USAHS Algonquin

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History
NameAlgonquin
Owner
  • Clyde-Mallory Line
    (1926-40)
  • Porto Rico Line
    (1941-42)
  • United States Army (1942-57)
Operator
  • Clyde-Mallory Line (1926-40)
  • Puerto Rico Line (1941-42)
  • United States Army (1942-46)
Port of registry
  • United States New York (1926-42)
  • United States Charleston (1942-45)
  • United States New York (1945-57)
BuilderNewport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co
Yard number317
Launched9 September 1926
CompletedDecember 1926
Identification
  • US
    Official Number
    226126
  • Code Letters MGJF (1926-33)
  • Code Letters KGDL (1934-46)
FateSold for scrap, 1957
General characteristics
Tonnage5,946 GRT
Length317 ft 5 in (96.75 m)
Beam55 ft (16.76 m)
Draught20 ft (6.10 m)
PropulsionTwo steam turbines driving a single screw
Speed15 knots (28 km/h)

Algonquin was an ocean liner built in 1926 for the

Clyde-Mallory Line
. She was involved in a collision in 1929 and rescued survivors from another in 1935. Repaired after a fire in 1940, she was requisitioned for use as a troopship and later a hospital ship. She served until 1946 when she was laid up, finally being scrapped in 1957.

History

Algonquin was built by

Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia. She was yard number 317 and was launched on 9 September 1926 and completed in December that year.[1] Algonquin was built for the Clyde Mallory Line and her port of registry was New York.[2]

On 18 December 1929, Algonquin was in collision with RMS Fort Victoria in the Ambrose Channel, off New York in thick fog. Fort Victoria was hit on the port side by the bows of Algonquin, which was on a voyage from Galveston, Texas to New York. Both ships issued distress calls and all on board Fort Victoria were rescued before that ship sank.[3]

On 24 January 1935, the SS Mohawk was involved in a collision with the SS Talisman after her automatic steering gear failed. Mohawk sank within an hour. Algonquin and SS Limon rescued 107 survivors between them but 46 people were killed.[4]

In July 1940, Algonquin caught fire and sank while docked at New York. The ship was salvaged and repaired, then transferred to the Puerto Rico Line on return to service in 1941. In January 1942, she was requisitioned and put into service as a

New Orleans, Louisiana to Gibraltar, then Oran, Algeria and Bizerte, Tunisia ending in Naples, Italy. On her return to Charleston, she was sent to Merrill-Stevens Drydock & Repair Company, Jacksonville, Florida for repairs, spending most of April there.[6]

In May 1944, Algonquin made another voyage to Gibraltar and Bizerte, returning at the end of the month. The following month, the trip was repeated, with an additional call at Naples. In July and August, Algonquin was operating between Bizerte and Naples. On 15 August, she was one of twelve hospital ships supporting

Marseilles, France, Naples and Oran, returning to Charleston on 22 February 1945. Between May and September, Algonquin made four return trips between the United States and Europe, with one arrival in New York harbor on 2 July.[7] Her return voyage in September was to her new port of registry, New York. Two more return trips to Marseilles and Naples were made and then Algonquin was drydocked in December for conversion to trooping duties again. On completion of the work in January 1946, she was employed to repatriate American troops and Italian war brides from Europe.[6]

Algonquin was withdrawn from service in June 1946 and laid up in the James River.[6] She was scrapped in 1957 at Baltimore, Ohio, arriving on 10 January.[1]

Description

Algonquin was a 5,946 GRT ocean liner. She was 317 feet 5 inches (96.75 m) long, with a beam of 55 feet (16.76 m) and a draught of 20 feet (6.10 m). She was propelled by two steam turbines which drove a single propeller through single reduction gearing.[2] The twin turbines could propel her at 15 knots (28 km/h).[1]

Official Numbers and Code Letters

Official Numbers were a forerunner to

Code Letters MGJF.[2] In 1934, her Code Letters were changed to KGDL.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c "2226126". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "LLOYD'S REGISTER, NAVIRES A VAPEUR ET A MOTEURS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  3. ISBN 0-86288-149-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link
    )
  4. ^ "CLYDE LINER MOHAWK". Aqua explorers. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  5. ^ "Algonquin 1939". Gare Maritime. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  6. ^ a b c "United States Army Hospital Ship Algonquin". Rodney B. Wilkerson. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  7. ^ Associated Press, "Two Hospital Ships Arrive in New York", The San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Tuesday 3 July 1945, Volume 51, page 2.
  8. ^ "LLOYD'S REGISTER, STEAMERS & MOTORSHIPS" (PDF). Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 31 October 2009.

External links

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