SS Colby Victory

SS Colby Victory was the 84th Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on January 27, 1945, and completed on March 12, 1945. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2- S- AP3, hull number V50, built in 83 days. SS Colby 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 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. [2]

SS Colby Victory troopship 1946
History
United States
NameSS Colby Victory
NamesakeColby College
OwnerWar Shipping Administration
OperatorAmerican President Lines and American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines
BuilderCalifornia Shipbuilding Company, Los Angeles
Laid downDecember 19, 1944
LaunchedJanuary 27, 1945
CompletedMarch 12, 1945
Fatesold 1947
Netherlands
NameSS Axeldijk 1947
OperatorHolland America Line
RenamedSS Axeldyk 1954
FateSold
Liberia
NameSS Monique 1963
OperatorInternational Union Marine Corp
FateSold
Liberia
NameSS Monique 1965
OperatorPacific Coast Shipping Co
IdentificationIMO number: 5239606
FateScrapped 1971
General characteristics
Class and typeVC2-S-AP3 Victory ship
Tonnage
Displacement15,200 tons
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draught28 ft (8.5 m)
Installed power8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
PropulsionHP & LP turbines geared to a single 20.5-foot (6.2 m) propeller
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried		4 Lifeboats
Complement62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards
Armament
Notes[1]

In the fall of 1946 Colby Victory arrived in New York Harbor from Bremerhaven, Germany with troops. Colby Victory and 96 other Victory ships were converted to troop ships to bring the US soldiers home as part of Operation Magic Carpet. [3][4][5]

Post war

Colby Victory was sold in 1947 to the Dutch government and transferred to Holland America Line and renamed the SS Axeldijk. SS Axeldijk steamed from Rotterdam to Cuba and Mexico, and then to New Orleans. In 1950 and 1951 she steam on the Red Star Line. In 1952 she was operated back on the Holland America Line till 1959. Holland America Line renamed her the SS Axeldyk in 1954. She was sold in 1963 to International Union Marine Corp of Monrovia, Liberia and renamed the SS Monique. In 1965 the vessel was sold to Pacific Coast Shipping Company of Monrovia and kept the name SS Monique. In 1971 she was scrapped in Taiwan.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. Babcock & Wilcox (April 1944). "Victory Ships". Marine Engineering and Shipping Review.
  2. shipbuildinghistory.com, Victory Ships list
  3. ww2troopships.com crossings in 1945
  4. Troop Ship of World War II, April 1947, Page 356-357
  5. Our Troop Ships
  6. Mariners, The Website Of The Mariners Mailing List. Victory Ships
  7. halpostcards, Colby Victory

Sources
  • Sawyer, L.A. and W.H. Mitchell. Victory ships and tankers: The history of the ‘Victory’ type cargo ships and of the tankers built in the United States of America during World War II, Cornell Maritime Press, 1974, 0-87033-182-5.
  • United States Maritime Commission:
  • Victory Cargo Ships
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