 A typicalVictory ship | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | India Victory |
| Namesake | India |
| Ordered | as aType VC2-S-AP2 hull,MCV hull 527[1] |
| Builder | Permanente Metals Corporation,Richmond, California |
| Laid down | 4 March 1944 |
| Launched | 15 May 1944 |
| Completed | 29 July 1944 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Ran aground in South China Sea in storm 12 July 1972 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Victory ship |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 455 ft (139 m) |
| Beam | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Draft | 29 ft 2 in (8.89 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 15.5 kn (17.8 mph; 28.7 km/h) |
| Capacity |
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| Armament |
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SSIndia Victory was aVictory ship built and operated as a cargo carrier andtroopship inWorld War II. After the war the ship was used a private cargo ship. She sank on 12 July 1972, ran aground on aPratas Reef in theSouth China inTyphoon Susan.[2]
SSIndia Victory was laid down underU.S. Maritime Commission contract byPermanente Metals Corporation,Richmond, California on 4 March 1944,[1] under theEmergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched on 15 May 1944[1] and was delivered to theWar Shipping Administration (WSA) on 29 July 1944.
India Victory was used near the end of World War II. The ship'sUnited States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number P No. 1 (527), Victory #527. The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor for operation as a troopship.[3]Victory ships were designed to replace the earlierLiberty ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II. 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, with a thinner stack set farther toward thesuperstructure and had a long raisedforecastle.[4][5]
During World War IIIndia Victory operated as a merchantman and was chartered to theLykes Brothers Steamship Company inSan Francisco California. With a civilian crew andUnited States Navy Armed Guard to man theship guns.India Victory served in thePacific Ocean in World War II as part of thePacific War.
TheIndia Victory was atMorotai, easternIndonesia'sMaluku Islands (Moluccas), from September 28 to October 17, 1944. While at MorotaiIndia Victory had 37 air raid alerts and there were seven air attacks close to the ship. Using her deck guns she assisted on October 8 in downing a plane. On October 9 and 11 planes dropped bombs close to her.[6] She also service theEuropean theatre of war. She departed Le Havre, France on 30 September 1945 returning personnel of the 81st Tank Battalion and the 15th Infantry taking them home as part ofOperation Magic Carpet.[7][8] In 1946 she was loaned to the Ministry of Transport in London and operated by the Furness Withy & Company to transport English soldiers and material to England.
She was part of two convoys:
In 1947 she was returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission and sold to the Holland America Line and renamed theSSArnedijk. In 1954 Holland America Line renamed hereSSArnedyk. In 1962 she was sold to Transeuro A.G., Monrovia of Liberia, and renamedSSSan Marino. In 1963 she was sold to Atlantic Far East Lines of Monrovia and renamedSSHongkong Producer (Official number: 5411668) In 1969 she was sold to Universal Marine Corp. of Monrovia. In 1971 she was sold to Universal Marine Corp. of Monrovia who rebuilt her into a 7,658 GRT container ship. and renamed her theSSOriental Falcon (Official number: 5411668). On 12 July 1972 she ran aground on Pratas Reef in theSouth China Sea at20°42′08″N116°43′39″E / 20.70222°N 116.72750°E /20.70222; 116.72750 in atyphoon; the ship was a total loss and was abandoned. She was on a trip fromSeattle toChina. The ship split into two in the storm. Two days after the wreck all the crew was rescued.[9]
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