 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Builder | Marinship Corporation,Sausalito, California |
| Laid down | 20 December 1943 |
| Launched | 14 March 1944 |
| Acquired | 30 April 1944 |
| Stricken | 16 October 1957 |
| Identification | IMO number: 6704488 |
| Fate | Scrapped 2001 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Mission Buenaventura-classoiler |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 524 ft (160 m) |
| Beam | 68 ft (21 m) |
| Draft | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Propulsion | Turbo-electric, single screw, 6,000 hp (4.47 MW) |
| Speed | 16.5knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) |
| Complement | 52 |
| Armament | None |
SSMission San Diego was aType T2-SE-A2tanker built for theUnited States Maritime Commission duringWorld War II. After the war she was acquired by theUnited States Navy asUSSMission San Diego (AO-121). Later the tanker transferred to theMilitary Sea Transportation Service asUSNSMission San Diego (T-AO-121). She was a member of theMission Buenaventura-classoiler and was named forMission San Diego de Alcalá.
Originally laid down asSSMission San Diego was on 20 December 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A2) tanker hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1814) by Marine Ship Corporation,Sausalito, California; launched on 14 March 1944, sponsored by Mrs. E. J. Rising; and delivered on 30 April 1944.
Chartered to Deconhill Shipping Co. upon delivery for operations, she spent the remainder of the war carrying fuel to allied forces overseas in thePacific (during which time she was awarded theNational Defense Service Medal). She was returned to the Maritime Commission on 29 March 1946 and laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet atSuisun Bay, California.
Acquired by the Navy on 17 October 1947 she was designatedMission San Diego (AO‑121) and placed under the operational control of the Naval Transportation Service. After 1 October 1949 she was transferred to the newly createdMilitary Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) for duty asUSNSMission San Diego (T‑AO‑121). She served with MSTS until 30 December 1954 when she was returned to theMaritime Administration (MARAD) and laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet atOlympia, Washington. She was struck from theNaval Vessel Register on 22 June 1955. Reacquired by the Navy on 3 July 1956 she was placed in service with MSTS, but served only until 16 October 1957 when she was returned to MARAD and laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet atJames River, Virginia. She was again struck from the Naval Vessel Register that same date.
The ship was sold to the Hudson Waterways Corporation on 10 November 1966, and renamedSeatrain Washington. She was subsequently lengthened using sections of two other T2 tankers, theTomahawk andMission San Jose, and rebuilt byMaryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Company into one of sevenSeatrain Lines multi-purpose cargo ships capable of carrying general bulk and palletized cargo,intermodal containers, vehicles and rail cars. Upon completion of the conversion and delivery in 1967Seatrain Washington, IMO 6704488, was chartered to the MSTS in support of overseas U.S. military operations, including the transport of material, equipment and aircraft toVietnam. The ship was transferred to theNational Defense Reserve Fleet (James River) in August 1975 and on 27 May 1977, her name was changed to justWashington. The ship was retired and broken up in 2001.[1]
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.