on 26 April 1941 and completed in June. She was placed under the management of J A Billmeir & Co Ltd. Her port of registry was Sunderland. The United Kingdom Official Number 168912 and Code Letters BCLM were allocated. Management would later be transferred to Headlam & Sons Ltd, Whitby, Yorkshire.
"Empire Eve" was towed from Sunderland to the Tyne on 12 July 1941. She departed on 14 July to join Convoy EC 45, which had departed from Southend, Essex on 13 July and arrived at the Clyde on 18 July. She put into Methil, Fife on 16 July, departing the next day to join Convoy EC 46, which had departed from Southend on 15 July and arrived at the Clyde on 20 July. "Empire Eve" sailed on 27 July to join Convoy ON 1, which had departed from Liverpool, Lancashire the previous day and dispersed at on 9 August. She was bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where she arrived on 12 August. Laden with a cargo of grain, she departed with Convoy HX 146 on 21 August. Her Hawker Sea Hurricane was carrying the Squadron Code NJ-V. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 6 September. She left the convoy at the Clyde, arriving on 7 September.
"Empire Eve" sailed on 19 September to join Convoy ON 18, which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed at on 2 October. She was bound for Halifax, where she arrived on 5 October. She departed the next day for Saint John, New Brunswick, arriving on 7 October and sailing four days later for Halifax, where she arrived on 12 October. "Empire Eve" was a member of Convoy HX 155, which departed on 16 October and arrived at Liverpool on 31 October. She was carrying a cargo of grain, and left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 30 October.
"Empire Eve" then sailed to Liverpool, from where she departed on 15 November as a member of Convoy ON 37, which dispersed at on 30 November. Her destination was Halifax, where she arrived on 5 December. Laden with a cargo of grain, she returned with Convoy HX 165, which departed on 15 December and arrived at Liverpool on 30 December. She left the convoy at the Clyde, arriving on 28 December.
"Empire Eve" then sailed to Liverpool, She was a member of Convoy ON 56, which departed on 12 January 1942 and dispersed at on 16 January. She was bound for Halifax, arriving on 28 January. She departed the next day for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, arriving on 1 February. "Empire Eve" sailed on 7 February for Halifax, where she arrived on 11 February. She was a member of Convoy HX 175, which departed on 13 February and arrived at Liverpool on 25 February. She was carrying a cargo of grain but was not carrying an aircraft.
"Empire Eve" departed on 17 March as a member of Convoy OG 81, which arrived at Gibraltar on 29 March. She left the convoy and put into the Clyde, arriving on 18 March. She sailed on 8 April to join Convoy OG 82, which had departed from Liverpool that day and arrived at Gibraltar on 20 April. She departed on 12 May to make a round trip to Melilla, Spain, returning on 15 May. "Empire Eve" was a member of Convoy HG 83, which departed on 22 May and arrived at Liverpool on 3 June. She was carrying a cargo of iron ore bound for Glasgow, Renfrewshire. She arrived at the Clyde on 2 June. She then spent 6 weeks being fitted out for an Arctic convoy to Russia. However, due to the heavy losses suffered by another convoy under enemy action, this convoy was cancelled after loading had commenced. The "Empire Eve" never went to Russia.
"Empire Eve" sailed on 25 July to join Convoy ON 116, which had departed from Liverpool that day and dispersed off Boston, Massachusetts on 12 August. Sailing in ballast, without her Hurricane or operational radar, her destination was Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, which was reached by leaving the convoy and sailing to Halifax, where she arrived on 10 August, and then joining Convoy HS 40, which departed on 11 August and arrived at Sydney on 13 August. She sailed the next day with Convoy SQ 28, which arrived at Father Point, Quebec on 17 August. "Empire Eve" returned to Sydney with Convoy QS 30, which departed on 26 August and arrived on 30 August. She sailed on 30 August to join Convoy SC 98, which had departed from Halifax the previous day and arrived at Liverpool on 13 September. She was carrying a cargo of grain and lorries bound for Manchester, Lancashire. and had a deck cargo of 4 Sherman tanks and 8 crated Mustang fighters.
"Empire Eve" was a member of Convoy ON 134, which departed from Liverpool on 26 September and arrived at New York, United States on 17 October. Her captain was the convoy's Vice Commodore. She was bound for Halifax, where she arrived on 14 October. A round trip was made to Saint John via convoys HF 8 and FH 11, arriving back at Halifax on 30 October. "Empire Eve" sailed on 4 November to join Convoy SC 108, which had departed from New York on 1 November and arrived at Liverpool on 19 November. Her cargo consisted flour and grain. She left the convoy at the Clyde on 18 November.
"Empire Eve" sailed to Liverpool and joined Convoy ON 150, which departed on 1 December and arrived at New York on 25 December. She was bound for Halifax, arriving on 22 December. She departed on 25 December to make a round trip to Saint John, returning to Halifax (loaded with wheat ) on 7 January 1943. "Empire Eve" sailed on 15 January to join Convoy SC 117, which had departed from New York on 12 January and arrived at Liverpool on 3 February. She was carrying general cargo and grain. She arrived at the Clyde on 2 February.
"Empire Eve" sailed on 22 February to join Convoy ON.169, which departed from Liverpool that day and arrived at New York on 21 March. She was bound for Halifax, where she arrived on 17 March. Laden with a cargo of grain, she departed on 31 March as a member of Convoy SC 125, which arrived at Liverpool on 15 April. She left the convoy at the Belfast Lough on 14 April, joining Convoy BB 279, which sailed that day and arrived at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire the next day. She sailed on 20 April for Cardiff, Glamorgan, arriving later that day, where she was loaded with coal and returned to fully operational status with a Hurricane fighter and full radar crew.
"Empire Eve" sailed on 3 May for Milford Haven, arriving the next day. She sailed immediately to join Convoy OS47 km, which departed from Liverpool on 5 May and split at sea on 16 May to form convoys OS 47 and KMS 14. Convoy OS 47 arrived at Freetown, Sierra Leone on 25 May. KMS 14 arrived at Gibraltar on 17 May. "Empire Eve" was armed with a 4-inch or 4.7-inch gun, a 12-pounder gun, four Bofors guns and a number of kites. She was carrying a cargo of of coal and of lubricating oil. She then joined Convoy KMS 14, which departed on 17 May and arrived at Bône, Algeria on 21 May. On 18 May, "Empire Eve" was torpedoed and sunk by north east of Mostaganem, Algeria () (7 days later, U414 was herself sunk with the loss of all 41 crew). Empire Eve was manned by 61 Merchant Navy crew, and 26 Service personnel coming from all 3 Services. Five crew were killed, all Merchant Navy. The survivors were rescued by and a LCT. They were landed at Algiers. Those killed serving on "Empire Eve" are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.


USS Ortolan (ASR-22)

USS "Ortolan" (ASR-22), a twin-hulled submarine rescue ship, laid down 28 August 1968 by the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company, Mobile, Alabama; launched 10 September 1969; sponsored by Mrs. Nels C. Johnson; and was commissioned 14 July 1973.
"Ortolan" was designed to operate the s, and was the second and final vessel of the built by the U.S. Navy.
Decommissioned 30 March 1995 and berthed at the James River Reserve Fleet, Fort Eustis, Virginia, awaiting final determination for method of disposal.
3 July 2009, Ortolan was awarded as part of a recycling contract to Esco Marine of Brownsville, Texas. Ortolan departed the James River Reserve Fleet at 0950, 20 July 2009 for recycling.


MV Karen Danielsen

The M/V "Karen Danielsen", is a multipurpose container feeder, built in March 1985 by J.J. Sietas KG, at their shipbuilding yard in Hamburg-Neuenfelde, Germany, and labelled a type 111a. This ship is registered as the 970 new-build ship by J.J. Sietas KG.
Chartered 1987 by Herbert Drewes under the name "Esperanza". Sold 1988 and renamed to "Mánafoss" and registered in Antigua. In 1992 it returned to Herbert Drewes and was again renamed to "Esperanza" and sailed under A German flag.
The ship was bought by the Danish shipping company Otto Danielsen (located in Virum, Denmark) on 30 December 2002 and was renamed M/V "Karen Danielsen", and re-registered under the Bahamas flag.
Great Belt Bridge accident.
M/V "Karen Danielsen" crashed into the Danish Great Belt Bridge on 3 March 2005 during a trip from Svendborg to Finland, and is currently out of service.
The crash knocked two cranes off the ship, and destroyed the top deck of the ship's bridge. A fire also broke out on board. The chief officer was at the helm, and was killed in the crash. His body was discovered in the hold. An autopsy revealed that he had a blood alcohol concentration of at least 1.55 parts per 1000. Several of the other crew members, all of whom were from Croatia, were badly injured, including the captain.
The bridge received no structural damage and was able to reopen several hours later.


SS West Caruth


USS Regulus (AF-57)

USS "Regulus" (AF-57) was a "Denebola"-class stores ship acquired by the United States Navy. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.
The second vessel to be named "Regulus" by the Navy, "Regulus" was built under United States Maritime Commission contract under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was laid down as SS "Escanaba Victory" (MCV hull 112) by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon, 29 April 1944; launched 7 June 1944. She was sponsored by Mrs. Aubrey D. Day; and delivered to the Maritime Commission 29 June 1944.
SS "Escanaba Victory".
SS "Escanaba Victory" serviced as a supply cargo ship for World War II. She was operated by the American South African Line under the US Maritime Commission. She served in the Pacific War and participating in the landings on Leyte. "Escanaba Victory" supported troops in the Leyte landings from 18 Oct. 1944 to 29 Nov. 1944. While under the command of USN Armed Guard CO Lt. Wendell H. Mixson, she earned battle stars for use of her deck guns in defending herself and other US ships against enemy aircraft, including kamikazes. "With every available gun brought to bear and blazing at a Japanese suicide plane which started its swift run on the "Escanaba Victory" and her dangerous cargo, you and the gallant crew under your command poured a continuous stream of projectiles into the diving craft, remaining steadfast at your stations in the face of almost certain death and holding to the target until it crashed into the sea in flames a short distance off the port quarter. The daring and aggressive fighting spirit displayed by you and your gunners throughout 47 grueling days of combat duty resulted in the destruction or complete rout of numerous hostile aircraft and reflect the highest credit upon the United States Naval Service." In 1948 she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Wilmington, North Carolina. In 1950 she was removed from the Reserve Fleet and repaired. She was operated by the North American Shipping Company for the Maritime Commission to deliver supplies to Korea for the Korean War. The SS "Escanaba Victory" transported goods, mail, food and other supplies. About 90 percent of the cargo was moved by merchant marine naval to the war zone. SS "Escanaba Victory" made trips to Korea between 1950 and 1952, helping American forces engaged against Communist aggression in South Korea.
Acquisition by the U.S. Navy.
The SS "Escanaba Victory" was acquired by the Navy from the Commission's successor, the United States Maritime Administration, 5 May 1952; converted by the Todd Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York; and commissioned as "Regulus" (AF-57) on 3 February 1954. She was Commanded by John D. Lautaret.
Operations.
Completing initial training and outfitting on the west coast, "Regulus", homeported at Alameda, California, loaded at San Francisco, California, and on 8 May 1954 got underway for the Far East. A unit of Service Squadron 3, she operated out of Sasebo and replenished units of the United States Seventh Fleet at sea and in ports from Japan to the Philippines until November when she steamed for the United States. Returning to San Francisco 2 December, she was deployed again 26 February–26 August 1955, extending her range on that tour to ports in Indochina.
Supporting Vietnam operations.
From 1955 to 1970 she continued to rotate regularly to the western Pacific Ocean, transporting in 1957 art treasures from Korea to the United States for exhibition. During the early 1960s, her deployed time in the Western Pacific was increased and from 1964 her primary mission was shifted to replenishment of Seventh Fleet units operating off the coast of Vietnam to support the Vietnam War. Her triennial overhaul periods excepted, "Regulus", equipped in 1965 with a helicopter deck for vertical replenishment, continued to carry provisions to the units of the United States Pacific Fleet until the night of 16–17 August 1971.
Grounded on a reef in a typhoon.
While riding out typhoon Rose at Hong Kong, "Regulus" grounded on Kau I Chau Island on 17 August 1971, ripping open her hull. After three weeks of attempting to refloat "Regulus", it was finally decided that the damage she had incurred was too severe to warrant salvage. The ship was cut up and removed in pieces. "Regulus" was decommissioned 10 September 1971 and subsequently struck from the Navy List.
Military awards and honors.
Regulus’ crew was eligible for the following medals:


Georgiy Zhukov (ship)

The Georgiy Zhukov () 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 1983. At 4,050 tonnes, "Georgiy Zhukov" is one of the world's biggest river cruise ships. Her sister ships are "Valerian Kuybyshev", "Fyodor Shalyapin", "Feliks Dzerzhinskiy", "Sergey Kuchkin", "Mikhail Frunze", "Mstislav Rostropovich", "Aleksandr Suvorov" and "Semyon Budyonnyy". "Georgiy Zhukov" is currently owned and operated by Vodohod, a Russian river cruise line. Her home port is currently Nizhny Novgorod. Captain of the "Georgiy Zhukov" (2014) is Viktor Prigorshnev.
Features.
The ship has two restaurants, two bars, conference hall, solarium and library.


SS Leviathan

SS "Leviathan, originally built as Vaterland" (meaning "Fatherland" in German), was an ocean liner which regularly crossed the North Atlantic from 1914 to 1934. The second of three sister ships built for Germany's Hamburg America Line for its transatlantic passenger service, she sailed as "Vaterland" for less than a year before her early career was halted by the start of World War I. In 1917, she was seized by the US government and renamed "Leviathan". She would become known by this name for the majority of her career, both as a troopship during World War I and later as the flagship of the United States Lines.
Construction and early career.
SS "Vaterland", a 54,282 gross ton passenger liner, was built by Blohm & Voss at Hamburg, Germany, as the second of a trio of very large ships of the "Imperator" class for the Hamburg America Line's trans-Atlantic route. She was launched on 3 April 1913 and was the largest passenger ship in the world upon her completion, superseding , but later being superseded in turn by the last ship of this class, , later the .
"Vaterland" had made only a few trips when, in late July 1914, she arrived at New York City just as World War I broke out. With a safe return to Germany rendered questionable by British dominance of the seas, she was laid up at her Hoboken, New Jersey terminal and remained immobile for nearly three years.
World War I.
"Vaterland" was seized by the United States Shipping Board when the United States entered World War I on 6 April 1917. She was turned over to the custody of the United States Navy (USN) in June 1917 and her German crew was sent to a new internment camp in Hot Springs, North Carolina, where many of them later died of a typhoid fever outbreak in summer 1918 as they were about to be transferred to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.
She was commissioned by the USN in July 1917 as the USS "Vaterland", Captain Joseph Wallace Oman in command. On 6 September 1917 she was redesignated SP-1326 and renamed "Leviathan" by President Woodrow Wilson.
The trial cruise to Cuba on 17 November 1917 prompted Captain Oman to order 241 Marines on board to relieve a detachment of Marines and to station themselves conspicuously about the upper decks, giving the appearance from shore that the great ship was headed overseas to increase the American Expeditionary Forces. Upon her return later that month, she reported for duty with the Cruiser and Transport Force.
In December she took troops to Liverpool, England, but repairs delayed her return to the US until mid-February 1918. A second trip to Liverpool in March was followed by more repairs.
At that time she was repainted with the British-type dazzle camouflage scheme that she carried for the rest of the war. With the completion of that work, "Leviathan" began regular passages between the US and Brest, France, delivering up to 14,000 persons on each trip. Once experience in embarking troops was gained, 11,000 troops could board the ship in two hours.
On 29 September 1918 she left New York for Brest; she was one of the main carriers of troops to France, carrying 2,000 crew and 9,000 troops. The voyage would prove to have the worst in-transit casualties of the deadly second wave of the Spanish flu. By the time she arrived at Brest on 8 October, 2,000 were sick, and 80 had died.
Before the armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, the ship transported more than 119,000 fighting men. Amongst the ship's US Navy crew during this period was future film star Humphrey Bogart.
After that date "Leviathan", repainted grey overall by December 1918, reversed the flow of men as she transported the veterans back to the United States with nine westward crossings, the last ending on 8 September 1919. On 29 October 1919, USS "Leviathan" was decommissioned and turned over to the US Shipping Board and again laid up at Hoboken until plans for her future employment could be determined.
American service.
The US Shipping Board was by the end of the war encumbered with surplus tonnage and government sponsored shipping companies. On 17 December 1919 the International Mercantile Marine (IMM) signed an agreement to maintain its intended acquisition until a final decision could be made. The Gibbs Brothers Inc., later named Gibbs & Cox in 1929, was hired to survey the vessel and her economic potential from every aspect when newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst objected to the purchase by claiming British influence over IMM, riding on nationalistic sentiment to stop the deal.
The Gibbs brothers were allowed to continue by the Shipping Board even as the deal fell through, their first big task being the creation of a new set of blueprints. None had been received from Germany under the Versailles Treaty and the price was deemed outrageous. Instead an army of workers measured every part of the ship until a new set of prints had been made.
Having languished in political limbo at her Hoboken pier until April 1922, a decision was finally made and $8,000,000 in funds were allocated to sail "Leviathan" to Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia, for her 14-month reconditioning and refurbishment. War duty and age meant that all wiring, plumbing, and interior layouts were stripped and redesigned while her hull was strengthened and her boilers converted from coal to oil while being refurbished; virtually a new ship emerged.
The decorations and fittings, designed by New York architects Walker & Gillette, retained much of her prewar splendor of Edwardian, Georgian, Louis XVI styles now merged with modern 1920s touches. The biggest deviation was an art deco night club supplanting the original Verandah Cafe. In June 1923 she was given back to the Shipping Board. "Leviathan"s measured tonnage had increased to 59,956.65 GRT and her speed trials showed an average of 27.48 knots. Thanks in part to Gibbs' clever accounting and the Gulf stream, she was advertised as the world's largest and fastest ship. This claim was immediately challenged by the Cunard Line, with a reminder that its still held the official speed record for trans-Atlantic crossing, as well as the White Star Line, which claimed the as the world's longest ship, with a higher gross tonnage if properly calculated.
By this time United States Lines, which had interested IMM, had been sold and contractually obligated to run "Leviathan" for a minimum of five return voyages on the Atlantic run per year. The Gibbs Brothers Inc would run her for her first voyages and train the crew until ownership officially changed hands. She immediately proved popular with the American public in the '20s, starting her career fully booked for her maiden voyage departing on 4 July 1923. Her passenger average reached a strong 1,300 by 1926, making her the #1 traveled ship on the Atlantic, but given her capacity of 3,000 it was too little to be profitable.
Her economic problems lay primarily in high labor costs and fuel costs which were compounded by Prohibition. From 1920 all US registered ships counted as an extension of US territory, making them "dry ships" according to the National Prohibition Act. With the Atlantic shipping capacity oversaturated, especially after the Immigration Act of 1924, alcohol-seeking passengers readily chose other liners. But "Leviathan" was an American symbol of power and prestige, which despite her economic failings, made her a popular ship with loyal travelers. She attracted attention as the largest and fastest ship in the American merchant marine and featured in countless advertisements. The only serious incident occurred one day out of Cherbourg on a winter crossing in 1924 where she met a fierce storm with 90 ft waves and winds up to 100 mph, at times forcing her into 20 degree rolls. Eleven portholes were smashed and 32 passengers injured by the time the storm abated.
The ship's orchestra, the SS "Leviathan" Orchestra under the direction of Nelson Maples, was also well regarded. Gramophone records were produced in 1923 and 1924 for Victor Records by the band, which would later become inspiration for the New Leviathan Oriental Fox-Trot Orchestra decades later.
Captain Herbert Hartley commanded "Leviathan" from July 1923 until he retired in February 1928. (Hartley published his autobiography titled "Home Is the Sailor" in 1955.) By 1927 the "good years" were over, during which time United States Lines had been sold and re-nationalized. In 1929 "Leviathan" was finally allowed to serve "medicinal alcohol" outside US territorial waters to make her more competitive with foreign lines and was quickly sent on Booze Cruises to make money. The Great Depression was the final nail in the coffin and United States Lines actively lobbied for the Shipping Board to either take the "Leviathan" back or provide a subsidy for her operation. She was laid up at her pier in Hoboken, New Jersey, in June 1933, having lost $75,000 per round trip since 1929.
United States Lines had been acquired at auction by IMM in 1931; IMM was just as eager to be rid of the white elephant. The government steadfastly stipulated that "Leviathan" should sail, and so she did after a refurbishment costing $150,000, for another five round trips. The first round trip sailed on 9 June 1934, high season on the Atlantic, and tallied a loss of $143,000. By "Leviathan"s fifth voyage she sailed at barely half capacity. IMM paid the US government $500,000 for permission to retire her while keeping her in running order until 1936.
In 1937 she was sold to the British Metal Industries Ltd. On 26 January 1938 "Leviathan" set out on her 301st and last transatlantic voyage under the command of Captain John Binks, retired master of the RMS Olympic, with a crew of 125 officers and men who had been hired to deliver the ship to the breakers. "Leviathan" arrived at Rosyth, Scotland, on 14 February. In the 13 years that she served United States Lines she carried more than a quarter-million passengers, never making a profit.


MOL Maestro-class container ship

The "MOL Maestro" class is a series of 10 container ships originally built for Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and later operated by Ocean Network Express (ONE). The ships were built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at their Kobe and Nagasaki shipyards in Japan. The ships have a maximum theoretical capacity of around 6,724 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).


SS Frank Flowers

SS "Frank Flowers" was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Frank Flowers, a veteran of the Spanish–American War, he served aboard , in the supply department, during WWI, and later served as steward and purser with the United States Lines.
Construction.
"Frank Flowers" was laid down on 9 May 1945, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 3141, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was launched on 22 June 1945.
History.
She was allocated to American Export Lines, Inc., on 16 July 1945. On 26 October 1945, she was laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York, 26 October 1945. On 21 August 1953, she was placed in the, Beaumont Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas. She was sold for scrapping, 15 July 1974, to Luria Brothers and Co., Inc., for $191,889.98. She was removed from the fleet, 5 August 1974.


MV Longchamp

MV Longchamp is a German-owned chemical tanker. It was hijacked by seven armed Somali pirates on January 29, 2009, while carrying a cargo of vinyl chloride monomer.


SS United States Victory

The SS "United States Victory" was the fourth Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on March 6, 1944 and completed on April 30, 1944. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2- S- AP3, hull number 3 (V-3). SS "United States Victory" served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. The 10,500-ton Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle.
SS "United States Victory" was christened and launched at the yards of the California Shipbuilding Corporation. Major General Parker spoke at the christening. The widow of William E. Dyess was at the Ceremony. Lieutenant Colonel Dyess was air war hero who died on December 22, 1943. SS "United States Victory" was the fourth of a long line of Victory ships to leave the Calship building. The launching of The SS "United States Victory" splashed into the water of Wilmington, Los Angeles.
World War II.
SS "United States Victory" served in the Atlantic Ocean in World War II. She severed as a troop ship taking troops to Europe. SS "United States Victory" and 96 other Victory ships were converted to troop ships to bring the US soldiers home as part of Operation Magic Carpet.
SS "United States Victory" did an exchange of prisoners mission. She, took German POW's to Le Havre, France and returned American prisoner troops from Bremerhaven, Germany. For the exchange she departed Aug. 17, 1945 and arrived Aug. 24, 1945. She arrived in New York on Sept. 9, 1945 and again on Sept 30. 1945, also on Oct. 22, 1945 from Bremerhaven as part of Operation Magic Carpet. On Dec. 13, 1945 she arrived with troop to Norfolk, Virginia. She was laid for a short time in 1946 at Suisun Bay as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, In 1947 she went into dry dock and her engine was repaired in the Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division.
SS "Indian Shipper".
In 1947 she was sold and renamed SS "Shipper", she owned and operated by the India Steamship Company of Calcutta, India. "Indian Shipper" was scrapped in 1971 in Taiwan.


Cruiser submarine

A cruiser submarine was a very large submarine designed to remain at sea for extended periods in areas distant from base facilities. Their role was analogous to surface cruisers, cruising distant waters, commerce raiding, and scouting for the battle fleet. Cruiser submarines were successful for a brief period of World War I, but were less successful than smaller submarines during World War II. Large submarines remained vulnerable to damage from defensively equipped merchant ships (DEMS), were slow to dive if found by aircraft, offered a large sonar echo surface, and were less able to defensively maneuver during depth charge attacks.
History.
The cruiser submarine concept originated during the unrestricted submarine warfare campaign of 1917. Three German Type U 139 submarines and seven former merchant submarines, each armed with two guns, patrolled areas distant from their North Sea bases to sink Allied merchant shipping as part of an effort to end World War I by starving the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. These distant patrols enjoyed unique immunity to the defensive convoy measures which limited successful submarine attacks in the vicinity of the British Isles.
The First World War combat experience of these submarines encouraged all major navies to build submarine cruiser prototypes between the world wars, but their cost discouraged most from further production. Developments were further limited by the London Naval Treaty of 1930, under which each signatory was permitted to possess no more than three large submarines, each above 2,000 tons (2,032 metric tons) but not exceeding 2,800 tons (2,845 metric tons) standard displacement, with guns not exceeding 6.1 in (150 mm) in caliber.
Japanese focus on the distances of their Pacific trade routes encouraged development of the widest variety of submarine cruisers, including the A, B and J types. Germany decided against building projected 3,140-ton type XI U-boats with an aircraft hangar and four guns. Long-range submarines with less impressive deck guns, including Type IXD2 U-boats and United States Navy fleet submarines, evolved through the Second World War; and may be identified as cruiser submarines in comparison to submarines designed for shorter patrols over lesser distances.


Millennium-class cruise ship

The "Millennium" class is a class of four cruise ships of Celebrity Cruises. The ships were built between 1999 and 2002 at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint Nazaire.


SS Bucknell Victory

The SS "Bucknell Victory" was a Victory-class cargo ship built during World War II. The "Bucknell Victory" was a type VC2-S-AP2 victory ship built by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard 2, of Richmond, California. The Maritime Administration cargo ship was the 728th ship built. Her keel was laid on December 27, 1944. SS "Bucknell Victory" was an armed cargo ship, named for Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, one of 150 educational institutions that had Victory ships named after them. She was built in just 70 days, under the Emergency Shipbuilding program for World War II. The 10,600-ton ship was constructed for the Maritime Commission.
Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for WW2. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle.
World War II.
For World War II the "Bucknell Victory" was operated by the Agwilines Inc under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration. She had United States Navy Armed Guard to man the deck guns. She took cargo to support troops in the Pacific War. The goods were for the Battle of Okinawa operations, that lasted from 1 April until 22 June 1945. On 9 May 1945 at Okinawa a Kamikaze plane hit her causing damage. The attack took out her power, so the tug USS Pakana (ATF-108) came alongside the "Bucknell Victory" to supply power to the ship and help her until May 18. She was repaired and put back in service.
War Relief and Seacowboys.
In 1946 after World War II the "Bucknell Victory" was converted to a livestock ship, also called a cowboy ship. From 1945 to 1947 the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the Brethren Service Committee of the Church of the Brethren sent livestock to war-torn countries. These "seagoing cowboys" made about 360 trips on 73 different ships. The "Heifers for Relief project" was started by the Church of the Brethren in 1942; in 1953 this became "Heifer International". The SS "Bucknell Victory" was one of these ships, known as cowboy ships, as she moved livestock across the Atlantic Ocean. The "Bucknell Victory" made five trip and she took 780 horses, several thousand baby chicks and hay bales to Poland on each trip. "Bucknell Victory" moved horses, heifers, and mules as well as a some chicks, rabbits, and goats. In 1947 with her war and relief work done she was laid up in the James River as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. In 1950 a new war was starting in the Far East so she was removed from the Reserve Fleet.
Korean War.
SS "Bucknell Victory" served as merchant marine ship supplying goods for the Korean War. About 75 percent of the personnel taking to Korea for the Korean War came by the merchant marine ship. SS "Bucknell Victory" transported goods, mail, food and other supplies. About 90 percent of the cargo was moved by merchant marine naval to the war zone. SS "Bucknell Victory" made trips between 1950 and 1952, helping American forces engaged against Communist aggression in South Korea. In 1952 she was returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Vietnam War.
In 1966 she was removed from the National Defense Reserve Fleet again and reactivated for the Vietnam War. She was operated by the American President Lines. After the war, in 1973 she was laid up at Suisun Bay in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. In 1994 she was scrapped in China.
Honors.
Bucknell Victory earned Battle Stars for using her deck guns to defend herself and other ships from 3 May 1945 to 22 May 1945 during the assault of Okinawa.


Type C submarine

The was one of the first classes of submarine in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to serve during the Second World War. "Type-C" submarines were better armed than the "Type-A" and "Type-B". The "Type-C"s were also utilized as "Kō-hyōteki" or "Kaiten" mother ships, for this reason they were not equipped with aviation facilities.
Class variants.
The "Type-C" submarines were divided into three classes:
"Type-C" ("I-16" class).
Project number S38 and S38B (Latter batch). They were based on the "I-7" class. Eight boats were built between 1937 and 1944 under the Maru 3 Programme (Boats 44 - 48) and the Maru Kyū Programme (Boats 376 - 378).
"Type-C Mod." ("I-52" class).
Project number S37D. Twenty boats were planned under the Maru Tsui Programme (Boats 625 - 632) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boats 5141 - 5155). According to their Project number, they were one of the variants of the "Type-B" submarine. Seventeen boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN was planning to build the which was to become the primary submarine in 1945.
"Type V22B".
Project number S49B. Twenty eight boats were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme (Boats 379 - 381) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boats 5156 - 5180). All boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN was planning to build the .


Silver Cloud (ship)

Silver Cloud is a small cruise ship operated by Silversea Cruises, the luxury brand of the Royal Caribbean Group conglomerate of cruise lines. She entered service in 1994 as Silversea's first ship. Her sister ship is the "Silver Wind", launched in 1995.
"Silver Cloud" formerly sailed on European itineraries (both the North Sea and the Mediterranean) in summer. In winter, she cruised in the Caribbean and South America. Since the ship was ice strengthened in 2017, itineraries have concentrated on polar regions, with visits to less common cruise destinations on transfers between the arctic and antarctic.
Cruises.
As of 2008 the ship cruises the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean with stops at the Bahamas and in the Caribbean Sea, as well as journeys to the Atlantic coast of South America. Some cruises take it through the Mediterranean Sea. It also passes the Suez Canal with cruises through the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf calling at ports along the route that normal tourists seldom visit, such as Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
The Silver Cloud has been home to both the United States men's and women's national basketball teams during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.
In 2017, the ship underwent a comprehensive rebuild to bring it up to ice class and it has since sailed on expedition cruises, including polar regions.


SS Davidson Victory

The SS "Davidson Victory" (172) was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland, Oregon, United States, on 27 February 1945. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, Hull Number 172. One of a series of Victory ships named after institutes of higher education, the "Davidson Victory" was named after North Carolina's Davidson College, from which more than 200 books along with "charts, etchings and pictorial publications, of the college" were given to the ship's library.
She sailed unescorted from the San Francisco Bay area in the spring 1945 with a cargo of naval munitions bound for Ulithi Atoll in the Western Caroline Islands. There she served as one of many floating ammunition depots for what was at the time the world's largest naval base. Like other "ammo" ships, the "Davidson Victory" was stationed at a safe distance from the anchored fleet due to her volatile cargo. She left Ulithi in the summer of 1945 en route to the Philippines to prepare for the invasion of the Japanese home islands when the Japanese surrender was announced. After the surrender the ship was directed back to the Bay Area to unload its remaining cargo and discharge its United States Navy Armed Guard and cargo crew. Due largely to its late entry into the war, the "Davidson" "never heard a shot fired in anger." Nevertheless, she and her sister ships served a vital role in the war effort.
The "Davidson Victory" continued to transport foodstuffs and other cargo to Japan under the direction of the US War Shipping Administration until 1948, when it was leased to the Pacific-Atlantic Steamship Company of Tacoma, Washington and renamed the SS "Montana". Ownership of the "Montana" was transferred to the States Steamship Company in 1955, and the ship was acquired by US Department of Commerce in 1961. The "Montana" as scrapped in Portland, Oregon in 1968.


SS Antares (T-AKR-294)

SS "Antares" (T-AKR 294) is an "Algol" class vehicle cargo ship that is currently maintained by the United States Maritime Administration as part of the Military Sealift Command's Ready Reserve Force (RRF). She was built as a high speed container ship by A.G. Weser in Bremen, West Germany, hull no. 1382, for Sea-Land Service, Inc. Baptized in Bremerhaven by Helga Wedekind, the ship was named SS "Sea-Land Galloway", USCG ON 542200, IMO 7226897. Due to her high operating cost, she was sold to the United States Navy on 16 April 1982 as USNS "Antares" (T-AK-294).
In keeping with the pattern of the naming the Algol-class ships after bright stars, the "Antares" was named after Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius.
Conversion.
Conversion began on 6 October 1982 at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her cargo hold was redesigned into a series of decks connected by ramps so vehicles can be driven into and out of the cargo hold for fast loading and unloading. She was also fitted with two sets of two cranes; one set located at midship capable of lifting 35 tons, and another set located aft capable of lifting 50 tons. She was delivered to the Military Sealift Command on 12 July 1984 as USNS "Antares" (T-AKR 294).
Service.
When not active, "Antares" is kept in reduced operating status due to her high operating cost. If needed, she can be activated and ready to sail in 96 hours. "Antares" took part in the Persian Gulf War in 1990. Along with the other seven "Algol" class cargo ships, she transported 14 percent of all cargo delivered between the United States and Saudi Arabia during and after the war. In 1994, she was activated to carry supplies to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where Haitian and Cuban refugees were given safe haven by US forces. She was activated in February 1999, and carried U.S. Army cargo to Rijeka, Croatia in support of the NATO peacekeeping mission Operation Joint Guard. In 2004 she was used in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for the transportation of military equipment between Kuwait and the United States. She carried the equipment for the entire 2D Armored Cavalry Regiment home at the completion of their mission.
On 1 October 2007, "Antares" was transferred to the United States Maritime Administration. On 1 October 2008, she was transferred to the Ready Reserve Force, losing her USNS designation. If activated, "Antares" will report to the Military Sealift Command.
Scheduled Maintenance.
As of August 2019 "Antares" is undergoing a scheduled 5 year maintenance service at Philly Shipyard expected to last 2 months.


MS Symmes Potter


Archer-class submarine

The Archer class submarines are a class of two diesel-electric submarines in active service with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). Originally launched as the Swedish Navy submarines HSwMS "Hälsingland" and HSwMS "Västergötland" in 1986 and 1987, the two submarines were sold to Singapore in November 2005 and relaunched in June 2009 and October 2010 respectively after extensive modernisation by Kockums, which included a refit to standards, the insertion of a new hull section with an air independent propulsion system, and additional climatisation for use in tropical waters.
History.
Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) signed an agreement with Kockums for the supply of two "Archer"-class (formerly "Västergötland"-class) submarines to the RSN on 4 November 2005. More than 20 years old and previously in reserve with the Swedish Navy, the submarines were transferred to the RSN on completion of the modernisation and conversion for operation in tropical waters. RSS "Archer" was launched on 16 June 2009. RSS "Archer" underwent sea trials following its launch and is now operational. The second submarine, RSS "Swordsman", was launched on 20 October 2010. The "Archer"-class submarines entered service in 2013 and replaced RSS "Challenger" and RSS "Centurion" of the "Challenger" class that were retired in 2015.
Design and construction.
The "Archer"-class submarines were designed and built by Kockums AB as single-hull, double compartment submarines optimised to reduce noise and magnetic signature. The two pressure-tight compartments also enhance safety and survivability of the crew. The submarines were designed to operate in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea and are therefore also optimised for operation in Singapore waters, which have similar depth profiles. The "Archer"-class submarines are also equipped with Stirling AIP engines. This enables the submarines to have longer submerged endurance and lower noise signature, enhancing the stealth capability of the submarines. The advanced sonar system allows the submarines to detect contacts at a further distance, while the torpedo system has a better target acquisition capability, which allows the submarines to engage contacts at a longer range.


USCS Bancroft

USCS "Bancroft" was a schooner that served as a survey ship in the United States Coast Survey, a predecessor of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, from 1846 to 1862.
The Coast Survey purchased "Bancroft" in 1846 for $2,098.42 and placed her in service the same year. She operated along the United States East Coast during her career.
"Bancroft" was at Beaufort, South Carolina, on the night of 22 December 1855 when a fire broke out which threatened to destroy the town. The officers and crew of "Bancroft" promptly joined others in fighting and containing the fire, and her officers received the thanks of the citizens of Beaufort for "Bancroft"s quick response to the emergency.
"Bancroft" was retired in 1862.


Vanguard-class ship of the line

The "Vanguard"-class ships of the line were a class of two-deck 80-gun second rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir William Symonds, of which nine were completed as sailing ships of the line, although another two of these were completed as (and others converted into) steam warships.
They were originally planned as 78-gun third rates. Two ships were ordered in 1832 and another two in 1833, although one of the latter was intended to be a rebuilding of the second rate "Union", and this was subsequently cancelled. At this point the design was modified and they were re-designated as 80-gun second rates. Another ship was ordered to this design in 1838, another seven in 1839 (of which two were subsequently re-ordered three months later as 90-gun ships to a new design - the "Albion" and "Aboukir") and another two in 1840. Two of the above ships were re-ordered and completed as steam battleships - "Majestic" and "Irresistible". A final ship to this design, the "Brunswick", was ordered in 1844 but in 1847 she was re-ordered to a modified design.


McCann Rescue Chamber

The McCann Submarine Rescue Chamber is a device for rescuing submariners from a submarine that is unable to surface.
History.
During the first two decades of the United States Navy Submarine Force, there were several accidents in which Navy submarines sank with the loss of life. The impetus for the invention for the chamber was the loss of "S-51" on 25 September 1925, and the loss of "S-4" on 17 December 1927. In the case of "S-4", all of her officers and men were able to reach non-flooded compartments as the submarine bottomed in of water. However, the majority soon succumbed. In her forward torpedo room, six men remained alive. Heroic efforts were made to rescue these six, who had exchanged a series of signals with divers by tapping on the hull. In extremely cold water and tangled wreckage, Navy divers worked to rescue them, but a storm forced a stop to this effort on 24 December. Forty men lost their lives.
These experiences led submariner Charles B. "Swede" Momsen to think of technical alternatives for rescuing survivors from sunken submarines, which at that time was still a virtual impossibility. Momsen soon conceived a submarine rescue chamber that could be lowered from the surface to mate with a submarine's escape hatch and proposed the concept through official channels. While in command of the submarine "S-1" (SS-105), in 1926, Momsen wrote the Bureau of Construction and Repair (BuC&R) recommending the adoption of a diving bell for the purposes of rescuing entrapped personnel from submarines. But this idea was pigeonholed by the bureaucracy, even during his own subsequent assignment at BuC&R. The loss of "S-4" with all hands put the Navy very much "on the spot" because of the loss of lives that might have been saved. The pressure of this incident forced favorable action and Momsen, using the aircraft hangar from "S-1", designed and built a prototype submarine rescue chamber.
During the first three months of 1928, divers and other salvage personnel were able to raise "S-4" and tow her to the Boston Navy Yard, where she was drydocked and repaired. She returned to active duty in October 1928 and was employed thereafter as a submarine rescue and salvage test ship. Momsen went to sea in the reconditioned "S-4" to carry out practical experiments and training with the rescue chambers.
Work with "S-4" helped to develop equipment and techniques that bore fruit a decade later, when 33 men were brought up alive from the sunken submarine "Squalus". The first diving bells for rescuing men from submarines were designed by the BuC&R in 1928. The diving bell went through a series of tests off the shores of Key West, Florida. Based on these tests, Momsen had several changes in mind for the bell, and after nearly two years of experimentation full of highly interesting results, the final bell was evolved and christened a "rescue chamber." This success was catalyst for gaining approval for development of the submarine rescue chamber in 1930. Before he could make these changes, Momsen went to the Bureau of Construction and Repair to work on an underwater breathing apparatus for individual escapes. Momsen turned to devising the "Momsen Lung", demonstrating it successfully in a series of unauthorized experiments in the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, and finally attracted enough favorable attention to see the lung adopted by the Navy in 1929.
Lieutenant Commander Allan Rockwell McCann was put in charge of the revisions on the diving bell. From July 1929 to July 1931, McCann was assigned to the Maintenance Division, Bureau of Construction and Repair, where he developed the submarine rescue chamber. When the bell was completed in late 1930, it was produced as the McCann Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) (Navy designated the first 12 of these as [YRC] 1–12, YRC-4 was lost aboard the USS "Pigeon", at Bataan, Philippines, during the first days of WWII. YRC-5 was aboard the USS "Widgeon" during the attack on Pearl Harbor). In 1931, a one-fifth scale model of a diving bell for submarine rescue work was built and tested. Design called for the bell to withstand the external pressure encountered at a depth of at least of water, and the test showed the model fulfilled this requirement with a factor of safety of about 3.5. The vessel was tested under external pressure, failure occurring in the shell at a pressure of . Since the head of the vessel remained intact, it was decided to make a test of the head itself in order to determine its strength relative to that of the shell, and if possible to obtain some measure of the stresses occurring under load. The head collapsed at a pressure of , indicating its strength under external pressure was about 10% in excess of that of the shell.
The revised Submarine Rescue Chamber had improvements including a soft seal gasket for sealing the submarine/bell interface skirting, and a floor installed to maintain air-space in the bell during raising and lowering. Momsen in his speech to the Harvard Engineering Society on 6 October 1939 credits Allan Rockwell McCann with the improvements which made the bell operational, safe and large enough to hold up to eight rescued crewmen and two operators.
The "Squalus" rescue.
In 1939, the McCann Rescue Chamber made its debut when it was used to successfully rescue thirty-three survivors from "Squalus", At the time of "Squalus" accident, Lieutenant Commander Momsen was serving as head of the Experimental Diving Unit at the Washington Navy Yard. The submarine rescue ship USS "Falcon" (ASR-2), commanded by Lieutenant George A. Sharp, was on site within twenty-four hours. It lowered the Rescue Chamber — a revised version of a diving bell invented by Momsen — and, in four dives over the next 13 hours, recovered all 33 survivors in the first deep submarine rescue ever. McCann was in charge of Chamber operations, Momsen commanding the divers. Although there was no reason to believe anyone was alive in the aft part of the ship, a fifth dive was made to the aft torpedo room hatch on May 25. This run confirmed the flooding of the entire aft portion of the ship.
Design.
The rescue chamber was a pear shaped steel chamber, the big end uppermost, seven feet at the greatest diameter and ten feet high. It is divided into an upper closed compartment and a lower open compartment by a horizontal bulkhead which has a water tight hatch in its middle. Surrounding the lower compartment is a ballast tank of a capacity just equal to that of the lower compartment. Inside the lower compartment is a reel with of steel wire on it. The reel is operated by a shaft leading into the upper compartment. The shaft is rotated by an air motor. On the bottom edge of the lower compartment a rubber gasket is embedded into a circular groove, so that when the chamber is brought into contact with a flat surface (the hatch ring) a water tight joint may be effected with the application of pressure. Attached to the upper compartment is an air supply and an atmospheric exhaust hose, wire wound for strength. Also electric cables for telephone and light are attached. A wire pendant for hoisting and lowering is shackled into a pad-eye on top. This wire is also used for retrieving the chamber in case of emergency. The forward and after hatches of American submarines were fitted for attaching the rescue chamber. They have a flat doughnut shaped plate welded to the hatch coaming upon which the bottom of the chamber rests and a bail over the center of the hatch to which the haul down wire must be attached by the diver.
Limitations.
The McCann bell suffers severe limitations in strong currents and when dealing with a pressurized submarine or one lying at extreme angles. It is also incapable of functioning below . The USN Submarine Rescue Chamber (YRC) is air transportable to a Vessel Of Opportunity (VOO) Mother Ship (MOSHIP) which requires little modification to use the system. Transfer Under Pressure (TUP) to and from pressurized environments such as submarines or hyperbaric chambers is not possible with this system, even though TUP is essential where being subjected to ambient pressure may be life-threatening. Since the creation of the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles "Mystic" and "Avalon", the McCann Rescue Chamber is rarely used, but is part of the Submarine Rescue Chamber Flyaway System (SRCFS) which is capable of worldwide submarine rescue missions. Once launched, the SRCFS is able to operate around the clock.


USS Markab

USS "Markab" (AD-21) was a "Hamul"-class destroyer tender named for "Markab", the third-brightest star in the constellation Pegasus.
Construction, acquisition, and commissioning.
"Markab" was built as the cargo ship Mormacpenn by Ingalls Shipbuilding Company of Pascagoula, Mississippi and launched 21 December 1940. A ship named "Mormacpenn" launched the previous year had been acquired by the Navy to become the . The later "Mormacpenn", sponsored at launch by the wife of the General Counsel of the Maritime Commission, Mrs. Carl F. Farbach, was intended for service on the South American routes of the American Republics Line.
The ship was acquired by the United States Navy on 2 June 1941 before any commercial service at Charleston, South Carolina; and commissioned as USS "Markab" (AK 31) on 15 June 1941 with Commander Allen D. Brown in command.
Service history.
World War II.
Cargo ship, 1941–1942.
"Markab" operated with Atlantic amphibious forces in the Hampton Roads area until 1 October 1941. She then loaded cargo at Jersey City, New Jersey for delivery to American troops recently stationed in Greenland. Returning to Brooklyn, New York on 21 November, she took on board supplies for distribution to various bases in the Caribbean. World War II engulfed the United States before "Markab" steamed into Ensenada Honda, Puerto Rico, her first port of call. The new wartime demands on the Navy caused this voyage to terminate at Mobile, Alabama on 8 January 1942 where she was converted to a destroyer tender. Sixteen days later she was redesignated AD-21, but it was 27 September before Commander Brown again commanded a fully commissioned vessel.
Destroyer tender, 1942–1947.
After shakedown "Markab" transited the Panama Canal on 27 October to join Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Ships recently returned from the battle for the Solomon Islands made use of her facilities for three months prior to her departure on 6 February 1943 to service the North Pacific Force. In the year she remained in the Aleutians, she rendered noteworthy service in helping to prepare vessels for both the Attu and Kiska invasions. Steaming to San Francisco late in January, 1944 the ship prepared for an even more extensive Pacific tour.
She departed the West Coast on 26 February and worked her way toward the war zone. As a part of Service Squadron 10, "Markab" overhauled, repaired, and replenished destroyers and destroyer escorts at Pearl Harbor, Majuro, and Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands, and Ulithi in the Carolines. Having assisted in preparing and sustaining the ships fighting in the bloody conquests of the Marianas and Iwo Jima, she sailed for the Philippines on 16 February 1945. Her work force now overhauled and readied landing craft for the assault on Okinawa. During June she played an important part in preparing TF 38 for the last great raids on Japan.
Following the Japanese surrender, "Markab" refitted and restocked ships bound for the occupation areas of Japan, Korea, and China. Steaming in their wake, she arrived Sasebo, Japan on 1 November and early in January 1946 joined the 7th Fleet at Shanghai, China. Her services in the western Pacific ended 2 April as "Markab" commenced the long voyage home for inactivation. The ship off loaded at New Orleans beginning 6 May. At Orange, Texas on January, 1947 she decommissioned and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
Korea, 1952–1955.
When the Cold War turned hot in Korea, the resultant expansion of the Navy brought the temporary reactivation of "Markab". Recommissioned on 26 February 1952 with Captain Melvyn H. McCoy in command, she remained on the East Coast servicing Destroyer Force ships. Operating initially at Newport, Rhode Island and after April, 1955 at Fall River, Massachusetts, "Markab" also participated in the semiannual fleet exercises. On 9 February she departed on a voyage to Charleston where she decommissioned on 31 July.
Vietnam, 1960–1969.
Towed to Mare Island Navy Yard in California, she was redesignated as Repair Ship AR-23 on 15 April 1960 and recommissioned on 1 July with Captain Edwin Monroe Westbrook, Jr. in command. Homeported at Alameda Naval Air Station, the repair ship sailed to Pearl Harbor late in October, returning 22 December. Between 5 July 1962 and 14 September 1966 she projected her services even more widely, steaming three times on seven month WestPac deployments with Capt. Bennie W. Jones, Jr. at the helm. On the first such voyage "Markab" returned a priceless Chinese art treasures exhibit to Taiwan. On the next two tours, ships returning from combat patrol off the coast of Vietnam increasingly required her facilities. Interspersed with the work periods in the Philippines and Japan were brief rest and rehabilitation periods at Hong Kong and Buckner Bay, Okinawa. She continued this pattern of West Coast duty and western Pacific deployment into 1969. "Markab" earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service.
Decommissioning and scrapping.
Decommissioned again on 19 December 1969 at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Vallejo, California, "Markab" was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 September 1976.
 Custody was permanently transferred to the Maritime Administration and the ship was placed in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet on 3 December 1976. The ship was sold to Zidell Explorations, Inc., 12 April 1977 for $301,688.88, and physically delivered to zidell on 3 May 1977 for scrapping.


SS Mercer Victory

SS "Mercer Victory" was a built for World War II. "Mercer Victory", a Victory ship, was launched 14 March 1945 by Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California and operated by the States Marine Line. At the ceremonial ship launching, Mercer University President Spright Dowell said the SS "Mercer Victory" should strive: “to do her full-part for the national defense” and “to study a plan for after war conditions and needs.”
World War II.
The SS "Mercer Victory" had the dangerous job of delivering goods for troops in the Pacific war during World War II. On SS "Mercer Victory" loaded with 6,000 pounds of goods and traveled to Okinawa for the Battle of Okinawa from 1 April until 22 June 1945.. "Simmons Victory" loaded up on supplies to prepare for the Operation Downfall the Invasion of Japan.
After the war she was laid up Wilmington, California in a reserve in 1946 and operated by Luckenbach Steamship Co. Inc.
War Relief and Seacowboys.
In 1946 after World War II the "Mercer Victory" was converted to a livestock ship, also called a cowboy ship. From 1945 to 1947 the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the Brethren Service Committee of the Church of the Brethren sent livestock to war-torn countries. These "seagoing cowboys" made about 360 trips on 73 different ships. The "Heifers for Relief project" was started by the Church of the Brethren in 1942; in 1953 this became "Heifer International". The SS "Mercer Victory" was one of these ships, known as cowboy ships, as she moved livestock across the Atlantic Ocean. In two trip she took 780 horses, several thousand baby chicks and hay bales to Poland on each trip. "Mercer Victory" moved horses, heifers, and mules as well as a some chicks, rabbits, and goats. In 1948 with her war and relief work done she was laid up in the Wilmington, North Carolina as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Post-war.
In 1966 she was set to be reactivated for Vietnam War, but the order was cancelled 1 February 1966. In 1973 she was laid up Suisun Bay in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. In 1988 she was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
USNS "Havenford".
USNS "Havenford" (T-AG-179) was one of 12 ships scheduled to be acquired by the United States Navy in February 1966 and converted into Forward Depot Ships and placed into service with the Military Sea Transport Service, The "Mercer Victory" (MCV-591) was chosen for this conversion and assigned the name "Havenford" but the program was canceled and the ships were not acquired by the Navy.
Honors.
Crew of Naval Armed Guard on the SS "Logan Victory"' earned "Battle Stars" in World War II for war action during the assault occupation of Okinawa from 8 June 1945 to 20 June 1945. She used her deck guns to defend herself and other ship in action.


MS Nordic Orion

MS "Nordic Orion" is a Danish bulk carrier registered in Panama City. A coal and ore carrier, "Nordic Orion" has a capacity of . It was built in 2011 by Oshima Shipbuilding. "Nordic Orion" has an ice-strengthened hull, and it is notable for being the first large sea freighter to transit the Arctic Northwest Passage.
It is owned and operated by Nordic Bulk Carriers.
Voyage through the Northwest Passage.
"Nordic Orion" started its voyage from the Port Metro Vancouver, Canada on 6 September 2013 carrying a cargo of 73,500 tons of coking coal. The ship completed its voyage through the passage on 27 September stopping at Nuuk, Greenland and reached its destination, the Port of Pori, Finland on 9 October 2013.
Northwest Passage shortened the distance between Vancouver and Pori by 1,000 nautical miles compared to the traditional route via the Panama Canal. Fuel savings were approximately $80,000. "Nordic Orion" was also able to load 15,000 tons more cargo than sailing through the Panama Canal due to its depth limits.
The journey has been described as an opening of a new era on the commercial use of Arctic.
It has also caused criticism from environmental organisations such as the Bellona Foundation and some Canadian experts.
Nordic Bulk Carriers has acknowledged the "Nordic Orion" never would have made the voyage if the Canadian Coast Guard had not provided free icebreaker escorts.


Polar Pioneer

Polar Pioneer is a Finnish-built expedition cruise ship managed by the swedish shipowners Polar Alca Maritime AB.
The ship was built in Finland in 1982 as the Akademik Schuleykin (), an ice-strengthened research ship, and for many years she plied the waters of the USSR's northern coast. In 2000 she was refurbished in St. Petersburg to provide comfortable accommodation for 54 passengers.
Her sister ships are "Akademik Shokalskiy", "Arnold Veymer", "Akademik Gamburtsev", "Professor Molchanov", "Professor Multanovskiy", "Geolog Dmitriy Nalivkin", "Professor Polshkov", "Professor Khromov".
Polar Pioneer is chartered by Polar Pioneer Management AS.


SS City of Rio de Janeiro

The SS "City of Rio de Janeiro" was an iron-hulled steam-powered passenger ship, launched in 1878, which sailed between San Francisco and various Asian Pacific ports. On 22 February 1901, the vessel sank after striking a submerged reef at the entry to San Francisco Bay while inward bound from Hong Kong. Of the approximately 220 passengers and crew on board, fewer than 85 people survived the sinking, while 135 others were killed in the catastrophe. The wreck lies in of water just off the Golden Gate and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as nationally significant.
"City of Rio de Janeiro" was one of many ships that were lost due to challenging navigational conditions in this area.
History.
Launched on 6 March 1878, the "City of Rio de Janeiro" was originally built for the United States & Brazil Mail Steamship Company, a two-ship shipping line between Brazil and the United States. This proved unprofitable, and she was sold to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company in 1881 and refitted to serve as an ocean liner, traveling between her home port in San Francisco to Honolulu, Hawaii, Yokohama, Japan and Hong Kong.
Alfred Daniel Jones, the Consul General of the United States in Shanghai died on board in 1893. He had had a nervous breakdown in Shanghai. He became violent and had to be restrained with manacles while on board. He raved incessantly for a number of days before dying.
In early March 1896, she ran out of coal while on passage between San Francisco and Hawaii, only reaching Honolulu by burning her wooden topmasts and deckhouses as fuel. In 1898 the US Government leased the ship for a short time to ferry troops to Manila in the Philippines as part of the Spanish–American War. After the war, she went back to her usual Pacific route.
Sinking.
On 22 February 1901, while trying to pass through the Golden Gate in heavy fog, en route to her home port of San Francisco, the "City of Rio de Janeiro" collided with rocks, reportedly on the southern part of the straits at or near Fort Point, and sank stern first.
The damage to the ship was considerable. Much of the entire underside of the vessel had been ripped open by the collision, allowing seawater to rapidly fill the cargo holds and engine room. The ship was built in 1878, before watertight bulkheads came into use, thus it sank in less than ten minutes. The wreck was later found in of water.
There was much confusion because the officers were English-speaking Americans, while the seamen were non-English-speaking Chinese. The result was that few lifeboats were launched.
The catastrophe happened quickly and in dense fog. The lookout at the Fort Point Lifesaving Station, only a few hundred yards away, was unaware of the situation for two hours, until a lifeboat was sighted emerging from the fog. Fortunately Italian fishermen were nearby and were able to rescue survivors clinging to floating wreckage. One of those rescuers, Gaspare Palazzolo of Terrasini, Sicily, Captain of the boat "Citta di N.Y.", was awarded a gold medal by the Banco Italo-Americana di San Francisco for his heroism.
Of the 210 people aboard, 82 were rescued but 128 people died. The captain, William Ward, was among the dead. He had previously said that if ever faced with such a situation, he would go down with his ship. Among those lost in the wreck was Rounsevelle Wildman, the US Consul General at Hong Kong, and his wife and two children, who had been en route for Washington DC to participate in the inauguration of William McKinley.
Soon after the sinking of the SS "City of Rio de Janeiro", the United States Congress approved funding for a lighthouse on Mile Rocks, where the sinking took place. A bell buoy had been previously placed in 1889 by the United States Lighthouse Service near the rocks; however, strong currents in the area would pull the buoy beneath the surface of the water and set it adrift.
Cargo.
After the shipwreck, rumors circulated that the ship's cargo had included a substantial amount of gold and silver, but her manifest listed no such cargo. However, the manifest did list 2,423 slabs of tin, each of which weighed . The ship's insurers paid a sum of $79,000 for the loss of the metal, which on December 13, 2014, market prices would be worth in excess of $2,900,000.
Salvage attempts.
Divers engaged by the Pacific Mail Line immediately began a search for the ship but failed to find any traces of it due to the depth of the water in the area, well beyond the diving or salvage capabilities of the time.
For several years after the disaster, bodies washed up on the beach near Fort Point, including, in July 1902, the remains of Captain Ward, which were identified by the watch chain wrapped around his rib cage.
On November 15, 1905, the "Los Angeles Herald" reported that divers had found the wreck. It was asserted that there was no doubt of the identity of the wreckage found. One diver had a narrow escape from death during his exploration of the bottom of the Golden Gate.
In 1917, a wooden keg clearly marked "Rio de Janeiro" surfaced off Point Lobos. In 1919, more wreckage from the ship surfaced off Suisun Bay, away from the assumed site of the wreck between Mile Rock and Baker Beach.
Off Baker Beach, the currents are too strong and the water too deep for anyone other than professional divers. It has also been suggested that the currents may have pushed the ship out to sea as she sank, while some say that she could not be found because of the number of wrecks on the seabed in the area, and that even using modern sonar it would be impossible to distinguish whatever remains of the ship from all the other disintegrated remnants of sunken ships.
In 1931 Captain Haskell made a formal claim for the cargo and fabric of the wreck by right of discovery; he announced to a news conference that he had discovered the wreck using a two-man submarine of his own invention and planned to salvage $6 million worth of silver from the wreck. However, he disappeared without a trace in July 1931.
In 1987, Gus Cafcalas, a San Francisco-area mortgage banker, announced that he and four other men had discovered the wreck the previous fall in 200 feet of water, half a mile west of the Golden Gate Bridge, aided by sonar and photographs taken by a robot submarine. Cafcalas said they would not attempt to raise the ship because the condition of the hull and fierce tides and currents made the task virtually impossible, but that they hoped to probe the ship's interior for the rumored cargo of silver. He said the consortium was prepared to spend $1 million to salvage whatever was left on the wreck.
Cafcalas and his partners applied for a salvage permit from the California State Lands Commission under the name Segamb, Inc. (listed in several media reports as “Seagamb Corp.”), and on February 6, 1989, the Commission authorized the issuance of a permit “for survey and mapping purposes, and retrieval of an object or objects sufficient to positively identify the shipwreck”, subject to numerous conditions. However, Segamb never met the conditions, and the authorization was revoked on January 17, 1990.
The wreck of the "Rio de Janeiro" was located again in November 2014 and imaged in detail using sonar. There are no plans to salvage her.


USS Belle Isle

USS "Belle Isle" (AG-73/AKS-21) was a "Basilan"-class miscellaneous auxiliary acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. "Belle Isle" was configured as a repair ship and used in Pacific Ocean operations. At war’s end she was converted to a stores ship before being finally decommissioned.
Constructed in Maine.
"Belle Isle" (AG 73) was laid down on 19 September 1944 at South Portland, Maine, by the New England Shipbuilding Corporation under a U.S. Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 3070); launched on 3 November 1944; sponsored by Miss Sally Goding; transferred to the Navy on a loan basis on 15 November 1944; commissioned that same day for the voyage to the conversion yard, Lt. Comdr. James H. Graves, Jr., USNR, in command; decommissioned on 18 November 1944 at Hoboken, New Jersey, for conversion to an electronics repair ship by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation; and recommissioned on 13 July 1945.
World War II-related service.
"Belle Isle" was assigned to Service Division (ServDiv) 104, Service Squadron (ServRon) 10, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and, by 7 October, was at Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands making repairs for ships of the Pacific Fleet.
She served at Okinawa until heading for Japan early in December. The ship arrived at Wakayama on 15 December and began repair duties for the occupation forces. That assignment lasted until she departed Japan on 31 March 1946 and headed back to the United States.
Post-war decommissioning.
After making port at San Francisco, California, the electronics repair ship shifted south to San Diego, California, to prepare for inactivation. She was decommissioned on 30 August 1946 and berthed with the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet.
Temporary reactivation.
On 18 August 1951, while still in reserve, "Belle Isle" was reclassified a stores issue ship and redesignated "AKS-211".
Final decommissioning.
She remained in reserve until 1960. On 1 April 1960, her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register. Her disposal was approved on 3 August 1960, and she was apparently sunk as a target later that year.
In November 1960, the ships in Destroyer Squadron 13 sank the Belle Isle off the coast of San Diego.


United States D-class submarine

The United States D-class submarines were a trio of submarines built for the United States Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. All three ships served during World War I providing training for crews and officers on the US East Coast, before the class was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1922.
Description.
The D-class submarines were enlarged versions of the preceding C class, the first American submarines armed with four torpedo tubes. They were built by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, Massachusetts, under a subcontract from the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. They had a length of overall, a beam of and a mean draft of . They displaced on the surface and submerged. The D-class boats had a crew of 1 officer and 14 enlisted men. They had a diving depth of .
For surface running, they were powered by two NELSECO gasoline engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each shaft was driven by a electric motor. Two 60-cell batteries provided power when submerged. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the boats had a range of at and at submerged.
The boats were armed with four 18-inch (45.7 cm) torpedo tubes in the bow. They did not carry reloads for them. They were the first US submarines to have four forward torpedo tubes which was standard until the "Tambor" class which joined the fleet in 1940.
These vessels included some features intended to increase underwater speed that were standard on US submarines of this era, including a small sail and a rotating cap over the torpedo tube muzzles. For extended surface runs, the small sail was augmented with a temporary piping-and-canvas structure. Apparently the "crash dive" concept had not yet been thought of, as this would take considerable time to deploy and dismantle. This remained standard through the L class, commissioned 1916-1917. The streamlined, rotating torpedo tube muzzle cap eliminated the drag that muzzle holes would otherwise cause. In the stowed position, the submarine appears to have no torpedo tubes, as the holes in the cap are covered by the bow stem. This feature remained standard through the K class, after which it was replaced with shutters that were standard through the 1950s.


SS West Maximus

SS "West Maximus" was a steel-hulled freighter built for the United States Shipping Board's emergency wartime construction program during World War I. Completed too late to see service in the war, "West Maximus" spent the interwar years in commercial service.
After America's entry into World War II in December 1941, "West Maximus" participated in a number of wartime convoys. She was torpedoed and sunk by the while sailing to the United States on 5 May 1943, a casualty of the convoy battle regarded as the turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Construction and design.
"West Maximus" was built in Seattle, Washington in 1918-19 at the No. 2 Plant of the Skinner & Eddy Corporation—the 20th in a series of 24 Design 1013 cargo ships built by the company for the United States Shipping Board's emergency wartime shipbuilding program. Initially intended for commission into the U.S. Navy as an auxiliary, "West Maximus" was assigned the navy identification code ID-3924, but the proposed commission was later withdrawn, probably because the war ended before the ship's completion. The ship was launched on 28 December 1918, about six weeks after the end of the war, and delivered to the USSB in April 1919.
"West Maximus" is listed in mercantile records as having a deadweight tonnage of 8,595 tons (8,800 nominal) and a gross register tonnage of 5,561 (5,600 nominal). The ship had an overall length of 423 feet 9 inches, a beam of 54 feet and a draft of 24 feet 2 inches. She was powered by a steam turbine driving a single screw propeller, delivering a service speed of 11 to 12 knots.
Service history.
Entering service shortly after the end of World War I, "West Maximus" was put into commercial service by the USSB. In the early 1920s, "West Maximus" was engaged in service from both Europe and South America to the United States. Shipping records show that "West Maximus" arrived in New York from Stettin, Germany in June 1921, and completed another voyage from Montevideo, Uruguay in November. Newspaper records indicate that "West Maximus" made several voyages between Baltimore, Maryland and Manchester, England in late 1922. The following year, the vessel was again engaged in service between various ports in Europe and New York, arriving from Danzig via Southampton on 21 June, and from Helsingborg, Sweden on August 11.
After this, "West Maximus" became one of the hundreds of American ships laid up in U.S. ports because of the postwar oversupply of shipping. She remained laid up at New Orleans until mid-1940, when she became one of a batch of 10 ships reconditioned and placed back into service by the U.S. Maritime Commission to help alleviate a shortfall in tonnage caused by shipping losses in the early part of World War II. Several other Skinner & Eddy–built ships, including "Eldena", "Polybius" and the "West Maximus" sister ships and , were also placed back into service from the New Orleans fleet at this time. Following her recondition, "West Maximus" was transferred to management of the Moore-McMormack shipping line of Baltimore, and the vessel was still in service with that company when the United States entered the war in December 1941.
World War II.
With America's entry into World War II in December 1941, "West Maximus" quickly became engaged in convoy duty. The ship participated in her first wartime convoy in mid-1942, when on 17 June she loaded a cargo of steel and general goods at Baltimore bound for Liverpool, England. From Boston the vessel proceeded in convoy to Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia, where on the 26th she departed in an escorted convoy for Liverpool, arriving at her destination 11 July. After unloading her cargo, the ship commenced the return to the U.S. on 19 July, but on 4 August the convoy in which she was sailing was dispersed and "West Maximus" proceeded alone to New York.
At New York, "West Maximus" loaded a cargo of general goods again bound for Liverpool, leaving for Halifax 19 August. On 22 August, "West Maximus" departed Halifax for Liverpool with a large escorted convoy, arriving at her destination 7 September. With her cargo unloaded, "West Maximus" joined an escorted convoy for the return to New York, departing 26 September and arriving safely on 17 October.
Rescue at sea.
From New York, "West Maximus" departed in an unescorted convoy to South America, arriving at Guantanamo, Cuba 19 November and Trinidad on the 24th. From this point, she proceeded on December 5 to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During this voyage, the captain of "West Maximus", Otto Heitman, observed what he first feared might be an enemy submarine, but soon realized the object of his attention was an empty lifeboat. On further investigation, two more lifeboats were spotted, containing 41 survivors from the torpedoed British ship MV "Teesbank". After rescuing the survivors, Heitmann proceeded to the port of Rio, arriving December 22. Here, as a token of gratitude and a memento for the rescue, he was presented with a silver cigarette case by British members of the Rio community.
Return to Atlantic service.
Departing Rio December 31, "West Maximus" returned to Trinidad and thence to Guantanamo, where she sailed in an unescorted convoy on 29 January for New York, arriving 4 February. At New York, "West Maximus" loaded a general cargo again bound for Liverpool. Leaving in an escorted convoy on 14 March, the ship reached her destination on 3 April 1943.
Final voyage.
After unloading her cargo at Liverpool, "West Maximus" prepared to return to the United States in what would turn out to be her final voyage. On 21 April the ship joined Convoy ONS-5 for her return to the United States. A few days into the voyage, the convoy ran into a Force 10 gale and its speed was reduced to only three knots, allowing a wolf pack of 27 U-boats to gather for interception. The wolf pack attacked on the night of 4–5 May, and one of the first ships struck was "West Maximus", hit by a torpedo from that blew off a large section of the ship's stern. The vessel remained afloat, but while her crew were waiting for rescue, "U-264" fired two more torpedoes which struck the ship at 1.10 and 1.30 am respectively on 5 May, and "West Maximus" went down by the bows about ten minutes later. Six of the ship's complement of 62 were killed in the attack, including an officer, four crew members, and an armed guard. The survivors were rescued at 11am that morning by and evacuated to St. Johns, arriving 8 May.
Convoy ONS-5 would go on to lose a total of 12 ships to U-boat attack (one of which, coincidentally, was , a sister ship of "West Maximus"), but 13 U-boats were also damaged or destroyed in the battle. In spite of its heavy losses therefore, Convoy ONS-5 is considered to be the turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic, as U-boats from this point were to suffer increasingly heavy losses for steadily diminishing results.


Superfiring

Superfiring armament is a naval military building technique in which two (or more) turrets are located in a line, one behind the other, with the second turret located above ("super") the one in front so that the second turret can fire over the first. This configuration meant that both forward or aft turrets could fire at any target within their sector, even when the target was in the same vertical plane as the turrets.
History.
The history of large surface warships follow generic labels as battleships, and a further distinction between pre-dreadnoughts and dreadnoughts. The era of technical evolution occurred roughly from 1900 to 1945. Part of the technical evolution was driven by the need to compress as much large-gun firepower into the smallest space possible. In early designs, the large-caliber turrets were all located on the same plane firing to one side or the other. In firing ahead or to the rear, usually only the forward-most or rearmost turret could fire, especially at low angles.
An early concern was that the pressure and shock from the higher turret would damage the lower one when firing over the top. In 1908, United States Navy tests using the monitor as the testbed proved that superfiring was safe. The result was the design for the first (commissioned in 1910).
The first ship with superfiring artillery (though not of the same caliber), was the French battleship "Henri IV", launched in 1899.
Superfiring was not limited to two turrets. For example, the "Atlanta"-class of light cruiser, which were developed and built for service in World War II, utilized a triple-overlap system both forward and astern, their armament of dual-mount 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose main armament having a nearly unobstructed arc of fire.
Advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of superfiring turrets over non-superfiring arrangements include improved firing arcs for all except the foremost and rearmost turrets, as well as an increase of useful deck space on which to build the ship's superstructure due to the concentration of the main batteries towards the ends of the ship. Depending on the design of the ship and its weapons, it may also help to avoid issues with the ship's propulsion.
These advantages come at the cost of raising the centre of mass as a result of the higher placement of turrets, thus decreasing the metacentric height. This decrease in stability may cause issues if not corrected by compromises elsewhere to keep the center of mass low.
Because of this, superfiring arrangements, while common, are not used exclusively. Examples of non-superfiring designs include but are not limited to the "Gangut", "Imperatritsa Mariya", and "Imperator Nikolai" classes of battleships built for the Imperial Russian navy, as well as modern ships such as the "Zumwalt"-class destroyers. In addition, many ships, such as the "New York"-class battleships, used combinations of superfiring and non-superfiring arrangements. Exclusively non-superfiring arrangements also remained common on destroyers.


USS Taganak (AG-45)

USS "Taganak" (AG-45) – also known as USS "Lake Shore" (ID-1792) – was a commercial cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War I as "Lake Shore". She was again reacquired during World War II as "Taganak". During both wars she carried a variety of cargo for the Navy, including coal, ammunition, and general cargo. She survived both wars and was returned to civilian service after each war.
Constructed in Ohio.
"Taganak" (AG-45) was built in 1917 as "War Shell" at Toledo, Ohio, by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company. Acquired by the United States Shipping Board and delivered to the United States Navy for use as a mine carrier, the ship was renamed "Lake Shore", commissioned at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 11 January 1918, and assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS).
World War I service as "Lake Shore".
"Lake Shore" was refitted at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, armed with one 5-inch gun and one six-pounder, manned with a complement of 64, and got underway for Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 7 February. The ship loaded a cargo of coal there and sailed for Boston, Massachusetts, arriving on the 17th. After discharging her cargo, "Lake Shore" returned to Norfolk, Virginia, on the 27th. She then loaded coal and mines for the North Sea barrage, sailed for Scotland on 7 March, and arrived at Lamlash on the 29th.
The steamer returned to Norfolk, Virginia, on 5 May and sailed on the 18th for Boston where she received an extensive overhaul. On 17 June, she proceeded, via New York City, to Norfolk where she loaded mines and general cargo. Her convoy sailed on 27 June for Scotland and reached Corpach on 15 July.
"Lake Shore" returned to Norfolk on 18 August. She made two more trips from Hampton Roads to Europe—one back to the British Isles and one to France—before returning home on 6 February 1919. She was decommissioned on 5 March 1919 and returned to the Shipping Board the next day.
Post-war decommissioning.
In 1923, "Lake Shore" was sold to the E. K. Wood Lumber Company, Inc., of San Francisco, California, and renamed "Olympic". The steamer was operated by the lumber company along the Pacific coast until it was withdrawn from service in 1940.
World War II service as "Taganak".
Early in World War II, to relieve its acute shortage of cargo ships, the Navy reacquired "Olympic" on 23 May 1942. Following repairs, alterations, and refitting at Mare Island, the ship was commissioned as "Taganak" (AG-45) on 23 July 1942, Lt. Comdr. 0. H. Pitts, USNR, in command.
"Taganak", formally purchased on 28 September 1942, sailed for the South Pacific, via Pearl Harbor, in late October. Upon her arrival at Nouméa, New Caledonia, she was sent to New Zealand to return with a load of lumber. The ship then shuttled cargo between New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, and the Solomon Islands for the next year.
Attacked by a Japanese submarine.
On 19 August 1943, "Taganak" was a few hours out of Nouméa en route to Espiritu Santo with a cargo of ammunition when she was attacked by a Japanese submarine. attacked the enemy with depth charges and forced it to the surface. American dive bombers of Scouting Squadron VS-57 came to the assistance of the New Zealand corvette and aided in the kill of the . Rescue efforts succeeded in saving a few survivors.
On 26 October, "Taganak" stood out of Tutuila, Samoa, and headed for the United States laden with copra. The ship arrived at San Pedro, California, on 19 November; discharged her cargo, and moved to Oakland, California, for an overhaul.
On 11 February 1944, "Taganak" sailed for the South Pacific to resume shuttling inter-island cargo. She put into Auckland, New Zealand, on 6 February 1945 for repairs and then plied the waters of the South Pacific Ocean carrying cargo until after hostilities with Japan ended. The old steamer departed Tutuila on 30 September and headed for the United States.
Post-war decommissioning.
She arrived at San Francisco on 26 October 1945; was decommissioned at Vallejo, California, on 25 March 1946; was struck from the Navy List on 12 April; and was sold on 15 November 1946 to the Pillsbury and Martignoni Co., San Francisco, for scrap.


OOCL M-class container ship

The M class is a series of 10 container ships built for Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) with a maximum theoretical capacity of 13,208 TEU. The ships were built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea. Construction started in 2012 and the first ship was delivered in 2013.
The original order was for just 6 ships and was signed in April 2011. Two months later it was announced that four additional ships would be ordered. They would be chartered to NYK Line for a length of three years. After the charter ended the ships were renamed and they have since become a part of the OOCL fleet.


Hired armed schooner Sir Sidney Smith

His Majesty's hired armed schooner "Sir Sidney Smith" (or "Sidney Smith") served the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars from 12 October 1799 to 13 October 1801 AD. It was of 151 tons burthen (bm), and carried twelve 12-pounder carronades. It was named for Admiral Sidney Smith.
It brought a convoy into Plymouth on 15 October. Then, on 24 May 1801, while under the command of Lieutenant C. Patey (or Paty or Paloy), it sailed from Plymouth with dispatches for Egypt.
Because "Sir Sidney Smith" served in the navy's Egyptian campaign (8 March to 2 September 1801 AD), it's officers and crew qualified for the clasp "Egypt" to the Naval General Service Medal, which the Admiralty issued in 1847 AD to all surviving claimants.
Readily available records do not reveal what happened to "Sir Sidney Smith" after the Navy ended it's contract.
Citations and references.
Citations
References


MS Mormacmail


SS Brainerd Victory

The SS "Brainerd Victory" was a Victory-class cargo ship built during World War II.
Brainerd city Mayor Frank Johnson wrote to the Oregon Shipbuilding Company: "The naming of a ship for Brainerd is greatly appreciated by our citizens. Boys of this community who formed a tank company fought, died and were taken prisoner on Bataan and naming of the S.S. "Brainerd Victory" stands as a tribute to them." The ship was christened by Mrs. J.A. McEachern, wife of the corporation's president John Alexander McEachern. The "Brainerd Victory" was sponsored by Oregon Shipbuilding Company shipyard employees to let them share in the last Victory ship built under government contract.
In a letter to Mayor Johnson, Robert Horton, the public relations director for the United States Maritime Commission wrote:
"It is a pleasure to advise you that the Maritime Commission is naming one of the new Victory ships in honor of the city of Brainerd, Minnesota. This vessel is one of a series going into service during 1945, which will be named after cities of the United States."
Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were faster, longer and wider, taller, had a thinner stack that was set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle.
As the war was over, the "Brainerd Victory" steamed the West Coast, delivering goods to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Suisun Bay.
Private use.
In 1950 "Brainerd Victory" was sold to Pope & Talbot Inc. of San Francisco and renamed SS "P&T Voyager. In March 1962 she was sold to Sumner A. Long of New York City and renamed SS "Smith Voyager, and was operated by the Anne Quinn Corporation.
The "Smith Voyager" on Dec. 20, 1964 was loaded with a cargo of $500,000 worth of grain. The load shifted violently about 780 miles South East of Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean. The shifted load caused a crack in the hull and she took on water. The foundering ship developed a heavy starboard angle of list. The sea was rough with waves 20 to 30 feet high as she steamed to India. Due to fear of sinking, her crew abandoned the "Smith Voyager" at 1:20 pm; the captain and three crew members stayed on board. The other crew members abandoned ship into her lifeboats and shot out red distress flares. Due to the rough sea, the 26-foot-long lifeboats capsized and four members of the crew drowned. The USCGC "Rockaway" steamed to help the crew. The 533-foot German freighter M.V. "Mathilde Bolton" also came to her aid. U.S. Coast Guard aircraft from Bermuda and Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and United States Air Force aircraft from the 55th Air Rescue Suadron flew rescue missions. They dropped survival equipment to the crew. On Dec. 25, 1964, the "Smith Voyager" was in tow by the British salvage tug "Marinla" to be saved, but on the trip she sank by the stern on Dec. 27, 1964 at 28.30 N 50.48 W, about 850 miles from Bermuda. The captain and three crew members boarded the tug and were saved.
A US district court found that the "Smith Voyager" was not seaworthy. The "Smith Voyager" was overloaded with grain when she departed Freeport, Texas. The court found evidence that the steam evaporators and boilers were not working correctly. Also there was a leak in the rudder stock gland, thus sea water was leaking into the steering room and was draining into the bilge.