The Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships that were designed to be used exclusively for WW2. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war as these were faster, longer, wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure, and had a long raised forecastle.[4]
The SS Cranston Victory was used as a troopship in World War II in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, able to transport up to 1600 troops. In 1945, it traveled from Japan to Seattle. On August 27, 1945, Cranston Victory arrived in the US from Europe with troops.[5] In October 1945, the SS Cranston Victory arrived in New York Harbor from Europe with troops. On December 7, 1945, the ship pulled in to Boston with troops from Europe.[6]
SS Cranston Victory and 96 other Victory ships were converted to troop ships to bring the US soldiers home as part of Operation Magic Carpet. These ships had accommodations with fully ventilated and heated rooms. Many had troop warm bunks, a hospital, galleys, washrooms, and public rooms. Cranston Victory's duties were short lived as the war came to an end.[7][8][9]
Private useEdit
After the war in 1946 it was laid up in the James RiverNational Defense Reserve Fleet in Virginia. Then on March 14, 1947, Cranston was sold for $1,005,431 to the Netherlands Government operated by Rotterdam Lloyd and named Zuiderkruis (in English the Southern Cross).
Initially, the Netherlands Government used the ship to move troops to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), and then to Dutch New Guinea. On her return voyages to the Netherlands, Cranston transported Dutch people that wanted to depart the former Dutch East Indies and return to the Netherlands. In 1951 she was rebuilt and converted to a 9,178 g.t. emigrant passenger ship and renamed the Zuiderkruis . Emigrant passengers migrated to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. When rebuilt a new deck was added and the bridge raised up and placed forward. The accommodations were improved and she could now carry up to 830 passengers.[10]
In 1960 the SS Cranston Victory was rebuilt again to a 9,376 g.t. passenger ship. In 1963 the ship was turned over to the Royal Netherlands Navy as an accommodation and store ship at Den Helder in North Holland, the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula, the country's main naval base. In 1969 she was scrapped in Bilbao, Spain.[11] The Netherlands Government also purchased the SS Costa Rica Victory, renaming it the SS Groote Beer, and the SS La Grande Victory (nl), renaming it the Waterman, for the same emigrant passengers to use.[12]
^Rootweb, three Dutch Ships that brought so many to South African shores
SourcesEdit
Sawyer, L.A. and W.H. Mitchell. Victory ships and tankers: The history of the ‘Victory type" cargo ships and of the tankers built in the United States of America during World War II, Cornell Maritime Press, 1974, 0-87033-182-5.
cranston, victory, 19th, victory, ships, built, during, world, cranston, launched, oregon, shipbuilding, corporation, january, 1944, completing, journey, february, 1944, ship, united, states, maritime, commission, designation, hull, number, 1019, maritime, com. The SS Cranston Victory was the 19th of 531 Victory ships built during World War II Cranston was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on 12 January 1944 completing its journey on 28 February 1944 The ship s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2 S AP3 hull number 103 1019 The Maritime Commission turned it over to a civilian contractor the South Atlantic Steamship Company for operation 2 3 HistoryUnited StatesNameSS Cranston VictoryNamesakeCranston Rhode IslandOwnerWar Shipping AdministrationOperatorSouth Atlantic Steamship CompanyBuilderOregon Shipbuilding CompanyLaid downMarch 13 1944LaunchedMay 5 1944CompletedMay 25 1944FateSoldHistoryNetherlandsNameZuiderkruis 1947OperatorNetherlands Gov t then Rotterdam LloydFateSoldHistoryNetherlandsNameZuiderkruis 1951 Rebuilt as emigrant passenger shipFateSoldHistoryNetherlandsNameZuiderkruis 1960OperatorRebuiltFateScrapped 1969 at Bilbao HistoryNetherlandsNameNV Scheepvaart Maats Trans Oceaan 1963OperatorNetherlands Navy accommodation and store ship at Den Helder FateSoldGeneral characteristicsClass and typeVC2 S AP3 Victory shipTonnage7612 GRT 4 553 NRTDisplacement15 200 tonsLength455 ft 139 m Beam62 ft 19 m Draft28 ft 8 5 m Installed power8 500 shp 6 300 kW PropulsionHP amp LP turbines geared to a single 20 5 foot 6 2 m propellerSpeed16 5 knotsBoats amp landing craft carried4 LifeboatsComplement62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed GuardsArmament1 5 inch 127 mm 38 caliber gun 1 3 inch 76 mm 50 caliber gun 8 20 mm OerlikonNotes 1 The Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships that were designed to be used exclusively for WW2 Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war as these were faster longer wider taller had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle 4 Contents 1 World War II 2 Private use 3 See also 4 References 5 SourcesWorld War II EditThe SS Cranston Victory was used as a troopship in World War II in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans able to transport up to 1600 troops In 1945 it traveled from Japan to Seattle On August 27 1945 Cranston Victory arrived in the US from Europe with troops 5 In October 1945 the SS Cranston Victory arrived in New York Harbor from Europe with troops On December 7 1945 the ship pulled in to Boston with troops from Europe 6 SS Cranston Victory and 96 other Victory ships were converted to troop ships to bring the US soldiers home as part of Operation Magic Carpet These ships had accommodations with fully ventilated and heated rooms Many had troop warm bunks a hospital galleys washrooms and public rooms Cranston Victory s duties were short lived as the war came to an end 7 8 9 Private use EditAfter the war in 1946 it was laid up in the James River National Defense Reserve Fleet in Virginia Then on March 14 1947 Cranston was sold for 1 005 431 to the Netherlands Government operated by Rotterdam Lloyd and named Zuiderkruis in English the Southern Cross Initially the Netherlands Government used the ship to move troops to the Dutch East Indies now Indonesia and then to Dutch New Guinea On her return voyages to the Netherlands Cranston transported Dutch people that wanted to depart the former Dutch East Indies and return to the Netherlands In 1951 she was rebuilt and converted to a 9 178 g t emigrant passenger ship and renamed the Zuiderkruis Emigrant passengers migrated to the United States Canada Australia and New Zealand When rebuilt a new deck was added and the bridge raised up and placed forward The accommodations were improved and she could now carry up to 830 passengers 10 In 1960 the SS Cranston Victory was rebuilt again to a 9 376 g t passenger ship In 1963 the ship was turned over to the Royal Netherlands Navy as an accommodation and store ship at Den Helder in North Holland the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula the country s main naval base In 1969 she was scrapped in Bilbao Spain 11 The Netherlands Government also purchased the SS Costa Rica Victory renaming it the SS Groote Beer and the SS La Grande Victory nl renaming it the Waterman for the same emigrant passengers to use 12 See also EditList of Victory ships Liberty ship Type C1 ship Type C2 ship Type C3 shipReferences Edit Babcock amp Wilcox April 1944 Victory Ships Marine Engineering and Shipping Review shipbuildinghistory com Merchantships Victory ships Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation By John Killen on December 11 2014 shipbuildinghistory com Victory Ships list The Kane Republican from Kane Pennsylvania Page 6 August 27 1945 Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester New York Page 24 December 7 1945 ww2troopships com crossings in 1945 Troop Ship of World War II April 1947 Page 356 357 Our Troop Ships SS Zuiderkruis seen at anchor in 1962 US Maritime Commission 1947 sales Rootweb three Dutch Ships that brought so many to South African shoresSources EditSawyer L A and W H Mitchell Victory ships and tankers The history of the Victory type cargo ships and of the tankers built in the United States of America during World War II Cornell Maritime Press 1974 0 87033 182 5 United States Maritime Commission 1 Victory Cargo Ships 2 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SS Cranston Victory amp oldid 1101638952, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
