 Typical Victory ship | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Logan Victory |
| Namesake | Logan, Utah |
| Owner | War Shipping Administration |
| Operator | American-Hawaiian Steamship Company |
| Builder | Permanente MetalsYard No. 1, Richmond, California |
| Laid down | November 25, 1944 |
| Launched | January 16, 1945 |
| Completed | February 6, 1945 |
| Fate | Sank in battle April 6, 1945, at Okinawa |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Victory ship |
| Tonnage | 7,725 GRT |
| Length | 139 m (456 ft) |
| Beam | 18.9 m (62 ft) |
| Draft | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Propulsion | Westinghouse steam turbines, single shaft, 8,500 hp (6,300 kW) |
| Speed | 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h) maximum sustained, 21 knots emergency |
| Range | 12,500 nmi (23,200 km; 14,400 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement |
|
| Armament | |
| Notes | [1] |
SSLogan Victory was a cargoVictory ship built forWorld War II under theEmergency Shipbuilding program. TheLogan Victory was launched January 16, 1945, byPermanente Metals Corporation,Richmond, California and completed on February 6, 1945. She was operated by theAmerican-Hawaiian Steamship Company under theUnited States Maritime Commission.[2]
SSLogan Victory steamed fromSan Francisco,California on February 18, 1945, to join thePacific War efforts.Logan Victory had the job of delivering 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg) ofammunition for troops in the Pacific during World War II toNaval Base Okinawa. The ship steamed toOkinawa for theBattle of Okinawa that lasted from April 1 to 6, 1945. On April 6, 1945, she was anchored off Kuba Island, just offTokashiki Island andAka Island near Okinawa.USS Strategy shot down akamikaze attack plane coming at the fleet. Although the plane was hit with gunfire and caught on fire, it banked and hit thesuperstructure ofLogan Victory at 4:47PM. The ship burst into flames and the fire grew. All of herlifeboats were lowered into the sea and the order was given to abandon ship 10 minutes after the kamikaze hit. Her cargo caught fire and the ammunition caused a large explosion. She sank quickly at26°10′N127°16′E / 26.167°N 127.267°E /26.167; 127.267. In the explosion twelve of her civilian crew and three of her armed guards were killed, including the ship's captain, Edson Baxter Cates.[3] In the same attack thelanding ship tankUSS LST-447 sank. Just after this attackSS Hobbs Victory, also loaded with 6,000 pounds of ammunition was hit and sank.SS Pierre Victory was able to shoot down one plane and move away from the burning ships. All theseammunition ships: SSLogan Victory, SSHobbs Victory, SSPierre Victory and USSLST-447 used theirdeck guns and were able to stop some of the kamikaze planes from attacking. The Victory ships used their 50 caliber guns, 20 mm Oerlikon cannons and at longer ranges the larger 5-inch guns. The LST also had 20 mm Oerlikon cannon to use against the attackers. These ships with over 18,000 pounds of ammunition were sent to an anchorage off Kuba Island, so they would not be anchored next to the other fleet ships. They were to be called in as needed to resupply the fleet and shore troops.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
Logan Victory, one of three Victory ships lost to kamikazes during the invasion of Okinawa, diminished the supplies of the invasion fleet. The three Victory ships were carrying a total of 24,000 tons (54 million pounds) of ammunition. This including most of the81 mm mortar shells needed for the invasion.
The ammunition shipSS Saginaw Victory arrived April 12, 1945, at Okinawa to replace the ammunition lost on the Victory ships. More ammunition ships were not needed as the war came to an end without the invasion of Japan, calledOperation Downfall.[12]Logan Victory was one of forty-seven ships sunk by kamikaze attack during World War II. The other ammunition ship at Okinawa was theSSBerea Victory[13][14]
Crew of the Naval Armed Guard on SSLogan Victory earned "Battle Stars" in World War II for war action during the assault and occupation of Okinawa from April 26 to May 8, 1945. She used her deck guns to defend herself and other ship in action.[15]
