Swan Island Shipyard

The Swan Island Shipyard was a shipyard on Swan Island in Portland, Oregon, United States.[1][2] It was constructed by the industrialist Henry J. Kaiser in 1942 as part of the U.S. Maritime Commission's Emergency Shipbuilding Program in World War II.[3]: 94–95  The Swan Island yard was one of three Kaiser Shipyards in the Portland area (all within a 4 mile radius), along with the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation and the Vancouver Shipyard.[4]

The yard in 1945

Before the opening of the shipyard, Swan Island was the location of the Swan Island Municipal Airport. The Port of Portland leased the airport to the U.S. federal government in March 1942.[5][6] The completed Swan Island yard began production in July 1942 with eight shipways.[7] The Swan Island Shipyard was one of four shipyards in the United States specifically designed to produce T2 tankers.[3]: 94–95  It produced 147 tankers over the course of the war, all of them of the T2-SE-A1 design.[3]: 129–43  At the height of activity, a ship was launched from the yard every four to five days.

Ground brokenlate March 1942[8]
Slipways8
First keel laid1 July 1942[9]
First launch24 October 1942[9]
Last launch27 October 1945[9]
OwnerU.S. Maritime Commission
OperatorKaiser Co., Inc.
Ships built
T2 tanker147
T2 tanker totals
Sun ShipbuildingChester, Pennsylvania206
Swan IslandPortland, Oregon147
ADDSCOMobile, Alabama102
MarinshipSausalito, California78
total533
  • First keels laid on the 8 ways, marking the completion steps of the yard facilities
    • July 1
    • July 15
    • August 1
    • August 10
    • August 24
    • September 8
    • September 20
    • September 28
LaunchingsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
19421113
194322233444455543
194445556657566767
1945534433423334
Contract No.TypeCostFees and ProfitsMarcom Materials
MCc-2393FacilitiesCost only$26,509,879.930
MCc-256556 tankersPrice minus$113,568,688.85$4,200,000$82,040,000
MCc-1621247 tankersPrice minus$57,008,561.50$3,880,000$68,855,000
MCc-19183completion of 6 AO tankersCost plus fixed fee$7,330,544.18$180,000
MCc-2903944 tankersFixed price$50,046,761.53$10,807,000$59,177,008
MCc-36200ship repairsCost plus fixed fee$3,680,573.35

Not included are $2,246,703.39 of cost and fees still subject to settlement on May 31, 1946 and two minor contracts.

TODO: report of 4 tankers from Marinship partially to be completed in Portland, one completely:[10]

References
  1. "Kaiser Swan Island, Portland OR". ShipbuildingHistory.com. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  2. "Kaiser Company, Swan Island". T2Tanker.org. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  3. Sawyer, L. A.; Mitchell, W. H. (1974). 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. Cambridge, Md.: Cornell Maritime Press. ISBN 0-87033-182-5.
  4. Oliver, Gordon. "Kaiser Shipyards". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Portland State University, Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  5. "Swan Isle Airport Leased to U.S. for Shipbuilding". The Oregonian. March 10, 1942. Sec. 3, p. 3.
  6. "Once Scenic Swan Island Yields Its Beauty to the Need for Tankers". The Oregonian. April 13, 1942. Sec. 3, p. 4.
  7. "Swan Island Industrial Project for War Takes Form; 5000 Workers There Now; 40,000 Due Later This Year". The Sunday Oregonian. July 26, 1942. Sec. 1, p. 21.
  8. "Swan Island - The Portland Yard of Kaiser Company Inc". Pacific Marine Review. January 1943. p. 88.
  9. "Kaiser Swan Island Shipyard". shipbuildinghistory.com.
  10. "Tankers To Be Outfitted at Portland Yard". Sausalito News. 9 September 1943. p. 1.

45.566°N 122.722°W / 45.566; -122.722

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