 Typical Victory Ship. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | SSBucknell Victory |
| Namesake | Bucknell University inPennsylvania |
| Owner | War Shipping Administration |
| Operator | Agwilines Inc |
| Builder | Permanente Metals, plant No. 2 |
| Laid down | December 27, 1944 |
| Launched | February 10, 1945 |
| Completed | March 7, 1945 |
| Identification | IMO number: 5054616 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1994 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | VC2-S-AP3 Victory ship |
| Tonnage | 7612GRT, 4,553NRT |
| Displacement | 15,200 tons |
| Length | 455 ft (139 m) |
| Beam | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Draught | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Installed power | 8,500 shp (6,300 kW) |
| Propulsion | HP & LPturbines geared to a single 20.5-foot (6.2 m) propeller |
| Speed | 16.5 knots |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 4 Lifeboats |
| Complement | 62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards |
| Armament | |
| Notes | [1] |
TheSSBucknell Victory was aVictory-class cargo ship built duringWorld War II. TheBucknell Victory was a type VC2-S-AP2 victory ship built byPermanente Metals Corporation, Yard 2, ofRichmond, California. TheMaritime Administration cargo ship was the 728th ship built. Her keel was laid on December 27, 1944. SSBucknell Victory was an armed cargo ship, named forBucknell University inPennsylvania, one of 150 educational institutions that had Victory ships named after them. She was built in just 70 days, under theEmergency Shipbuilding program for World War II. The 10,600-ton ship was constructed for the Maritime Commission.[2]
Victory ships were designed to replace the earlierLiberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for WW2. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve theUS Navy 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 thesuperstructure and had a long raisedforecastle.
For World War II theBucknell Victory was operated by theAgwilines Inc under theUnited States Merchant Marine act for theWar Shipping Administration. She hadUnited States Navy Armed Guard to man thedeck guns. She took cargo to support troops in thePacific War. The goods were for theBattle of Okinawa operations, that lasted from 1 April until 22 June 1945. On 9 May 1945 atOkinawa aKamikazeplane hit her causing damage. The attack took out her power, so the tugUSS Pakana (ATF-108) came alongside theBucknell Victory to supply power to the ship and help her until May 18.[3] She was repaired and put back in service.[4]
In 1946 after World War II theBucknell Victory was converted to alivestock ship, also called a cowboy ship. From 1945 to 1947 theUnited Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the Brethren Service Committee of theChurch of the Brethren sent livestock to war-torn countries. These "seagoing cowboys" made about 360 trips on 73 different ships. TheHeifers for Relief project was started by the Church of the Brethren in 1942; in 1953 this becameHeifer International.[5] The SSBucknell Victory was one of these ships, known ascowboy ships, as she moved livestock across the Atlantic Ocean. TheBucknell Victory made five trip and she took 780 horses, several thousand baby chicks and hay bales toPoland on each trip.Bucknell Victory moved horses, heifers, and mules as well as a some chicks, rabbits, and goats.[6][7][8] In 1947 with her war and relief work done she was laid up in theJames River as part of theNational Defense Reserve Fleet. In 1950 a new war was starting in theFar East so she was removed from the Reserve Fleet.
SSBucknell Victory served as merchant marine ship supplying goods for theKorean War. About 75 percent of the personnel taking toKorea for the Korean War came by the merchant marine ship. SSBucknell Victory transported goods, mail, food and other supplies. About 90 percent of the cargo was moved by merchant marine naval to the war zone. SSBucknell Victory made trips between 1950 and 1952, helping American forces engaged againstCommunist aggression inSouth Korea. In 1952 she was returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet.[9][10]
In 1966 she was removed from the National Defense Reserve Fleet again and reactivated for theVietnam War. She was operated by theAmerican President Lines. After the war, in 1973 she was laid up atSuisun Bay in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. In 1994 she was scrapped in China.[11]
Bucknell Victory earnedBattle Stars for using her deck guns to defend herself and other ships from 3 May 1945 to 22 May 1945 during the assault of Okinawa.[12][13]
