The SS Saginaw Victory was a Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. It was laid down and launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, and completed on February 9, 1945. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3 and hull number 152. The Maritime Commission turned it over for merchant navy operation to a civilian contractor, the Pacific-Atlantic Steamship Company under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration.[1] She was named after Saginaw, Michigan. Victory ships were designed to supersede the earlier Liberty ships. Unlike Liberty ships, Victory ships were designed to serve the US Navy after the war and to last longer.[2] Compared to Liberty ships, Victory ships were faster, longer, wider, taller, and had a thinner stack which was set further forward on the superstructure. They also had a long, raised forecastle.
For World War II the Saginaw Victory was operated by Pacific-Atlantic SS Company, and had United States Navy Armed Guard to man the deck guns. The Saginaw Victory was used for the dangerous job of being an ammunition ship. She was loaded up with 6,000 pounds of ammunition at the Beaver ammunition dump near Clatskanie, Oregon on the Columbia River. She depart the states and arrived at Okinawa on April 12, 1945 in a fleet of merchant ships serving in the Pacific War. The ship was a supplier of ammunition for operations in the Battle of Okinawa lasting from the April 1 until June 22, 1945. On April 6, 1945 the ammunition ships SS Logan Victory and SS Hobbs Victory sank after kamikaze attack planes hit them. On April 27, 1945 the ammunition ships SS Canada Victory, sank after a kamikaze attack. The loss of the three ammunition Victory ships severely hurt the combat forces. These ships were carrying a total of 24,000 tons (54 million pounds) of ammunition; including most of the 81 mm mortar shells needed for the invasion. Saginaw Victory was the only ammunition ship to survive, she was able to unload all her ammunition over 12 days with the help of a Naval Construction Battalion. DUKW amphibious truck, Landing Ship, Tank (LST), an Landing craft tank (LCT) and Landing Craft Mechanizeds (LCMs) were used to unload the ammunition. Saginaw Victory survived thirty-two air raids over the 12 days. The Saginaw Victory was credited with the destruction of one enemy plane on April 12 and another on April 15. The Saginaw Victory was anchored near the Battleship USS Texas (BB-35) that helped in her protection.[3] [4] [5] [6] More ammunition ships were not needed as the war came to an end without the invasion of Japan, called Operation Downfall.[4] Canada Victory was one of forty-seven ships sunk by kamikaze attack during World War II.[7] [6] After the battle heading home, on 12 May 1945 at night in fog the SS Cuba Victory, about a 100 miles from the remote US Navy base at Ulithi, collided with the Saginaw Victory. The damage to both ships was substantial. The two ships went to the Truk Island (now called Chuuk Lagoon) to have the damages checked. An escort ship took the two ships back to Ulithi. The Saginaw Victory was repaired at Admiralty Islands, near New Guinea and put back into service. Saginaw Victory received honors defending herself and other ship from attack on the 10 April 1945 and 26 April 1945 at Okinawa.[8] [9]
See main article: Seagoing cowboys. In 1946, after World War II, Saginaw Victory was temporarily converted to a livestock ship, also called a cowboy ship. From 1945 to 1947, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the Brethren Service Committee of the Church of the Brethren sent livestock to war-torn countries. These "seagoing cowboys" made about 360 trips on 73 different ships. The Heifers for Relief project was started by the Church of the Brethren in 1942; in 1953, this became Heifer International.[10] Saginaw Victory made trips moving horses, heifers, and mules, as well as a some chicks, rabbits, and goats. Saginaw Victory made four trips to Poland and one trip to Czechoslovakia with war relief livestock. Four departures were from Newport News, Virginia and one was from Montreal.[11] [12]
In 1948 she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, at Mobile, Alabama.
The Saginaw Victory was scrapped in 1976 at Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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