Victory ship

The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. They were a more modern design compared to the earlier Liberty ship, were slightly larger and had more powerful steam turbine engines giving higher speed to allow participation in high speed convoys and make them more difficult targets for German U-boats. A total of 531 Victory ships were built.
VC2 design.
One of the first acts of the United States War Shipping Administration upon its formation in February 1942 was to commission the design of what came to be known as the Victory class. Initially designated EC2-S-AP1, where EC2 = Emergency Cargo, type 2 (Load Waterline Length between ), S = steam propulsion with AP1 = one aft propeller (EC2-S-C1 had been the designation of the Liberty ship design), it was changed to VC2-S-AP1 before the name "Victory Ship" was officially adopted on 28 April 1943. The ships were built under the Emergency Shipbuilding program.
The design was an enhancement of the Liberty ship, which had been successfully produced in extraordinary numbers. Victory ships were slightly larger than Liberty ships, longer at , wider at , and drawing one foot more at loaded. Displacement was up just under 1,000 tons, to 15,200. With a raised forecastle and a more sophisticated hull shape to help achieve the higher speed, they had a quite different appearance from Liberty ships.
To make them less vulnerable to U-boat attacks, Victory ships made , faster than the Libertys, and had longer range. The extra speed was achieved through more modern, efficient engines. Rather than the Libertys' triple expansion steam engines, Victory ships were designed to use either Lentz type reciprocating steam engines, steam turbines or Diesel engines, variously putting out between . Most used steam turbines, which had been in short supply earlier in the war and reserved for warships. All were oil-fired, but for a handful of Canadian vessels completed with both coal bunkers and oil tanks. Another improvement was electrically powered auxiliary equipment, rather than steam-driven machinery.
To prevent the hull fractures that a few Liberty ships developed, the spacing between frames was widened by , to , making the ships less stiff. The hull was welded not riveted.
The VC2-S-AP2, VC2-S-AP3, and VC2-M-AP4 were armed with a /38 caliber stern gun for use against submarines and surface ships, and a bow-mounted /50 caliber gun and eight 20 mm cannon for use against aircraft. These were manned by United States Navy Armed Guard personnel. The VC2-S-AP5 s were armed with the 5-inch stern gun, one quad 40 mm Bofors cannon, four dual 40 mm Bofors cannon, and ten single 20 mm cannon. The "Haskell"s were operated and crewed exclusively by U.S. Navy personnel.
The Victory ship was noted for good proportion of cubic between holds for a cargo ship of its day. A Victory ship's cargo hold one, two and five hatches are a single rigged with a capacity of 70,400, 76,700, and 69,500 bale cubic feet respectively. Victory ship's hold three and four hatches are double rigged with a capacity of 136,100 and 100,300 bale cubic feet respectively.
Victory ships have built in mast, booms and derrick cranes and can load and unload their own cargo without dock side cranes or gantry if needed.
Construction.
The first vessel was launched at Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on 12 January 1944 and completed on 28 February 1944, making her maiden voyage a month later. American vessels frequently had a name incorporating the word "Victory". The British and Canadians used "Fort" and "Park" respectively. After "United Victory", the next 34 vessels were named after allied countries, the following 218 after American cities, the next 150 after educational institutions and the remainder given miscellaneous names. The AP5 type attack transports were named after United States counties, without "Victory" in their name, with the exception of , which was named after President Roosevelt's late personal secretary.
Although initial deliveries were slow—only 15 had been delivered by May 1944—by the end of the war 531 had been constructed. The Commission cancelled orders for a further 132 vessels, although three were completed in 1946 for the Alcoa Steamship Company, making a total built in the United States of 534, made up of:
Of the wartime construction, 414 were of the standard cargo variant and 117 were attack transports. Because the Atlantic battle had been won by the time the first of the Victory ships appeared none were sunk by U-boats. Three were sunk by Japanese kamikaze attack in April 1945.
Many Victory ships were converted to troopships to bring US soldiers home at the end of World War II as part of Operation Magic Carpet. A total of 97 Victory ships were converted to carry up to 1,600 soldiers. To convert the ships the cargo hold were converted to bunk beds and hammocks stacked three high for hot bunking, Mess halls and exercise places were also added. Some examples of Victory troopship are: , , , , , , , , and .
Some 36 Victory ships continued in service and served in the Korean War and a 100 Victory ships served in the Vietnam War. Many were sold and became commercial cargo ships and a few commercial passenger ship. Some were laid up the United States Navy reserve fleets and then scrapped or reused. Many saw postwar conversion and various uses for years afterward. The single VC2-M-AP4 Diesel-powered "Emory Victory" operated in Alaskan waters for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as "North Star III". AP3 types "South Bend Victory" and "Tuskegee Victory" were converted in 1957–58 to ocean hydrographic surveying ships USNS and , respectively. "Dutton" aided in locating the lost hydrogen bomb following the 1966 Palomares B-52 crash.
Starting in 1959, several were removed from the reserve fleet and refitted for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. One such ship was , which was renamed and converted into the world's first satellite communications ship. Another was the former "Haiti Victory", which recovered the first man-made object to return from orbit, the nose cone of Discoverer 13, on 11 August 1960. was converted in 1969–1970 to the range instrumentation ship for downrange tracking of ballistic missile tests.
Four Victory ships became fleet ballistic missile cargo ships transporting torpedoes, Poseidon missiles, packaged petroleum, and spare parts to deployed submarine tenders:
In the 1960s two Victory ships were reactivated and converted to technical research ships by the U.S. Navy with the hull type AGTR. became and SS "Simmons Victory" became . "Liberty" was attacked and severely damaged by Israeli forces in June 1967 and subsequently decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register. "Belmont" was decommissioned and stricken in 1970. "Baton Rouge Victory" was sunk in the Mekong delta by a Viet Cong mine in August 1966 and temporarily blocked the channel to Saigon.
Cost.
According to the War Production Board minutes in 1943, the Victory Ship had a relative cost of $238 per deadweight ton (10,500 deadweight tonnage) for $2,522,800 at $14 to $1 inflation of 1943 to 2020 amounts to $35,924,672.
Shipyards.
Most Victory ships were constructed in six West Coast and one Baltimore emergency shipyards that were set up in World War II to build Liberty, Victory, and other ships. The Victory ship was designed to be able to be assembled by the smallest capacity crane at these shipyards. Some ships were built in Britain and Canada.
Status of remaining Victory ships.
Three are open for tours as museum ships:


Dormitory ship

A dormitory ship is a vessel which provides as its primary function floating living quarters. Such craft serve as conventional land-based dormitories in all respects except that the living quarters are aboard a floating vessel, most often moored in place near its host facility. It may be seaworthy or not.
Dormitory ships, regardless of their original design or function, may serve as temporary or permanent housing for refugees, accommodation for academic institutions, and off-shore oil drilling operations.
When a vessel is used by the military for dedicated housing, as at shipyards,
naval bases, and afloat abroad, it is known as a barracks ship.
An analogue to both is the prison ship, which provides a floating space for incarceration, possibly referred to as a brig in the military.
A vessel that contains living quarters as ancillary support to its primary function — such as providing hands-on maritime training at sea — is more appropriately categorized as a training ship.
In 2016 what had once been the world's largest cruiseferry, "Ocean Gala", was chosen by the Swedish migration bureau to become temporary housing for some 1,800 of that nation's estimated 160,000 refugees which had arrived in Sweden in just the prior year seeking asylum there. This proposal did not come to fruition.


United States L-class submarine

The United States L-class submarines were a class of 11 submarines built 1914–1917, and were the United States Navy's first attempt at designing and building ocean-going submarines. At the time there was a significant gap in long-range submarine design compared with other major navies. The "Group 2" L-boats designed by Lake Torpedo Boat Company ("L-5" through "L-8") were built to slightly different specifications from the other "Group 1" L-boats (which were designed by Electric Boat) and are sometimes considered a separate L-5 class.
Service.
After service in the Atlantic Flotilla by the Group 1 boats, most required extensive refits at Philadelphia after the USA's entry into the First World War, which reflected the US Navy's then-limited experience in submarine ocean operations. In December 1917, the seven boats were sent to Bantry Bay as Submarine Division 5 for convoy escort and anti-U-boat patrols. The four new Group 2 L-boats later deployed to the Azores in November 1918 as Division 6 to reinforce four K-class submarines sent there in October 1917. While forward deployed, US L-class submarines displayed "AL" pennant numbers to avoid confusion with British L-class submarines.
US submarines did not sink any U-boats in World War I. The class was generally under-powered, but they enjoyed good endurance for patrols in the North Atlantic and in British waters. After the war, the L class were involved in trials of new torpedoes and hydrophone equipment on both the east and west coasts before decommissioning in 1922 and 1923. At least "L-3", "L-9", and "L-11" were re-engined with Busch-Sulzer diesels removed from Lake-built N-boats in 1921. Three Group 1 boats were scrapped in 1922, the four Group 2 Lake boats were scrapped in 1925, and the remainder were scrapped in 1933 under the London Naval Treaty limiting naval armament.
Design.
As in previous US designs, the sail was kept small for reduced drag when submerged. For extended surface runs, the sail was augmented with a temporary piping-and-canvas structure (see photo) which took considerable time to deploy and dismantle. This remained standard through the N class, commissioned 1917–1918. Experience in World War I showed that this was inadequate in the North Atlantic weather, and earlier submarines serving overseas in that war (E class through L class) had their bridge structures augmented with a "chariot" shield on the front of the bridge. Starting with the N class, built with lessons learned from overseas experience, US submarines had bridges more suited to surfaced operations in rough weather. Also, in the L class the rotating cap over the torpedo tubes was replaced by shutters that remained standard through the 1950s.
This was the first US submarine class equipped with a deck gun, in this case a 3-inch/23 caliber (76 mm) partially retractable design. "L-9" was the first boat built with the gun; "L-1" through "L-8" had theirs added some time after completion. The gun was retracted vertically, with a round shield that fit in a well in the superstructure that projected into the pressure hull. Most of the barrel protruded from the deck, resembling a stanchion.
Boats in class.
The 11 submarines of the L class were:
Group 1 (Electric Boat design)
Group 2 (Lake Torpedo Boat Company design)


SS Frank O. Peterson


USS Bingham

USS "Bingham" (APA-225) was a that saw service with the US Navy in World War II. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type and named after Bingham County, Idaho.
Construction.
"Pickaway" was laid down 22 September 1944, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCV hull 573, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2, Richmond, California; launched on 20 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. John V. Harrell; commissioned builder's yard on 23 December 1944, Captain Leon F. Brown, USNR, in command.
Service history.
Following shakedown training off the coast of southern California, during which her crew "received intensive drilling in amphibious boat operations" off Oceanside and Coronado, the attack transport underwent availability at the Standard Shipbuilding Corporation's dock, San Pedro, from 5 to 13 February 1945.
Transport duties.
She loaded supplies at Los Angeles and then proceeded to San Francisco, before heading thence to Port Chicago, to load ammunition for Hawaii. She arrived there late on 22 February; commenced loading the next morning; and, after taking on of assorted ammunition as cargo, got underway for Hawaii on the afternoon of 28 February.
Steaming independently in worsening weather, "Bingham" encountered "very rough seas" which caused the ship to roll as much as 40 degrees to a side, "recovering very slowly." By late afternoon, the storm had wrenched eight life rafts loose from their moorings. Throughout the night of 1 March, "Bingham" constantly deviated from her "routed track in an effort to lessen the effects of the sea." The squally, rainy weather continued the next day, but "Bingham" had passed the worst of it. She made landfall off Oahu on the morning of 6 March, and escorted her into Pearl Harbor where she moored at the Naval Ammunition Depot.
Her perilous voyage over and cargo delivered safely, "Bingham" enjoyed a brief respite at Pearl Harbor, taking on stores and fuel while sending ashore as many officers and men as possible to attend various training courses and schools.
On the morning of 27 March, her tropical idyll came to an end, and she shifted to Honolulu Harbor. After embarking US Army troops on 28 March, the ship sailed for the Marshalls on 29 March, in convoy PD 355T and reached Eniwetok on the afternoon of 6 April.
The following day, in company with and , "Bingham" pushed on toward the Marianas. She and her consorts reached Saipan on the morning of 10 April. Two days later, having disembarked her troops there, "Bingham" got underway for Hawaii and reached Pearl Harbor on 21 April.
During the first half of May, "Bingham" took part in amphibious warfare training off Maui. Returning from these evolutions to Pearl Harbor on 14 April, she took on board the Navy's 74th Construction Battalion ("Seabees") between 15 and 20 May, and sailed for the Marshall Islands on 20 May.
After steaming in convoy with , , and SS "Robin Wentley" with and as escort, "Bingham" dropped out of the convoy on the morning of 22 May, because of a bad gasket leak in a high pressure steam line. While "Enright" stood by, "Bingham" made emergency repairs. By 11:15, "Bingham" could get underway to overtake the convoy, and she and "Enright" had resumed their stations in the convoy by 19:27. Arriving at Eniwetok on the afternoon of 28 May, "Bingham" refueled from and got underway for Ulithi on 5 June. From there, she set sail for the Ryukyus with Task Unit (TU) 94.18.2 on 20 June.
At 05:42 on 24 June, "Bingham" was detached from the task unit and directed to proceed to the eastern coast of Okinawa with SS "White Swallow" and . The three ships entered Nakagusuku Wan shortly after 08:00 and anchored about off the town of Yonabaru, a place nearly destroyed by the recent fighting. Early that afternoon, "Bingham" began landing her "Seabees" and Army passengers. She went to general quarters at 21:52, securing at 22:33 when no enemy planes came near her. The next few days brought more of the same. "Bingham" continued disembarking passengers and discharging her varied cargo into tank landing craft (LCT) and her own LCM's. To quote her war diary, "Unloading continued day and night except for interruptions for enemy air alerts on the nights of the 25, 27, and 29 June."
Unloading completed by late on 28 June, "Bingham" put to sea on 30 June, in company with SS "San Bruno" and . After stopping briefly at Hagushi anchorage, she moved to Kerama Retto on 1 July, and joined Ulithi-bound convoy OKU 10 which reached Ulithi on 5 July. Then, with 119 passengers, 21 of whom were hospital patients, "Bingham" sailed for the west coast on 6 July. Steaming independently, the attack transport entered San Francisco Bay on 21 July, moored at 16:00, and started disembarking her passengers. Next came an overhaul conducted by the Matson Navigation Company which lasted until early in August. "Bingham" then loaded supplies and cargo and stood out to sea on 9 August, bound for Hawaii.
On 14 August, while the ship steamed westward, she received "conflicting radio reports that Japan had surrendered," or had not. "Finally, about 17:00," her war diary records, "we received the announcement, confirmed by President Truman, that Japan had agreed to lay down her arms..." "Bingham" reached Pearl Harbor the following day but soon got underway for Eniwetok. Arriving there on 25 August, she fueled again from "Meredosia" and then pushed on for the Western Carolines on 27 August. She steamed in company with nine other attack transports, a destroyer escort, and two subchasers, and the convoy reached Ulithi on the last day of August.
On 8 September, "Bingham" sailed for her second visit to Okinawa, as the command ship of a 23 ship convoy (UOK 57). "Bingham" reached Buckner Bay on 11 September, and moved in closer to the beach on 12 September, nearer to Awase, where her cargo was to be landed. During the morning of 13 September, she began disembarking her passengers and unloading her cargo. About 06:00 on 16 September, however, the wind and seas began to rise "appreciably." Long swells rolled into Buckner Bay from the southeast, as a typhoon, thought to be slowly recurving northward, headed for Okinawa. "Bingham" put to sea "in accordance with the current typhoon plan." By the time she cleared Buckner Bay, her bow sliced into 20-foot waves, and the sea continued to rise as she doubled Okinawa's southern tip and labored on to westward.
By the next morning she deemed it safe to return to port, so she came about and headed for Buckner Bay, anchoring at 19:00. After completing her cargo unloading on 18 September, "Bingham" shifted to the western side of the island and anchored off Machinato on 19 September. The next day, she took on board approximately 2,000 former Allied prisoners of war "recently liberated from camps in Japan" for passage to Manila. "Bingham" got underway at 07:00 on 21 September; but, when SS "Cape Diamond" missed a planned rendezvous off Naha, the attack transport returned to Naha for the night. "Bingham" finally sailed for Manila at 17:00 on 22 September, in company with , the lead ship of her class, and . She moored in Manila harbor on 25 September; and, by 19:00, the former prisoners of war all had disembarked, well on their way in returning home.
Operation Magic Carpet.
"Bingham", however, had work yet to do. Shortly before midnight on 25 September, she began embarking some of the first 2,000 men she carried homeward in Operation "Magic Carpet". Having embarked her passengers, "Bingham" sailed for Hawaii the following morning, arrived at Pearl Harbor on 10 October, but got underway again the following day for the west coast. "Bingham" reached San Francisco on 17 October, and disembarked her passengers. The next day she shifted to the Bethlehem Steel's San Francisco yard for dry docking and alterations. Among the latter was the conversion of her number five hold to a 312 man troop compartment. A labor dispute, however, slowed the work and prompted her move from Pier 7 to Pier 922, where tied up alongside on 30 October, and completed the alterations.
Converted for "Magic Carpet" duty, "Bingham" embarked westbound passengers and sailed for the Philippines on 6 November. Reaching Samar on 19 November, she disembarked her passengers there, taking on board others bound for Manila. She then fueled from and put to sea again on 21 November. She reached Manila on the morning of 23 November.
"Bingham" then departed Manila on 29 November, with a "capacity load" of 2,010 passengers, eclectically composed of female Red Cross personnel, merchant marine officers, Army officers and enlisted men. Proceeding alone, she reached San Francisco on 16 December. Her passengers disembarked by 10:00, she moved to Hunters Point, where she remained for the rest of December 1945, undergoing further alterations and repairs. During this period, all of her ammunition supply and all but two 20-millimenter guns were removed.
"Bingham" made one final round trip voyage to the Philippines and back as part of the "Magic Carpet" before sailing for the east coast of the United States on 28 March 1946.
Decommissioning.
The attack transport reached Norfolk, Virginia, on 3 May, and was decommissioned there on 17 June 1946. "Bingham" was returned to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) the next day and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 3 July 1946.
She was briefly removed from the fleet 11 May 1955, by A.L. Burbank Company, Ltd., until 20 June 1955, under a Repair Program.
On 1 January 1969, she was redesignated LPA-225. In May 1975, her title was transferred from the Navy to the Maritime Administration (MARAD).
Fate.
On 17 September 1983, she was sold to Aguilar Y. Peris, S.A., Spain, to be scrapped. She was withdrawn for the fleet 14 October 1983.
Awards.
"Bingham" received one battle star for her World War II service.
Bibliography.
Online resources
External links.


Big Four (White Star Line)


SS Lowland

Lowland was a cargo ship that was built in 1944 as Kattenturm by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, Germany for Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft Hansa, Bremen (DDG Hansa). She was seized as a prize of war in 1945, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Eden. In 1947, she was sold into merchant service and renamed "Lowland". A sale to a Bermudan owner in 1959 saw her renamed Mary Enid. She was sold to a Greek owner in 1963 and renamed Stelianos and then Marynik following another sale in 1964. In 1967, she was sold to Hong Kong and renamed Euphipides, serving until she was scrapped in 1969.
Description.
The ship was built in 1944 by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg.
The ship was long, with a beam of . She had a depth of and a draught of . She was assessed at , , 3,800 DWT.
The ship was propelled by a Type LES 9 compound steam engine. The engine was built by Rheinmetall-Borsig AG, Berlin. It drove a single screw propeller and could propel the ship at . The ship was equipped with a 30-ton, a 10-ton and ten 5-ton derricks.
History.
"Kattenturms" keel was laid down on 2 October 1943. She was launched on 18 January 1944 and delivered to DDG Hansa on 16 March. The Code Letters DOXZ were allocated. She carried a crew of 25, plus eight or ten gunners. On 1 May 1945, she was seized by British forces at Brunsbüttel, Germany as a prize of war, notification of which was given on 18 March 1946. She was passed to the MoWT, which later became the Ministry of Transport. On 5 June 1945, she was delivered to Methil, Fife. "Kattenturm" was initially operated under the management of the China Navigation Co Ltd. She was later placed under the management of Currie Line Ltd, Leith, East Lothian. In 1946, she was renamed "Empire Eden". The United Kingdom Official Number 180640 and Code Letters GMJG were allocated. Her port of registry was London. On 8 December, "Empire Eden" ran aground at Spurn Head, Yorkshire in a gale, but was refloated. In 1947, "Empire Eden" was sold to her managers and was renamed "Lowland".
In 1959, "Lowland" was sold to the Poseidon Shipping Co, Hamilton, Bermuda and was renamed "Mary Enid", remaining under the British flag. In 1963, she was sold to the Delphic Shipping Co, Piraeus, Greece and renamed "Stelianos". A sale in 1964 to Marynik Compagnia Navigazione, Monrovia, Liberia saw her renamed "Marynik". In 1967, she was sold to P D Marchessini (Far East) Ltd, Hong Kong and renamed "Euripides". She was operated under the management of the Euripides Shipping Co, Hong Kong. She served until July 1969, when she was scrapped arrived on 8 February at Hong Kong for scrapping by Ming, Kee & Co.


Type A submarine

The was a class of submarine in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), which served during the Second World War. The "Type-A" submarines were built to take a role of the command ships for submarine squadrons. For this reason they had equipment for a headquarters, better radio facilities and a floatplane.
Class variants.
The "Type-A" submarines were divided into four classes:
"Type-A" ("I-9" class).
Project number S35Ja. Their design was based on the "Junsen III" ("I-7" class). Three boats were built in 1938-42 under the Maru 3 Programme (Boat # 35 - 36) and Maru 4 Programme (Boat # 138).
"Type-A Mod.1" ("I-12" class).
Project number S35B. Five boats were planned under the Maru Tsui Programme (Boat # 620 - 621) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boat # 5091 - 5093). They were equipped with less powerful diesel engines which shortened the time needed to build them. Only one boat, the "I-12", was completed to the original design. The "I-13" and the later boats were converted to a new submarine class ("I-13" class), because the number of "I-400" class boats was reduced.
"Type-A Mod.2" ("I-13" class).
Project number S35C. Four boats were planned under the Maru Tsui Programme (Boat # 621) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Boat # 5091 - 5093). However, four boats were converted to new submarine class ("I-13" class), because a number of submarines of the "I-400" class were cancelled. They had a large hangar and were equipped with bulges to be able to operate 2 × special Aichi M6A1 "Seiran" attack bombers. The headquarters institutions were removed.
"V21 Type".
Project number S48. Three boats were planned under the Kai-Maru 5 Programme. However, all boats were cancelled in late 1943, because the IJN turned its attention to the construction of in 1945.


SS Metallurg Anosov

The SS "Metallurg Anosov" (Russian: "Металлург Аносов") was a merchant ship of Black Sea Shipping Company (Soviet Union). the ship was one of the project 567K "Leninsky Komsomol class", a multi-purpose tweendecker freighter with steam turbine engines. The ship takes its name from scientist and metallurgist Anosov Pavel Petrovich.
Specifications.
Project 567 was developed at the Central Design Bureau "Chernomorsudoproekt" (CDB ChSP) in Nikolayev.The major designers were:
Modifications.
The SS "Metallurg Anosov" was one of the four "Leninsky Komsomol"-class cargo ships specially equipped for troop and weapon transportation. The overall length of these transports was increased by , along with size increases to the cargo hold widths, depths, and bay doors. These modifications allowed the class to be used as a missile carrier.
Engines.
The main engines were made at the Kirov Plant (Leningrad, USSR), and were installed in the Kherson shipyard. The engines produced 13000/14300 horsepower at 1,000rpm, allowing the ship to achieve a ballasted speed of . The ship was equipped with a steam turbine turbo gear unit, the "ТС-1" consisting of double-case turbine and gear fed by two fuel oil boilers, with a steam capacity of 25 tons per hour, at pressure of 42 atmospheres and temperature of 470 °C. The gearbox lowered the output rpm to 100, and fed the power to the main propeller, a single four-bladed bronze propeller with a diameter of in an automated process.
Self-defence.
In the event of mobilisation, the ship could mount several anti-aircraft guns on the rotary turrets where the cargo cranes were mounted.
Record of service.
After the completion of construction in Kherson shipyard, the ship passed sea trials for three days in September 1962. The ship was commissioned by Black Sea Shipping Company on 29 September 1962. At the time, the turbine-runner "Metallurg Anosov" was the fastest merchant vessel in the Soviet Union. The ship's dimensions: length overall 179 m, width – 22.6 m, moulded depth – 16 m, speed – .
After the signing of the act of acceptance, the ship was moved to Odessa. Hold number 4 was converted for troop transportation by the dock workers, allowing for up to 1,600 soldiers to be bunked aboard. The vessel also took on fuel, food, fresh water, and other marine supplies before moving to Mykolaiv for the loading of its main cargo, a set of missiles. Russian seamen often called the missiles "special cargo" for secrecy.
Maiden voyage.
The maiden voyage of "Metallurg Anosov" occurred during the Cuban blockade, the most stressful period of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The ship was initially loaded in Nikolayev port by distinguished harbor master Nickolai Movchan with missiles of an unknown type, though special containers for rocket fuel were lashed onto the main deck.
A large number of troops from the 51st Missile Division, 664th Missile Regiment, including the regiment headquarters, combat support, and service subdivisions were housed in hold number 4 at 23.00 LT on 3 October 1962. At the time, only the commanding officer knew that the destination was Cuba. Before launching, General Degtyarev, who was in charge of the Defence Ministry at the time, held a briefing. The general handed a secret package, marked "To be opened four days after the passage of the Strait of Gibraltar", to the master of the ship at Babienko N.Z. on 4 October. Later that day, at 02:00 4 October 1962, the ship unmoored and began its maiden voyage to the Strait of Gibraltar.
Turkish warships met the ship close to the Bosphorus. After quarantine formalities, the warships accompanied the SS "Metallurg Anosov" through the Bosphorus, the Marmara Sea and Dardanelles to access the Aegean Sea.
During transit through the Bosphorus, a barge without any illumination or signal lights appeared beside the "Metallurg Anosov" at night. The ship took evasive action, avoiding a collision with the barge by . Russian officials theorized that the Turks would have used a collision as pretext to storm the vessel, exposing the secret shipment.
A man aboard a similar ship taking the same route, the "Divnogorsk," recounted the voyage:
Combined with the difficulties of transporting a large number of people on a vessel not designed for such, several difficulties were encountered with the ship's cargo. Primarily, the refueling tracks, tanks, and containers produced toxic fumes, and the containers themselves were volatile at high temperatures. The fuel could become toxic to people in the surrounding area, and there was a risk of explosion during the hot weather. Over these fuel tanks and containers, seawater was poured almost 24 hours per day to avoid an explosion from overheating. Living conditions of the people who accompanied the cargo were difficult. They breathed toxic substances, were irradiated, and accordingly became sick.
The rocket fuel "heptyl" was carried in special containers which were not present in the holds of the most common commercial vessels.
Four days after passing through the Gibraltar Strait the captain opened the secret package in the presence of the pompolit and the commander, Colonel Sergei Verenik. The package contained only a single line: "Turbine-runner 'Metallurg Anosov' has to sail to the Cuban port Camañas." After it was read, the orders were burned.
Soldiers and officers came out at night only to breathe the ocean air, and to be away from the fumes below. Lessons on Cuban culture were taught during the voyage systematically. Soldiers and officers familiar with the history, economy, customs, and traditions of Cuba taught them to those that were not.
As the ship approached Cuba, it had several encounters with NATO forces. U.S. submarines were spotted floating in front of the ship, in an attempt to provoke a collision, or to send the ship off course. Additionally, several U.S. Navy airplanes repeatedly flew close over the ship, sometimes coming close to crashing into the ship's superstructure.
On 22 October, "Metallurg Anosov" arrived at the port of Camañas. The first rank captain and two colonels met the ship at the pier. There the ship received a new order: to proceed to Mariel Bay and receive a new order from the Soviet ambassador to Cuba, Alexandr Alexeyev. One general and several colonels of General Staff met the ship in the specified bay.
On 25 October, the Soviet government issued a statement of protest following the United States' blockade of Cuba as an illegal action under maritime law. Captains of Soviet vessels received an order to not obey commands from US ships forbidding them from entering Cuban waters. On the day of the announcement of the Cuban blockade the position of the Soviet merchant vessels that made voyages to Cuba was as follows:
On 29 October 1962 the U.S.S.R. decided to take the missiles and other offensive weapons out of Cuba. Nine vessels, including the "Metallurg Anosov", were allocated to the task.
The ship was quickly unloaded, and as soon as the last cargo was ashore, the captain of the ship, N.Z. Babienko, received an order for the ship to return to Soviet Union. However, right before ship's departure a general came aboard for inspection. He immediately halted ship's departure. It would later be revealed that the First Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR Mikoyan had flown to Cuba on 2 November 1962, prompting the move.
Removing missiles from Cuba.
The "Metallurg Anosov" was one of the nine Soviet freighters involved in returning Soviet missiles and their launchers to the U.S.S.R. from Cuba. The loading of the missiles and their launchers was carried out in Mariel Bay, from 2 November through 7 November 1962. During the loading, NATO aircraft flew over the port and took photos. The "Metallurg Anosov" sailed from Mariel on 7 November 1962.
USS "Barry" was ordered to investigate a Soviet merchant ship, and proceeded to her station on 9 November, sighting the merchant ship that evening. The "Barry" closed to within of the "Metallurg Anosov"s starboard quarter, illuminated the ship's quarter and bow, and identified her. Trailing astern, the "Barry" followed the merchant ship, heading east away from the blockade zone, until morning. After dawn, the destroyer closed on the merchant, in order to "obtain photographs of deck cargo", until late morning when she changed course for the aircraft carrier USS "Essex" for refueling and to transfer the photographs.
USS "Barry" and a Patrol Squadron of VP-44 escorted this ship on the 10 of November, 1962. The VP-44 patrol squadron achieved international recognition of sorts when an aircraft photographed the deck while flying close surveillance over the "Metallurg Anasov". The "Metallurg Anasov" was the only Russian vessel refusing to uncover all of the missiles lashed to the deck. The squadron verified that eight large oblong objects, which appeared to be missiles, were located on its deck and the ship was allowed to proceed. The Utica "Observer-Dispatch" newspaper reported on 11 November 1962:
The "Metallurg Anosov" arrived at its destination port in the Black Sea after 20 November and was probably unloaded before 1 December 1962.
From December 1963 to August 1964.
In December 1963 motorman Nikolay joined the ship "Metallurg Anosov". His previous ship was the steamer "Karaganda". He was married to a daughter of Grigory Zhukovsky family and lived on M. Raskova (Kartamyshevskaya before) street 26 in Odessa. His son was born in delivery date of this ship to the Black Sea Shipping Company, on 29 September 1962. Soon Nikolay became a senior motorman of this ship. He was later promoted to rank of Motorman of the Soviet Union.
After December 1962, the "Metallurg Anosov" performed voyages to Cuba and Angola under the command of Captain Babienko N.Z.
First circumnavigation.
The first circumnavigation of the world for the "Metallurg Anosov" occurred from 4 August to 16 December 1963.
Ports of call, main straits and canals during the circumnavigation:
Australian voyage.
Ships of Black Sea Shipping Company rarely made call in Australian. This time the "Metallurg Anosov" made port in Australia, hence on this voyage the crew called it the "Australian voyage". The captain during this voyage was Babiyenko Nikolay Zakharovich. His executive officer was V.I. Titov. Y.N. Malin was political officer.
The "Metallurg Anosov" sailed from the Black Sea through the Bosphorus, Dardanelles, Suez Canal entered the Red Sea and then to the final destination in the Far East.
Call to Nakhodka.
The ship arrived at Nakhodka port in Russia early in 1964 to take in bunker and supply. One of three verses was written in a song written by the crew on sailing from Nakhodka. The verse is called Call to Nakhodka. Here is that verse, and its translation:
"Forty-Seven" is Odessa city national dance.
Call in Japan.
The crew members went ashore in Japan and took photos dated March 1964.
In March 1964 the ship sailed from Japan, crossed the equator at longitude 154° 00' E on 14 March 1964, before proceeding to their destination port of Sydney, Australia.
Call in Sydney.
Upon arrival at Sydney, the ship dropped anchor at an outer anchorage, and awaited free berth for loading. The ship "Metallurg Anosov" proceeded to the berth for mooring on 4 April 1964. The cargo for loading was grain. After completion of loading crew members were placed in a private hotel, the "Mansion House", for three days before the ship exited port. The ship briefly appears in 1966 NFSA Life in Australia series, Episode 12, Life in Sydney.
Voyage from August 1964 to January 1965.
The ship sailed from the Black Sea to Japan through the Suez Canal in August 1964. From Japan, the "Metallurg Anosov" passed to Cuba through the Panama Canal. From Cuba, the ship went back to Japan through the Panama Camal to discharge a cargo of sugar in Japan. Then the vessel ran to Singapore to load caoutchouc. The captain Stadnichyenko S.M. was a junior deck officer on the "Metallurg Anosov" between August 1964 and 1967 during this period.
After Singapore, the ship returned to the Black Sea and discharged cargo in Illichivsk port in January 1965.
Service from 1965 to 1967.
For its next voyages, of "Metallurg Anosov" went between the Black Sea and Cuba.
The ship also visited Alexandria and Algeria between 1965 and 1967.
During its voyages to Algeria, the ship carried military cargo. The sea captain Stadnichenko, recalled when he was the junior mate of the ship "Metallurg Anosov", said of the events in port:
Chief motorman Nikolay said that official military motorboat ran around the ship, while the ship stayed in Algeria, and periodically dropped underwater explosives to prevent divers from coming aboard.
Around Africa from 1967 to 1969.
During the Six-Day War in June 1967 Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula, and as such the Suez Canal was closed for shipping between 1967 and 1975.
Therefore, the "Metallurg Anosov" was forced to go around Cape Horn from 1967 to 1975, visiting South African ports for bunkering for voyages from the Black Sea to Asian ports in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. During its trip, the ship crossed the equator at longitude 009° 30' W on 24 of July 1967, and the crew received Equator Line Crossing Certificates.
Circumnavigation including equatorial crossing (1969-1970).
According to another certificate of equatorial crossing, the "Metallurg Anosov" again circumnavigated the globe when she sailed from Odessa to Cuba. After leaving port in Cuba in late 1969 or early January 1970, the ship passed through the Panama Canal and steamed to Japan. The equator was crossed in the Atlantic Ocean in March 1970. The ship then passed around Africa and received bunker and other ship's supply in a South African port.
Around Africa from 1971–1975.
The ship was in a Black Sea Soviet port in February 1971, for a change of crew.
The "Metallurg Anosov" skirted the epicenter of a cyclone with a strength of 8 points on the Beaufort scale, when she came back from Cuba in 1971.
The ship visited Qatar once, sometime between 15 April 1971 and February 1973.
The ship visited Ceylon in the second part of January 1973.
The ship was in Cuba at the end of March and in May 1973. After Cuba the ship was loaded in the United States and proceeded to Beirut for discharge. After Beirut the ship went back to the USSR.
During the next voyage from the USSR, the ship arrived at Cuba in the second part of September, and sailed from Havana on 7 October 1973 to Canada. During voyage, ship was repeatedly buzzed by American planes. The ship was loaded with grain in Canada, before sailing to Odessa in the second part of November 1973, and finally on to Novorossiysk port.
The ship was docked in Cuba at the end of March and in April 1975.
The ship docked in Haiphong port, Vietnam, in the second half of June, and in the first half of August 1975.
In October 1975 the ship visited Japan. It is confirmed by attached photo, on which crew members of "Metallurg Anosov" and the tour guide M. Hamano at the tour bus depicted during the tour in Kioto, old capital of Japan. Very interesting history happened during this tour. This history has to be describer i the separate chapter.
The tour in Kyoto.
"The teacher of Russian language" and the Japanese connoisseur of the Russian language.
During the cargo operations in Japan, some crew members of the ship "Matallurg Anosov" were taken for tour in Kyoto, old capital of Japan. The tour guide was Mr. M. Hamano, a Japanese. Mr. Hamano had very good knowledges in Russian language and wished to improve it. It is why he often asked a seaman of the ship about correct and proper pronunciation and understanding some of the words. Soon he stopped to ask questions to the seaman and commenced to ask to Nikolay. When the ship back in Odessa, Nicholay received a letter from Mr. Hamano and told his son:
The Japanese had very good knowledge in Russian language and he was a professor of Russian language in a University. He ask me a question about the correct pronunciation and the use of Russian words. I was puzzled often due to his knowledges in Russian had sometimes better then my knowledges in Russian language includes Ukrainian words and Ukrainian pronunciation. I am Ukrainian. I understood that another seaman redirected Mr. Hamano to me and asked that seaman after the tour. he is tired of questions from the Japanese and said to Mr. Hamano that Nikolay is a teacher of Russian language. It is why Nikolay was interviewed with the addiction regarding Russian language and was forced to give his address for correspondence letters.
When the ship "Matallurg Anosov" back in home port Odessa, Nikolay received the letter from Mr. Hamano:
The photo, letter and envelope attached here. Due to the son of Nikolay collected the envelope is without postal stamps.
Is this event in Kyoto and the letter were an attempt to make contact for the extraction of information about the exploration, which began with the tower muffler on Karamyshevskoe street in Odessa? Or it was a result of another seaman joke? It was Soviet Union period. Nikolay did not reply this letter due to:
New words of Odessa melting pot.
In 1960s and 1970s the ship "Metallurg Anosov" visited Japanese ports often. Also the above described tour in Kyoto gave a reason for inventing new words during a partying of the seamen on this ship. After Nikolay said to the son this new words, which were a seamen joke:
Really this words are the fusions of normally Ukrainian words and obscene jargon of Russian, Ukrainian and Odessa languages ("takasuka" on English is "such a bitch") except the word "takasama", which has translation on English "the same". This worlds are for a men partying mostly.
One more word from this collection of the words was used by Nikolay, and could be it was his invention. Every family has "Mata Hari". The wife paused and grinned as if it was a compliment. Son heard this phrase for the first time and didn't understand why his mother was delighted. He asked the father later about the meaning of used phrase and receives reply: "It is means shut up!" A little later, the son learned that Mata Hari is the name of a famous female spy and it does not mean "shut up".
In future the son of Nikolay used only one word from above mentioned collection of new words. It was the word "takasama". The son did not like to use obscene jargon and he could to describe a woman by the word "takasama", which means "the same as the takasuka". Other words the son did not use and did not invented similar world due to it is needs a time to think about the meaning of invented word. If the person, whose thoughts are readable by the Intelligence subdivisions, will think about any phrase before the talk, the secret of the talk can be decoded easy. It is why he used another style of the talk and another code system. Are You able to message a secret information in case you are equipped with the chip, which permits to read your thoughts by others? But one of the way to teach the basics codification was through the ship, which crew members were changed often.
From 1976 to 1986.
"Metallurg Anosov" visited Angola once, in 1976. The ship brought in military cargo to Luanda.
The ship was under repair in Ilyichevsk Shipyard in the summer of 1976.
"Metallurg Anosov" arrived in Odessa from Rijeka on 19 of February, 1977.
The ship was on Cuba in the first part of May 1979, again to deliver missiles and other military cargo.
Final journey and scrapping.
"Metallurg Anosov" was sold for scrap on 21 March 1986 and renamed "Anosov". The ship's home port and flag were changed to George Town, Cayman Islands. The ship arrived in China in May 1986. "Anosov" proceeded to Qinhuangdao and scrapped on 22 May 1986.
Stamps.
The "SS Metallurg Anosov" was featured on a postage stamp issued in 2008, and another issued in 2013.
This was the only Soviet ship mentioned in Cuban Missile Crisis and Cold War stamps, as it was involved in both the Cuban Missile Crisis and other Cold War operations.


MSC Prestige

MSC Prestige was a container ship (IMO 9321029) that collided with a large tanker MV "Samco Europe", off the Red Sea traffic separation scheme of Bab-el-Mandeb on 7 December 2007.
Both the vessels suffered severe damage at their bows and had to undergo major repairs.
An official report was compiled.
The vessel was subsequently renamed "MOL Prestige"
Type of ship : Cellular Container IMO Number: 9321029 Flag: Panama
MMSI Number: 351861000 Length: 292.0m Beam: 40.0m
Callsign: 3EGH8


USS White Sands (ARD-20)

USS "White Sands" (ARD-20), ex-USS "ARD-20, ex-USS "ARD(BS)-20, later AGDS-1, was a United States Navy auxiliary repair dock in service from 1944 to 1947 and from 1966 to 1974 and an Auxiliary floating drydock.
Construction and commissioning.
"ARD-20" was laid down on 20 December 1943 by the Pacific Bridge Company at Alameda, California, and was launched early in 1944. She was placed in service on 31 March 1944 with Lieutenant Commander Gutav Jones, USNR, as officer-in-charge.
First period in service, 1944–1947.
After training at the Drydock Training Center at Tiburon, California, "ARD-20" departed San Francisco Bay on 11 June 1944 under tow by the merchant ship SS "Stratford Point". She stopped briefly at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides Islands before arriving at her assigned base, Seeadler Harbor, at Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands, on 12 August 1944. As a unit of the United States Seventh Fleet's Service Squadron 3, "ARD-20" repaired battle-damaged ships at Manus for the next eight months.
On 16 April 1945, the tug USS "ATA-170" towed "ARD-20" out of Seeadler Harbor and set a course for Morotai Island, located just north of Halmahera in the northern Molucca Islands. The two vessels arrived at Morotai on 29 April 1945. "ARD-20" conducted repairs at Morotai until 24 July 1945, when she was towed to the repair base at Manicani Island, located near Samar in the Philippine Islands, where she spent 19 months.
"ARD-20" departed Manicani on 25 February 1947, under tow by the merchant ship SS "Robert Eden", and arrived in Apra Harbor, Guam, on 9 March 1947. Later in 1946, the merchant ship SS "Robert Hartley" towed her by way of Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, to San Pedro, California, where the two vessels arrived on 11 September 1947.
"ARD-20" was placed out of service on 7 October 1947 and berthed with the San Pedro Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet.
Second period in service, 1966–1974.
Eighteen years later, in October 1965, "ARD-20" was moved to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard at Terminal Island, California, where work began on her modernization and conversion into a bathyscaphe support ship. Reclassified as a bathyscaphe support auxiliary repair dock (ARD(BS)), she was placed in service on 14 September 1966 as USS "ARD(BS)-20" and assigned to the Submarine Force, United States Pacific Fleet, to conduct Chief of Naval Operations-sponsored research projects related to deep submergence vehicles and their operation.
On 9 March 1968, "ARD(BS)-20" was named USS "White Sands", and her hull designation was shortened back to ARD-20.
From 1968, "White Sands" conducted tests with the bathyscaphe "Trieste II" in various open ocean environments. Those tests took place near the Undersea Weapons Center near San Clemente Island off California. The "White Sands" also participated in the recovery of a KH-9 Hexagon payload lost at sea.
In February 1969, "White Sands", carrying "Trieste II", departed the United States West Coast, towed by the fleet ocean tug USS "Apache" (ATF-67) to participate in the search for the nuclear submarine USS "Scorpion" (SSN-589)—which had been lost in the Atlantic Ocean near the Azores in 1968—employing "Trieste II" and supported by "Apache" and the high-speed transport USS "Ruchamkin" (APD-89). "White Sands" concluded her part in the "Scorpion" assignment early in August 1969 and was towed, via the Panama Canal, to San Diego, California, where she arrived on 7 October 1969.
At San Diego, "White Sands" resumed her research assignment with deep submergence vehicles. On 1 August 1973, she was reclassified an auxiliary deep submergence support ship and redesignated AGDS-1.
Final disposition.
Late in the summer of 1974, "White Sands" was placed out of service. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in September 1974, and she was to be sold for scrapping. Instead, she was purchased by Seattle-based Marine Power and Equipment to be used in the construction of barges for the US Navy. The company elected to move her into Seattle's Lake Union, where she would then be used as a permanent dry dock in fresh water.
To reach her permanent home, however, required passing through the 80-foot wide Hiram Chittenden Locks in Ballard - a difficult accomplishment for a vessel with an 81-foot beam. In cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers, operators of the locks, a plan was devised to turn the "White Sands" partially on her side and then send her through. To accomplish this, one side of the ship was ballasted with water and weighted down with 51 concrete blocks and 17 stacks of steel plates, weighing almost 1226 short tons, while the other side - raised 38 degrees in the air - was supported by two air-filled barges cabled to the ship's superstructure.
Adding to the difficulty of this engineering feat, it was determined that the passage could only be attempted at the highest tide. Should the ship be delayed for a few moments, her bottom would no longer clear the side of the locks. Attempting such a transit was incredibly risky: even today, the locks support a substantial amount of commercial traffic. Had the tide subsided before she completed the transit, engineers had already decided there was only one other option: quickly cut her into pieces and scrap her.
A first attempt failed when one of the supporting barges broke free and shot across the canal. The barge was retrieved and reattached, and on the following day, 4 October 1975, the second attempt was a success. She was gently pulled into position in the locks by tugboats, and transited the locks at high tide.
The "White Sands" remains the largest vessel ever to transit the Ballard Locks, and is still in use as a dry dock at Lake Union Drydock Co. in Seattle, WA. She is visible on maps of Lake Union, in the southeast corner of the lake. She remains largely intact; only the front part of her superstructure has been cut off so she can sit flush with her moorings.


USS Aniwa

USS "Aniwa" (ID-3146) was a steel-hulled, single-screw freighter that served in the United States Navy from 1918 to 1919.
Construction acquisition, and commissioning.
"Aniwa" was built under a United States Shipping Board contract and completed as SS "Aniwa" in 1918 at Oakland, California, by the Moore Shipbuilding Company. She was earmarked for U.S. Navy World War I service with the naval registry Identification Number (Id. No.) 3146. She departed her builder's yard for final sea trials on the morning of 25 July 1918 and arrived at San Francisco, California, that afternoon. While crossing the Bay from Oakland to San Francisco, her prospective commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Foster Ryer, USNRF, came on board from a launch. On the morning of 26 July 1918, "Aniwa" was commissioned as USS "Aniwa" with Lieutenant Commander Ryer in command.
United States Navy service.
World War I.
"Aniwa" moved to the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California, on 27 July 1918 to take on stores and embark the balance of her crew. She moved on to Port Costa, California, on 31 July 1918 and loaded a cargo of flour. Underway for the United States East Coast on 7 August 1918, "Aniwa" transited the Panama Canal on 23 August 1918 and, after clearing Cristóbal, Panama Canal Zone, early on 24 August 1918, shaped course for New York City. She reached Brooklyn, New York, on the afternoon of 4 September 1918.
Earlier in 1918, United States Ambassador to Russia David R. Francis had urged the sending of shiploads of foodstuffs to Archangel in North Russia for a three-fold purpose: (1) to feed the local Russian population whose flow of provisions had been interrupted by the Czech Legion's occupation of the Trans-Siberian Railway; (2) to provide for the Allied representatives in the city of Vologda, Russia, should they retire northward; and (3) to create a favorable image of the United States in Russia. Accordingly, shortly after midday on 15 September 1918, "Aniwa" headed out to sea with her cargo of flour in a convoy bound ultimately for Archangel.
"Aniwa" arrived off the mouth of the Dvina River on 11 October 1918 and ascended the river on 12 October 1918. At 17:45 hours that day she made fast alongside the British merchant ship SS "Grofe Castle", which in turn was moored to a wharf at Archangel. "Aniwa" immediately posted watches bow and stern to protect "Aniwa" and her cargo. On 14 October 1918, four soldiers—a corporal and three privates—reported to "Aniwa" to serve as an armed guard.
An outbreak of influenza in Archangel curtailed shore leave for "Aniwa"s crew during certain periods of the ship's stay there. It even struck "Aniwa"s hospital corpsman, who had to be sent ashore for treatment in the American Red Cross hospital. To fill the gap created by his illness, the ships' doctors of U.S. Navy cargo ship USS "West Gambo" (ID-3220) and U.S. Navy cruiser USS "Olympia" (Cruiser No. 6) visited "Aniwa" and ministered to her sick.
Unloading operations proceeded nearly without incident. However, on the afternoon of 23 October 1918, two Russian stevedores, obviously feeling the shortage of foodstuffs ashore, were caught trying to leave the ship with small quantities of "Aniwa"s cargo of flour. Then, on 5 November 1918, a sling broke, dropping a bale of hemp on a Russian stevedore. Fortunately, he was not badly hurt and was soon on his way to a Russian hospital for treatment.
"Aniwa" got underway for the United States in ballast on the morning of 10 November 1918 with a small number of passengers embarked. World War I ended the following day.
Postwar.
"Aniwa" reached Brooklyn on 8 December 1918. Shifting to Bush Terminal at Brooklyn soon thereafter, she loaded 6,905 tons of general cargo and underwent a few minor repairs.
Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, "Aniwa" cleared the port of New York shortly after midday on 29 December 1918 bound for Gibraltar. As the days wore on, the weather remained fairly rough, with the ship rolling easily in the long swells, and she took water forward and aft; a leak in the after storeroom occupied the attention of at least one man for nearly an entire day on 7 January 1919. Soon thereafter, problems with her condenser and boilers forced her to put into the Azores on 10 January 1919 for voyage repairs.
Underway again on 28 January 1919, "Aniwa" reached Gibraltar on 4 February 1919 and remained there for a short while before resuming her voyage to Genoa, Italy, where she arrived on the morning of 11 February 1919.
Inept cargo handling during unloading operations at Genoa caused much damage to the shipment of foodstuffs that "Aniwa" had carried from New York. Finally, in early March, after having discharged all that she had brought, she took on ammunition from the U.S. Navy tugs USS "Nahant" (SP-1250) and USS "Penobscot" (SP-982) for transportation back to the United States, and then loaded ballast for the return trip. She departed Genoa on the morning of 17 March 1919.
After touching briefly at Gibraltar on 23 March 1919 and 24 March 1919 to pick up passengers, "Aniwa" arrived off Tompkinsville at Staten Island, New York on 15 April 1919. There, she unloaded the ammunition. She soon moved to the pier at East 19th Street in New York City. She was decommissioned there on 21 April 1919, and her name was struck from the Navy List the same day.
Later career.
Turned over to the United States Shipping Board for operation, the ship, once again as SS "Aniwa", continued carrying cargo, now under civilian auspices. During the remainder of 1919 she called at Mobile, Alabama; Liverpool, England; and Newport News, Virginia.
"Aniwa" was laid up in 1923 and remained inactive until being discarded due to age and deterioration during the fiscal year 1930.


Damen Stan 2606 patrol vessel

The Damen Stan 2600 is a line of patrol vessels built or designed by Netherlands shipbuilding firm the Damen Group.
The first vessels of this design were delivered to the Hong Kong Police.
The United States Coast Guard Marine Protector class of cutters are based on the Damen Stan 2600 design.
A total of 78 Marine Protector class vessels were built by Bollinger Shipyards -- 74 for the United States Coast Guard (USCG), two for the United States Navy (USN), two for Malta and two for Yemen. Four of the last vessels in the USCG possession are owned by the USN, but are crewed and managed by the USCG and bear USCG pennant numbers. The USN relies on these vessels to escort its nuclear submarines as they enter and exit from their ports, where submarines may be vulnerable to bombers until they can get to water deep enough to dive. Distinguishing them from the remainder of the vessels in the USCG fleet, the USN's four vessels are equipped with a gyro-stabilized machine gun, remotely controlled from the bridge.
The Venezuelan Navy operates vessels built to the Damen Stan design.
The vessels were built in Venezuela.
In March of 2008 a newly constructed vessel was sent to Nicaragua to try to solicit orders from the Government of Nicaragua.
In November 2011 Ecuador signed a contract to build vessels of the related 2606 design for the Ecuadorian Coast Guard.
In January 2012 Cuba and Venezuela entered into an agreement to cooperate in the construction of
vessels built to the Damen Stan 2606 design.
The vessels will be built in the UCOCAR in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.
In May 2014 the Bahamas also ordered four patrol vessels based on Damen's 26 metre design.


MS Flying Cloud


SS Elihu Root

SS "Elihu Root" was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Elihu Root, a United States Senator from New York, the United States Secretary of War under presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, the United States Secretary of State under Theodore Roosevelt, and the 1912 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Construction.
"Elihu Root" was laid down on 5 October 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1524, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; sponsored by Mrs. Lloyd Tower, sister of the assistant superintendent of the boiler shop, W. H. Moyd, she was launched on 19 May 1943.
History.
She was allocated to Agwilines, Inc., on 18 June 1943. On 5 June 1946, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the Hudson River Group. On 29 May 1953, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1953", she returned loaded with grain on 9 June 1953. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 20 June 1957, to have the grain unloaded, she returned empty on 29 June 1957. On 28 May 1958, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1958", she returned loaded with grain on 13 June 1958. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 8 February 1960, to have the grain unloaded, she returned empty on 12 February 1960. On 9 November 1960, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1960", she returned loaded with grain on 22 November 1960. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 14 March 1963, to have the grain unloaded, she returned empty on 18 March 1963. On 10 October 1969, she was sold for $42,218 to Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation, for scrapping. She was removed from the fleet on 30 October 1969.
Bibliography.


SS Wheatland Montana

Wheatland Montana was a steam cargo ship built in 1919 by Skinner & Eddy of Seattle for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The freighter spent the majority of her career in the Pacific connecting the West Coast of the United States with the Chinese and Japanese ports in the Far East. Early in 1928 the ship together with six other vessels was sold by the US Government to the Tacoma Oriental Steamship Co. and subsequently renamed Seattle. After her owner declared bankruptcy early in 1937, the ship was sold to Matson Navigation and renamed Lihue and was then mainly employed to transport sugar and canned fruit from the Hawaiian Islands to the ports on the United States East coast. In February 1942 she was chartered to transport general cargo and war supplies to the Middle East but was torpedoed by "U-161" in the Caribbean Sea on February 23, and eventually sank three days later while in tow without loss of life.
Design and construction.
After the United States entry into World War I, a large shipbuilding program was undertaken to restore and enhance shipping capabilities both of the United States and their Allies. As part of this program, EFC placed orders with nation's shipyards for a large number of vessels of standard designs. Design 1079 cargo ship was a modified Design 1013 standard cargo freighter of approximately 9,600 tons deadweight designed by Skinner & Eddy and adopted by USSB.
"Wheatland Montana" was part of the order for 47 vessels placed by USSB with Skinner & Eddy on 1 June 1918 and was laid down on 26 March 1919 and launched on 4 August 1919 (yard number 54), with Miss Juanita Cook of Judith Gap, Montana being the sponsor. The vessel was named in honor of town of Wheatland in Montana whose residents finished first in their district in subscription for the Liberty Loan. The ship was of a three-deck type, had five main holds and also possessed all the modern machinery for quick loading and unloading of cargo from five main hatches, including ten winches and a large number of derricks. The vessel had electric lights installed along the decks and was also equipped with wireless.
As built, the ship was long (between perpendiculars) and abeam, a depth of . "Wheatland Montana" was originally assessed at and and had deadweight of approximately 9,962. The vessel had a steel hull, and a single 359 nhp triple-expansion steam engine, with cylinders of , and diameter with a stroke, that drove a single screw propeller, and moved the ship at up to . The steam for the engine was supplied by three Scotch marine boilers fitted for both coal and oil fuel.
After successfully completing her six hour long trial trip on August 30, "Wheatland Montana" was handed over to the USSB on the same day, and officially commissioned on September 3.
Operational history.
Following delivery to USSB the ship was immediately handed over to Pacific Mail Steamship Co. to operate on the West Coast of the United States to the Orient route. After loading 9,000 tons cargo consisting mainly of auto trucks, cotton and various metal products, the ship sailed from Seattle for the Orient on 23 September 1919. After visiting ports of Japan, China and the Philippines the steamer returned to Seattle on December 21, thus successfully completing her maiden voyage. The freighter continued sailing between the North Pacific ports of the United States and the ports in Japan, China and the Philippines initially as part of the Admiral Line, and later American Oriental Mail Line, through the early part of 1928. On her westward trips the ship carried mostly lumber, but also grain, flour, herring and metal products while on her return journeys she would transport sugar, copra, hemp, mahogany, peanuts, various vegetable oils and other oriental merchandise. For example, in early January 1921 the freighter took on board 1,750,000 feet of lumber from Dollar Mills in Vancouver and 250 tons of general cargo before sailing for the Orient. On one of her return trips, she brought back about 5,000 tons of hemp from Manila and other cargo to Seattle and Vancouver.
During her career "Wheatland Montana" came to other vessels help on several occasions. In early January 1924 when Admiral Line's steamer SS "Harold Dollar" steering gear got jammed by a shifted deckload of lumber, "Wheatland Montana" rushed to aid and stood by until the problem was resolved and the freighter could safely proceed to her destination. In February 1925 when SS "Patrick Henry" went aground on shoals off Wada, "Wheatland Montana" came to her aid and pulled the steamer off.
On 1 April 1926 while on her way from Tsingtao to Puget Sound ports with a large cargo of hemp, peanuts and mahogany logs, "Wheatland Montana" lost her propeller and rudder post, and was drifting helplessly in stormy weather. Two days later another Admiral Line steamer, , came to her aid and took the disabled freighter in tow. As the weather got worse the tow line separated and the ships had to wait out until the wind died down. After about two weeks of towing and about 700 miles from the Puget Sound, "West Niger" was relieved by yet another Admiral Oriental Line steamer, SS "City of Spokane" who brought the disabled freighter safely to port on April 24.
On 10 February 1928 it was announced that USSB decided to get out of shipping business and accepted bids for the three Pacific Lines they were operating at the time. On February 16 it was announced USSB disposed of all three lines including the American Oriental Mail Line. The line was sold together with seven ships it operated for to a new concern, Tacoma Oriental Steamship Co., formed by local Tacoma businessmen and headed by John Sherman Baker. "Wheatland Montana" was one of the vessels sold, and her price tag was set at . Following the acquisition, the new owner decided to rename all vessels in honor of Washington ports, with "Wheatland Montana" slated to become "Seattle". At the time of acquisition, the ship was still chartered for one more trip to the Far East, and therefore continued to operate temporarily under her old name and USSB control. On May 12 it was reported that the freighter called into Tientsin with a cracked tunnel shaft, and was forced to proceed to Dairen for temporary repairs. On her return trip, "Wheatland Montana" again developed problems with her rudder and had to be taken into tow by steamer SS "West Nomentum". Approximately 700 miles from the Puget Sound "West Nomentum" was forced to pause due to her fuel running low, and both ships had to await the arrival of the US Coast Guard cutter which safely brought the disabled steamer into port. After completion of repairs, the ship was officially rechristened "Seattle" on 2 August 1928 in the presence of a large crowd, and after loading full cargo of lumber and general merchandise departed for her first voyage under new name and ownership for Dairen on August 6.
Under new ownership, "Seattle" continued sailing on the same routes as previously carrying cargo between the ports of the Pacific Northwest and China and Japan. In this role Tacoma Oriental Line came into direct competition with American Mail Line, a subsidiary of Dollar Steamship Company, who after several attempts managed to acquire in December 1931 John S. Baker's controlling interest in Tacoma-based company. Tacoma Steamship Company continued to operate as an independent entity through 1937 between the same ports in the United States and Canadian Northwest and respective destinations in China, Japan and the Philippines. In the fall 1932 "Seattle" and the rest of Tacoma-based vessels were put on the twin-shuttle route taking them to California ports of Los Angeles and San Francisco in addition to their regularly served destinations. In February 1935 "Seattle" ran aground on Turia Rock while on her way from Manila to Cebu. The ship suffered little damage and was lifted off with the aid of tugs and was able to proceed to her destination.
The company finally became profitable in 1933, however, a series of labor disputes in 1934–1935, including a 1934 maritime strike which tied the company's vessels for many months, expiration and non-renewal of the government mail subsidy for the 1936 season, forced the company to default on their debt and file for reorganization early in 1936. The vessels belonging to Tacoma Oriental were chartered out short term to other companies, with "Seattle" being taken over by her parent company, Dollar Steamship. In April 1936 due to increase in traffic "Seattle" was used by Dollar for one trip to transport a large cargo of cotton, scrap tin, used rails and other general merchandise from California to Japan. The ship was subsequently put on Dollar's Guam service, but only remained in it until the end of 1936. In September 1936 Tacoma Oriental Line sold two vessels to Waterman Steamship Co., and attempted to re-enter business with five remaining vessels, including "Seattle", but the bid proved to be unsuccessful due to yet another labor strike, and the company was finally liquidated by court order in February 1937 with all five vessels being sold to Matson Navigation Company.
After court approved acquisition of the vessels, Matson Navigation Co. renamed them after their affiliated sugar plantations in the Hawaiian Islands, with "Seattle" becoming "Lihue". "Lihue" departed San Francisco for her first voyage under her new name and new ownership on 17 March 1937 bound for Honolulu. After loading a cargo consisting of 7,385 tons of sugar and canned pineapples, the ship departed Hawaii on April 10 for East coast ports of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, passed through the Panama Canal on May 5 and reached her destination on May 20. On her return voyage the freighter departed Baltimore on May 31 loaded with 5,180 tons of cargo consisting of steel and general merchandise, and reached Honolulu on July 3. "Lihue" continued sailing on West to East coast routes between the ports of Hawaii, California and Pacific Northwest and Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia through the end of her career carrying sugar and canned fruit on her eastward journeys, and steel products and general merchandise when sailing westward. The freighter was occasionally used on other routes, for example, she sailed from the Pacific Northwest ports to Liverpool in November 1937 carrying 8,024 tons of cargo consisting of wheat, lumber and fish.
Sinking.
With the United States entry into the World War II in December 1941 many ships were requisitioned by the United States government and put under control of the War Shipping Administration (WSA). "Lihue" was chartered for one trip to Alexandria to deliver general cargo and war matériel to the British troops fighting in North Africa. Upon loading her cargo the ship sailed from New York in mid-February 1942 bound for Trinidad where the freighter was scheduled to bunker before proceeding to her next stop at Cape Town. The vessel was under command of captain W. G. Leithead and had a crew of eight officers and twenty-eight men in addition to nine Navy gunners. At approximately 23:34 local time on 22 February 1942 "Lihue" was spotted by a lookout from German submarine (captain Achilles) approximately west of Martinique moving at approximately . At 00:43 on February 23 a torpedo was launched by the submarine and after 126 seconds the ship was struck on her port side just forward of #1 hold. The steamer started to take on water immediately but was able to continue on her course and maintain her speed. About fifteen minutes later seeing that the freighter does not sink, "U-161" opened fire with her deck gun but the steamer's gun crew returned fire with both her main guns and machine guns forcing the submarine to crash dive. "U-161" continued shadowing the steamer for the next four hours trying to deliver coup de grâce but due to the freighter's zig-zagging the U-boat could never get into a good attack position. At approximately 09:45 "Lihue" changed course and headed for St. Lucia. At 12:39 "U-161" fired another torpedo at the vessel from approximately 600 meters but the ship again changed course avoiding being hit. At about the same time captain Leithead ordered the crew to abandon ship. The crew and the gunners disembarked the ship in two lifeboats and three rafts, and shortly after "U-161" fired two more torpedoes from approximately 900 meters, only to see them miss the vessel again. The submarine stayed in the area for four more hours but due to arrival of patrol aircraft and commander Achilles's belief that the vessel was a Q-ship the submarine broke off the pursuit and left the area. The crew of "Lihue" was soon taken aboard the British tanker SS "British Governor" and landed safely in Trinidad next day. A salvage crew from the Canadian armed merchant cruiser boarded abandoned "Lihue" and the freighter was taken into tow by the US minesweeper , however, due to significant amount of damage sustained by the freighter during and after the attack the vessel sank on February 26 while in tow not far from St. Lucia.


Corona-class ship of the line

The Corona was a one-member ship of the line class, a 76-gun third rate. It was built in 1712 by the Venetian Arsenal, and was one of the bigger and better armed vessels of the Venetian Navy. Its guns were all made in bronze for prestige reasons. The ship, even if it was a well-made one, was not copied, and the Navy chose to skip to the cheaper "Leon Trionfante" class instead.


Dry deck shelter

A dry deck shelter (DDS) is a removable module that can be attached to a submarine to allow divers easy exit and entrance while the boat is submerged. The host submarine must be specially modified to accommodate the DDS, with the appropriate mating hatch configuration, electrical connections, and piping for ventilation, divers' air, and draining water. The DDS can be used to deploy a SEAL Delivery Vehicle submersible, Navy divers, or Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC).
Active and future DDS-capable submarines.
Royal Navy.
In UK service it is formally named the Special Forces Payload Bay (SFPB) and was procured under ‘Project Chalfont’
 To help reduce these risks, training is conducted at the purpose-built Chalfont Shore Facility (CSF) constructed by BAE Systems at HMNB Clyde.
United States Navy.
The United States Navy's DDSs are long and high and wide, add about 30 tons to its host submarine's submerged displacement, can be transported by trucks or C-5 Galaxy airplanes, and require one to three days to install and test. They have three HY-80 steel sections within the outer glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) fairing: a spherical hyperbaric chamber at the forward end to treat injured divers; a smaller spherical transfer trunk; and a cylindrical hangar with elliptical ends. The hangar can support a SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) submersible, six Navy SEALs to man the SDV, and a crew of Navy Divers to operate the DDS and launch the SDV; or 20 SEALs with four Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC). The SDV release team consists of 2 officers, 2 enlisted technicians, and 18 divers.
The two SEAL delivery vehicle teams report to Naval Special Warfare Group 3.
There are currently six portable dry deck shelters in use by the USN, the first one built by Electric Boat. The first, designated DDS-01S ("S" for starboard opening outer door), was completed in 1982. The remaining five, DDS-02P ("P" for port opening), -03P, -04S, -05S, and -06P, were built between 1987 and 1991 and were built by Newport News Shipbuilding. The shelters are maintained by a combined effort of Navy divers stationed on the teams and workers of the maintenance company Oceaneering International. They have expected useful lives of about 40 years each.
The first submarine to have an operational dry deck shelter was the , which was fitted with the DDS in 1982 and first deployed with it in 1983.
Marine nationale.
Barracuda-class_submarine_(France)
Former DDS-capable submarines.
Former US Navy DDS-capable submarines include:
Five s were also fitted to carry the DDS.


Star-class container ship

The "Star" class is a series of 8 container ships built for China Shipping Container Lines and currently operated by COSCO SHIPPING Lines. The ships have a maximum theoretical capacity of 14,074 TEU. The ships were built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea.


SS Edward L. Ryerson

SS "Edward L. Ryerson" is a steel-hulled American Great Lakes freighter built in 1960. Throughout her career on the Great Lakes, she has been laid up multiple times. Ever since 2009, she has been in long term layup at the Fraser Shipyard in Superior, Wisconsin. She is one of only two American-owned straight deck lake freighters, the other one being 1958-built freighter "John Sherwin".
Built between April 1959, and January 1960, she was the third of the 13 so-called "730-class" of lake freighters, all of which shared the unofficial title of "Queen of the Lakes" due to their record-breaking length. She was not only the last steam-powered freighter built on the lakes, but also the last one that was not a self unloader. "Edward L. Ryerson" became well known for her elegant lines, and is considered by enthusiasts to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing lake freighters ever built. Due to her high top speed of , she received the nickname of "Fast Eddie". Built almost exclusively to transport iron ore, she completed her sea trials on August 3, 1960. After which, she travelled to Escanaba, Michigan, where she loaded over of iron ore, embarking on her maiden voyage for Indiana Harbor, Indiana, on August 4. "Edward L. Ryerson" set a cargo haulage record that stood for three years on August 28, 1962, after loading tons of iron ore in Superior, Wisconsin. She quickly became one of the most popular boats on the lakes, to the point that there were rumours that she would regularly be directed through the MacArthur Lock for the benefit of boat watchers.
Due to a downturn in the steel industry, "Edward L. Ryerson" was laid up in Indiana Harbor for the 1986 and the 1987 shipping seasons, returning to service in 1988. She was laid up for a second time in January 1994 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, remaining inactive throughout 1994, 1995 and 1996, reentering service in April 1997. In 1998, Inland Steel was acquired by Ispat International N.V. Also in 1998, "Edward L. Ryerson" was renamed "Str. Edward L. Ryerson". She was sold to the Indiana Harbor Steamship Company which was managed by Central Marine Logistics of Griffith, Indiana; she entered long term layup at the Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay in December of that same year, returning to the lakes in 2006. In 2009, she entered long-term layup in Superior, remaining stationary as of 2021.
History.
Design and construction.
In 1959, the Inland Steel Company of Chicago contracted H.C. Downer & Associates Incorporated of Cleveland to design a ship which would be constructed by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. This new vessel was the maximum length allowed for passage through the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which was completed in the same year as the ship. "Edward L. Ryerson" was one of the first lakers built to the maximum St. Lawrence Seaway length. Her hull has an overall length of (a length between perpendiculars of and a keel), she has a beam and a draft of . The moulded depth (roughly speaking, the vertical height of the hull) is . The first keel plate was laid on April 20, 1959.
"Edward L. Ryerson" was the third of the thirteen so-called "730-class" of lake freighters. In total there were five American "730-class" freighters, of which "Edward L. Ryerson" was the first. With a deadweight capacity of , and a hull, "Edward L. Ryerson" was one of the longest ships on the Great Lakes at the time of her construction, earning her the unofficial title of Queen of the Lakes, which she shared with the other ships in her class until December 7, 1959, when the "Frankcliffe Hall" was launched. She has a gross tonnage of 12,170 tons, and a net tonnage of 7,637 tons. "Edward L. Ryerson"s four unique vertical-sided cargo holds were loaded through 18 watertight hatches, each . The hatches were positioned apart. "Edward L. Ryerson"s was the first vessel on the Great Lakes to be equipped with aluminium hatch covers.
"Edward L. Ryerson" is equipped with two General Electric cross-compound steam turbine, which were powered by two 465 psi oil-burning Combustion Engineering boilers. She is capable of carrying fuel oil. Propelled by a single five-bladed fixed pitch propeller (which in 1960 was the largest propeller used in a lake freighter), she had a top speed of . In 1969 the ship's maneuverability was improved by the installation of a diesel-powered bow thruster.
"Edward L. Ryerson"s owners intended her to be as aesthetically attractive and luxurious as possible, reportedly spending more than $8 million (equivalent to $ in ) on her accommodations alone. She was capable of accommodating up to 37 crewmen and eight guests. She is considered by enthusiasts to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing freighters ever built. In her basic design and construcion "Edward L. Ryerson" was considered to be a larger version of Inland Steel's 1949 freighter "Wilfred Sykes". She would be not only the last steam-powered American freighter built on the lakes, but also the last one built without a self-unloading boom. She was the last American freighter built on the lakes until "Stewart J. Cort" in 1972; she would end up being the last lake freighter constructed in Manitowoc.
Name and Launch.
"Edward L. Ryerson" was named after the chairman of the board at Inland Steel, Edward Larned Ryerson. Ryerson was the president of the steel service centre Joseph T. Ryerson & Son until 1935, when the company merged with Inland Steel. From 1940 until his retirement in 1953, Ryerson remained the chairman of the board of his original company and Inland Steel. The christening and launch ceremony of "Edward L. Ryerson" took place on January 21, 1960. Sponsored by Mrs. Edward L. Ryerson, she was launched sideways into the ice-filled Manitowoc River on wooden rollers. On July 28, 1960, "Edward L. Ryerson" was set to leave the shipyard through the Manitowoc River. However, there were several areas of the river that "Edward L. Ryerson" was not able to transit due to her size. Dredging needed to be done in several areas, and at one point, part of the shoreline had to be dug away. The work lasted for four hours. An article published in the "The Herald Times Reporter" described moving "Edward L. Ryerson" "like building a cruiser in the basement and then engineering it through a door too small for its shortest dimension." "Edward L. Ryerson" began her sea trials on August 1, finishing them on August 3.
Career.
"Edward L. Ryerson" was designed almost exclusively for the iron ore trade. After completing her sea trials, "Edward L. Ryerson" departed Manitowoc in ballast shortly after midnight on August 4, for Escanaba, Michigan. Upon arriving in Escanaba, she loaded of iron ore bound for Indiana Harbor, Indiana, where she arrived on August 6. "Edward L. Ryerson" set cargo haulage records twice during the early 1960s. Both times, she loaded iron ore in Superior, Wisconsin, and headed for Indiana Harbor, Indiana. She set the first record in 1961, when she loaded of ore. She set her second record on August 28, 1962, when she loaded of ore at the Great Northern Railway's Allouez ore docks. Her second record would be broken in 1965. Due to her high top speed of , she received the nickname of "Fast Eddie". "Edward L. Ryerson" quickly became a favourite among boat watchers on the lakes, to the point that there were rumours that she would regularly be directed through the MacArthur Lock for the benefit of enthusiasts. On board, a stainless steel map of the Great Lakes, with a magnetic representation of "Edward L. Ryerson" had been installed, in order to keep the guests informed about her location. In 1976, "Joseph L. Block" superseded "Edward L. Ryerson" as Inland Steel's largest vessel.
Due to a downturn in the steel industry, "Edward L. Ryerson" was laid up in Indiana Harbor from the end of 1985 to the beginning of 1988, when she returned to service. In August 1989, she loaded a cargo of mill scale in Detroit, Michigan. On July 18, 1992, "Edward L. Ryerson" loaded the first ever cargo of iron ore pellets to leave Escanaba. She once again entered layup on January 24, 1994, in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, remaining inactive until 1996, returning to service on April 5, 1997. On November 13, 1997, she was placed into the dry dock at Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, for her five year inspection. In 1998, Inland Steel was acquired by Ispat International N.V. Also in 1998, "Edward L. Ryerson" was renamed "Str. Edward L. Ryerson". She was sold to the Indiana Harbor Steamship Company which was managed by Central Marine Logistics of Griffith, Indiana, entering long-term layup at the Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay on December 12 of that same year. Throughout the 1998 shipping season, "Edward L. Ryerson" carried of iron ore from Escanaba over the course of 55 visits. "Edward L. Ryerson" was moved to Sturgeon Bay's east dock on December 7, 2000, and back to Bay Shipbuilding on August 17, 2004. "Edward L. Ryerson" re-entered service on June 3, 2006, departing Sturgeon Bay for Escanaba on July 22, 2006, where she loaded of iron ore bound for Indiana Harbor. She entered layup in 2009, at the Fraser Shipyard in Superior, Wisconsin. In 2013, she was moved to the Tower Slip, near Barko Hydraulics due to soil testing at the Fraser Shipyards. She was moved into the Cumming Slip in 2019, due to soil testing at the slip.


Grand-class cruise ship

The "Grand" class is a class of cruise ships. Ships in the class are operated by the cruise lines Princess Cruises or P&O Cruises. The class consists of several series (subclasses) of sister ships, most of which were built by Fincantieri in Monfalcone and Trieste, northern Italy. The first vessel of the original "Grand" class, , entered service in 1998.
Ships of the later subclasses are based on the "Grand" class, but have modifications such as additional decks and varied placement of facilities such as the nightclub and restaurants. The structure used as a nightclub is a signature element of Princess Cruises' ships in the "Grand" class and derived classes. The nightclub either overhangs the stern of the ship ("Grand" and "Caribbean" classes) or is located just aft of the funnel (Gem and "Crown" classes).
The Gem class of ships is based primarily on the "Grand" class, but modifies the placement of the nightclub to be just aft of the funnel and also modifies the number of restaurants. The two Gem-class ships were built by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki, Japan in 2004.
The "Caribbean" class is the third version of the design and has one additional deck. As in the original "Grand"-class design, the nightclub is suspended on the stern. "Caribbean"-class vessels also introduced a poolside theater, which was later added to other Princess ships.
The "Crown" class is the fourth Princess Cruises version of the "Grand" class. "Crown"-class ships have returned the placement of the nightclub adjacent to the funnel. "Crown"-class ships also feature a poolside theater like the "Caribbean" class.
The "Ventura" class has 19 decks like the "Crown" class. These ships both owned and operated by P&O Cruises and are marketed as "Grand" class, although they were given the "Ventura" class designation because they are not owned by Princess and are totally modified internally and externally. "Ventura" is also the largest ship in the "Grand" class. The second "Ventura"-class ship is MS "Azura", launched in March 2010 which has a modified stern. "Azura" is also the only P&O Cruises ship to feature a poolside theater style outdoor screen.


MV Strangford II

MV "Strangford II" is a passenger and car ferry operated by Transport NI. This ferry serves the Portaferry–Strangford ferry route across the mouth of Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, a service which has been in operation since the 12th century.
History.
The "Strangford II" was built by Cammell Laird in Birkenhead, England. She was delivered in 2016, but it was initially found that vessel was unable to discharge cars at high tide due to a specification error, which delayed entry into service. The vessel finally entered service in February 2017, and was formally named in July of that year by the Duke of Kent.
Details.
The "Strangford II" has a gross tonnage of 405 tons, a hull length of , a beam of , a draught of and a capacity of 260 passengers and 27 cars. She is propelled by a pair of Voith Schneider propellors, driven by diesel engines, and is registered in Belfast.