SS Panama Victory

The SS Panama Victory was a Victory ship built during World War II. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on April 3, 1944 and completed on May 30, 1944. She was built in 115 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 9 (V-9). SS Panama Victory served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. SS Panama Victory was ninth of the new 10,500-ton class ship to be known as Victory ships. Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for WW2. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle. Engine was made by Joshua Hendy Iron Works Inc. of Sunnyvale, California.

The second ship, with V-9 on the hull, is the SS Panama Victory.
History
United States
NameSS Panama Victory
NamesakePanama
OwnerWar Shipping Administration
OperatorMarine Transport Line
BuilderCalifornia Shipbuilding Company, Los Angeles
Laid downFebruary 5, 1944
LaunchedApril 3, 1944
CompletedMay 30, 1944
FateSold, 1946
NetherlandsNetherlands
NameSS Amsteldijk
OwnerHolland America Line
OperatorHolland America Line
RenamedSS Amsteldyk, 1954
FateSold, 1968
PanamaPanama
NameSS Helena
OwnerProgressive Mariner S.A. of Panama
OperatorProgressive Mariner S.A.
FateScrapped in Taiwan, 1973
General characteristics
Class and typeVC2-S-AP3 Victory ship
Tonnage7612 GRT, 4,553 NRT
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
Boats & landing
craft carried		4 Lifeboats
Complement62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards
Armament
Notes[1]

SS Panama Victory was christened on April 3, 1944 by Mrs. Jimenez wife of ambassador Don Enrique A. Jimenez of Panama. The SS Panama Victory was one of a long line of Victory ships to leave the Calship building. The launching of The SS Panama Victory splashed into the water of Terminal Island to enter the Pacific War.[2]

World War II

SS Panama Victory was operated by Marine Transport Line under charter with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. SS Panama Victory took to part in the Guadalcanal Campaign. The SS Panama Victory was in combat action in Lingayen Gulf in Philippines and survived an attack on January 12, 1945.[3] She supplied a number of Landing Ship, Tank in WW2. On Feb. 28, 1945 she unloaded cargo on to other ships at the Ulithi atoll.[4]

Post World War II

She was sold on 1946 to Holland America Line in Rotterdam and renamed SS Amsteldijk. In 1954 Holland America Line renamed her the SS Amsteldyk. In 1968 she was sold to a Panama company, Progressive Mariner S.A. and renamed SS Helena. In 1968 she was sold to Sincere Navigation Corp., in Keelung in Taiwan. In 1973 she was scrapped in Taiwan.[5][6][7]

Honors

Crew of Naval Armed Guards on the SS Panama Victory' earned "Battle Stars" in World War II for war action during the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf from 4 Jan. 1945 to 18 Jan. 1945.[8]

Typical Victory Ship

See also

References
  1. Babcock & Wilcox (April 1944). "Victory Ships". Marine Engineering and Shipping Review.
  2. THE TROJAN, Vol. 35, No. 101, April 03, 1944
  3. CHAPTER XIV, THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINES
  4. 6th Special Naval Construction Battalion, page 7S-1
  5. Holland America Line ships
  6. SS HELENA
  7. Mariners, The Website Of The Mariners Mailing List. Victory Ships
  8. "Battle Stars" in World War II.

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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