Boulder Victory-class cargo ship

USS Boulder Victory (AK-227) at Ulithi, 9 June 1945, lead ship of class.
Class overview
NameBoulder Victory class
Builders
Preceded byLiberty ships
Succeeded byGreenville Victory class
Built1944–1945
In commissionOctober 1944 – October 1945
Completed20
Retired19
Preserved1
General characteristics [1]
TypeCargo ship
Tonnage7,607 GRT
Displacement
  • 4,480 long tons (4,550 t) (standard)
  • 15,580 long tons (15,830 t) (full load)
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draft29 ft 2 in (8.89 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 1 × Westinghouse turbine
  • double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears
  • 1 × shaft
Speed15.5 kn (17.8 mph; 28.7 km/h)
Capacity
  • 7,800 t (7,700 long tons) DWT
  • 453,210 cu ft (12,833 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Complement99 officers and enlisted
Armament

The Boulder Victory-class cargo ship was a cargo ship design shipping use during World War II by the United States Navy. The Boulder Victory-class design is the same as the Victory ships built for the World War II United States Merchant Navy. A total of 20 Boulder Victory-class cargo ships were built in 1944 and 1945. Some of the ships were launched as Victory ships and then acquired by the United States Navy for the war effort. Some of the vessels were acquired by the United States Army and used in the U.S. Army Transportation Service. A few of the Boulder Victory-class cargo ships also served in the Korean War. Only one ship survived being scrapped, SS Red Oak Victory, now a museum ship at Richmond, California. Some the Boulder Victory-class cargo ships also served in the Military Sea Transportation Service of the United States Navy after World War II. Arriving late in the war, most of the Boulder Victory-class cargo ships operarted in the Pacific theatre, delivering needed supplies to the US Navy, US Army and United States Marine Corps. The ships were built under the Emergency Shipbuilding program for the War Shipping Administration. The ships were given the prefix of "AK" for auxiliary ship cargo.[2] The lead ship in the class the, Boulder Victory was commissioned on 12 October 1944. Boulder Victory operated first as an ammunition ship, then a general supply ship. After the war Boulder Victory served as a seagoing cowboys ship helping with War Relief to war torn Europe.[3]

Ships in class

A total of 20 Boulder Victory-class cargo ships were built and commissioned:

Design

Main article: Victory ship

Victory ships replace the numerous built Liberty ships. Victory ship/Boulder Victory Class cargo are fast and better built than the Liberty ship, with a top speed of 15–17 knots (28–31 km/h; 17–20 mph). Liberty ships had a top speed of only 11–11.5 knots (20.4–21.3 km/h; 12.7–13.2 mph). Victory ships had more powerful steam turbine engines compared to the Liberty ship's triple-expansion steam engine. Victory ships are also slightly larger than the Liberty ships. Both Liberty ships and Boulder Victory ships have large hatches on the holds, and kingpost with large capacity booms cranes. This allowed the ship to unload and load without a dock crane. [23] [2]

  • The USNS Private Joe E. Mann (T-AK-253) was later upgraded to be a [[USNS Haiti Victory|Longview-class missile range instrumentation ship] (T-AGM) in 1960.

Builders

Crew

Boulder Victory Class cargo ships were crewed by 99 officers and enlisted. This included: Captain, Executive Officer (XO),radioman, Signalman, Navigation officer, Engineering officer, Deckhands, Chefs, and Stewards, Boatswain's Mate (BM), and Quartermasters . Gunners and Fire controlman for the one stern 5 in (127 mm)/38-caliber dual-purpose gun; the one bow 3 in (76 mm)/50-caliber dual-purpose gun and the eight 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon cannons anti-aircraft (AA) guns. [2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Navsource 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Culver, John A., CAPT USNR "A time for Victories" United States Naval Institute Proceedings February 1977 pp. 50–56
  3. ^ a b "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  4. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  5. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  6. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  7. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  8. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  9. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  10. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  11. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  12. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  13. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  14. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  15. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  16. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  17. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  18. ^ "Transport (AP)". www.navsource.org.
  19. ^ "Transport (AP)". www.navsource.org.
  20. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  21. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  22. ^ "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org.
  23. ^ "Cargo hold tour, SS Lane". Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
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