USS Orizaba
North River for France in World War I (1918)
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Orizaba (ID-1536) |
Namesake | Orizaba, Veracruz , Mexico |
Builder | William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia |
Yard number | 435 |
Launched | 26 February 1917 as Orizaba |
Acquired | 11 April 1918 |
Commissioned | 27 May 1918 |
Decommissioned | 4 September 1919 |
In service | after 4 September 1919 as USAT Orizaba |
Out of service | 1920 |
Fate | returned to Ward Line, 1920 |
Name | SS Orizaba |
Owner | Ward Line |
Acquired | 1920 |
Port of registry | New York |
In service | 1920 |
Refit | 1924 |
Identification | |
Route |
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Out of service | 1939 |
Fate |
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United States | |
Acquired | early 1941, by War Department |
In service | early 1941 |
Out of service | March 1941 |
Refit | April–May 1941, Bethlehem Steel Co. |
Acquired | 4 June 1941, by US Navy |
Commissioned | 15 June 1941 |
Decommissioned | 23 April 1945 |
Stricken | 20 July 1953 |
Identification | Call sign: NUBY[1] |
Honors and awards | 1 battle star, World War II |
Fate |
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Brazil | |
Name | Duque de Caxias (U11) |
Namesake | Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias |
Acquired | 16 July 1945 |
Commissioned | 16 July 1945 |
Decommissioned | 13 April 1959 |
Stricken | 1960 |
Fate | Scrapped in 1963 |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage | 6,937 gross tons (as USAT Orizaba)[2] |
Displacement | 11,293 tons (as USS Orizaba) |
Length | 443 ft 3 in (135.10 m) |
Beam | 60 ft (18.3 m) |
Draft | 24 ft 4 in (7.42 m) |
Depth | 15 ft 7 in (4.75 m) |
Installed power | 4 steam turbines |
Propulsion | 2 screw propellers |
Speed | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h) |
Range | 6,200 nautical miles (11,500 km)[2] |
Capacity | 35,455 cubic feet (1,004.0 m3),[2] of which 13,107 cubic feet (371.1 m3) refrigerated |
Troops |
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Complement | 323 officers and enlisted |
Armament |
USS Orizaba (ID-1536/AP-24) was a
Orizaba made 15 transatlantic voyages for the navy carrying troops to and from Europe in World War I with the second-shortest average in-port turnaround time of all navy transports. The ship was turned over to the War Department in 1919 for use as army transport USAT Orizaba. After her service in World War I ended, Orizaba reverted to the Ward Line, her previous owners. The ship was briefly engaged in transatlantic service to Spain and then engaged in New York–Cuba–Mexico service until 1939, when the ship was chartered to United States Lines. While Orizaba was in her Ward Line service, American poet Hart Crane leapt to his death from the rear deck of the liner off Florida in April 1932.
In World War II the ship was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and again assigned to the War Department as USAT Orizaba. After completing one voyage as an Army transport, the ship was transferred to the U.S. Navy, where she was re-commissioned as USS Orizaba (AP-24). The ship made several transatlantic runs, was damaged in an air attack in the Allied invasion of Sicily, and made trips to South America. The transport also served in the Pacific Theatre, making several transpacific voyages, and one to the Aleutians.
In June 1945, Orizaba was transferred under Lend-Lease to the Brazilian Navy where she served as Duque de Caxias (U-11). In August 1945, Duque de Caxis carried parts of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force from Naples back to Rio de Janeiro. The ship was badly damaged by a fire in 1947, but was repaired and remained in service. Permanently transferred to Brazil in 1953, Duque de Caxias was decommissioned in 1959 and scrapped in 1963.
Description
Orizaba was 423 feet 0 inches (128.93 m) long between perpendiculars, with a beam of 60 feet 0 inches (18.29 m). She had a depth of 15 feet 7 inches (4.75 m) and a draft of 35 feet 0 inches (10.67 m). Propulsion was four steam turbines of 1,908
World War I
Orizaba—named after the town of
Assigned to the Atlantic Transport Service, Orizaba carried over 15,000 troops in six convoy trips to France before the end of World War I.[8] In one such voyage, Orizaba's executive officer, ordnance expert William Price Williamson, worked closely with Commander Richard Drace White—Orizaba's commanding officer, himself an ordnance expert—to develop a workable depth charge launcher which would provide the transport with a measure of protection from enemy submarines. Williamson set about modifying a Lyle gun into a depth charge launcher, and successfully tested it on 16 August 1918. While attempting another test with an increased propellant charge the following day, a defective fuse exploded the depth charge prematurely, killing Williamson and three other sailors. White, four other officers, and twenty-two enlisted men were also wounded in the blast.[10][11]
Four days later on 21 August at 08:30, Orizaba, traveling with Siboney, spotted a submarine in the act of submerging. Orizaba attempted to ram the sub and dropped depth charges, but there was no indication that the attack was successful.[12]
In December 1918, she was temporarily assigned to assist the French government in repatriating French,
According to the Statistical Department of the US Navy, Orizaba had the second-shortest average in-port turnaround time out of 37 US Navy transports used in World War I. The ship completed 15 round trips with an average turn-around time of just over 30 days per trip, while the overall Navy average was 39.8 days.[13]
Post-war civilian service
After Orizaba and Siboney were reacquired by the
By October 1921, Orizaba was placed in New York–Cuba–Mexico service, where business thrived, in part because of
By the early 1930s, Orizaba's typical route had remained virtually the same, though Nassau and Tampico were dropped as ports of call.[18] It was in this period that American poet Hart Crane leapt to his death from Orizaba. At around noon on 27 April 1932, while the ship was headed to New York—some 275 miles (443 km) north of Havana and 10 miles (16 km) off the Florida coast—Crane, clad in pajamas and overcoat, climbed the rail at the stern of the ship and plunged into the ocean. The captain of Orizaba immediately stopped the ship and launched four lifeboats that searched in vain for two hours, but no trace of the poet was ever found. Before he jumped, Crane had been drinking and, the night before, had been the victim of violence after an unwanted pick-up attempt of a crewman ended with a severe beating.[19]
In 1934, Orizaba was allocated the Code Letters WECX.
Beginning in the mid-1930s, Orizaba often carried gold and silver bars from Veracruz to New York for the
In mid-1939, Orizaba was chartered to United States Lines as one of five ships added to increase what was perceived as a slow rate of return of US citizens fleeing war-torn Europe.[31] In September, the ship was diverted to Galway to pick up American survivors of SS Athenia, torpedoed by U-30 on 3 September; Orizaba returned with 240 of the survivors later that month.[32] After completing evacuation service, the ship was laid up in New York in the summer of 1940, and subsequently purchased by the Maritime Commission on behalf of the Army on 27 February 1941.[33]
Pre World War II
After her reacquisition by the War Department, Orizaba completed one round trip to the
The Preamble to Convoy WS-12X (the USA has not declared war on Japan or Germany yet)
The
The chief of Naval Operations ordered troop ships divisions seventeen and nineteen, on 26 September 1941, to prepare their vessels for approximately six months at sea. These transports were to load to capacity with food, ammunition medical supplies, fuel and water and were to arrive at Halifax, NS on or about 6 November and after the arrival of a British convoy from the UK were to load twenty thousand troops. The Prime Minister mentioned in his letter that it would be for the President to say what would be required in replacement if any of these ships were to be sunk by enemy action. Agreements were worked out for the troops to be carried as supernumeraries and rations to be paid out of Lend Lease Funds and officer laundry bills were to be paid in cash. All replenishments of provisions, general stores, fuel and water would be provided by the UK. Fuel and water would be charged for the escorts to the UK in Trinidad and Cape Town only. The troops would conform to US Navy and ships regulation. Intoxicating liquors were prohibited. It was further agreed that the troops were to rig and man their own anti-aircraft guns to augment the ships batteries.[34]
So, convoy WS-12X is most extraordinary. 30 days BEFORE the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and the German declaration of war on the USA on 11 December 1941; we have six American transports and American escort carrying British soldiers.
Convoy William Sail WS-12X
In early November, the troopship proceeded to
On 17 November 1941, the convoy reaches Trinidad. All ships were replenished, and the convoy departs Trinidad on 19 November 1941.
On 7 December at 2000, the convoy receives a radio communication of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.[36]
World War II service
Convoy WS12-X (continued)
On 9 December, convoy WS12-X arrived in Cape Town, South Africa.
At about 0800 on 13 December 1941, the troopships departed Cape Town headed for Bombay.
At 650 on 21 December 1941, the USS Mount Vernon (AP-22) and USS Orizaba detached from the convoy headed for Bombay, and are bound for Mombasa. The remainder of the convoy continued to Bombay under the escort of DORSETSHIRE, arriving on 27 December 1941.
1942-1945
Following several months of coastal operations, Orizaba, now armed with two
On 5 July she left Oran in
Arriving at New York on 22 August 1943, she underwent an overhaul, then took on runs to Brazil and the
From Ulithi, Orizaba sailed east, passed through the Panama Canal again, and, as the battle for Okinawa raged, arrived at
Assuming control of the vessel at Tampa on 16 July 1945, the Brazilian Navy renamed the veteran transport Duque de Caxias (U-11), the second ship of that navy named in honor of Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, Duke of Caxias, the patron of the Brazilian Army.[5]
Duque de Caxias headed to Naples and on 28 August 1945 left there with elements of the returning Brazilian Expeditionary Force. The ship arrived at Rio de Janeiro for the first time on 17 September 1945.[5] The ship then loaded American military stores from US bases in Brazil and sailed for New York, arriving on 10 November 1945, with plans to repatriate wounded Brazilian soldiers who had been recuperating in the US.[37]
On 31 July 1947, a day after sailing from Rio de Janeiro for Europe, oil spilled on the ship's boilers, causing an engine-room fire that quickly spread through the first class cabins and killed 27. The ship was towed from its position off Cabo Frio into Rio de Janeiro on 1 August 1947. The ship had been carrying 1,060 passengers bound for Lisbon, Naples, and Marseille, along with 500 crew members, and had been scheduled to carry Italian refugees on its return voyage.[32][38]
In 1953, Duque de Caxias was converted into a
Notes
- ^ Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy radio call sign book, pp. 17–28
- ^ a b c Charles, p. 47.
- ^ Gleaves, p. 248
- ^ a b c d "NTr/NE/NAux Duque de Caxias – U 11". Navios de Guerra Brasileiros (1822–Hoje) (in Portuguese). Poder Naval. Archived from the original on 30 March 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2008. (Google translation into English.)
- ^ a b "Lloyd's Register, Navires a Vapeur et a Moteurs" (PDF). Lloyd's Register. Lloyd's of London. 1933. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ "List of Vessels Fitted with Refrigerating Appliances" (PDF). Lloyd's Register. Lloyd's of London. 1930. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Orizaba". DANFS.
- ^ Crowell and Wilson, p. 321.
- ^ "Williamson". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. United States Navy. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
- ^ Gleaves, pp. 172–173.
- ^ Gleaves, p. 170.
- ^ United States Navy, Statistical Department (16 August 1919). "The Original U.S. Troop Transports". Archived from the original (image file) on 6 February 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
- ^ "Siboney aground at Vigo" (PDF). The New York Times. 11 September 1920. p. 10. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
- ^ a b Flayhart, p. 292.
- ^ Alderson, Michael. "S.S. Orizaba of 1917". Wardline.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ "Proposed sailings for November & December 1921 and January 1922" (scan and summary of timetable). New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company. 21 October 1921. Retrieved 21 January 2008 – via Maritime Timetable Images.
- ^ "Proposed sailings and passenger fares" (scan and summary of timetable). New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company. 1 June 1933. Retrieved 21 January 2008 – via Maritime Timetable Images.
- ^ Mariani, pp. 418–421.
- ^ "Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motorships" (PDF). Lloyd's Register. Lloyd's of London. 1934. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ Menendez, Carlos R (2 May 1934). "Katharine Hepburn in Yucatan awaiting action on divorce suit". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 19.
- ^ "Envoys plan leaving city on vacations". The Washington Post. 31 July 1932. p. S1.
- ^ Phillips, R. Hart (17 February 1939). "Cuban reception to Batista mixed" (fee). The New York Times. p. 11. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ "Mexico gold smuggling suspected under embargo". Los Angeles Times. 28 October 1933. p. 2.
- ^ "Mexican gold to London". The Wall Street Journal. 30 October 1933. p. 4.
- ^ "Gold arrival". The Wall Street Journal. 11 July 1934. p. 4.
- ^ "Gold and silver from Mexico". The Wall Street Journal. 29 January 1935. p. 8.
- ^ "Silver from Mexico". The Wall Street Journal. 12 March 1935. p. 8.
- ^ "Silver from Mexico". The Wall Street Journal. 17 July 1935. p. 15.
- ^ "Gold from Cuba". The Wall Street Journal. 22 March 1934. p. 7.
- ^ "U.S. refugee ships are for Americans" (fee). The New York Times. 28 September 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ a b "10 to 20 die in fire on ship off Brazil" (fee). The New York Times. 1 August 1947. p. 13. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ "Army gets Orizaba for a troop ship" (fee). The New York Times. 27 February 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ Taylor, Ron. "Convoy William Sail 12X". Britain at War. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ Smith, Gordon. "WS CONVOYS - July to December 1941 SAILINGS - WS12X". Naval History. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ Taylor, Ron. "Convoy William Sail 12X Halifax to Cape Town". Britain at War. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ "Brazil transport, old Orizaba, here" (fee). The New York Times. 11 November 1945. p. 20. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ "Ship fire toll now is 27" (fee). The New York Times. 2 August 1946. p. 5. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ "Skipper of Brazilian Training Ship Is Greeted Here" (fee). The New York Times. 1 March 1954. p. 39. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ "Dinner parties on embassy row". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. 15 December 1955. p. 73.
- ^ McNair, Marie (26 October 1956). "Fechtelers plan 'anchorage' here". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. p. D2.
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- Charles, Roland W. (April 1947). Troopships of World War II. Washington, D.C.: Army Transportation Association. OCLC 1871625.
- OCLC 287391. Retrieved 10 April 2008.
- Flayhart, William H. (2005). Disaster at Sea: Shipwrecks, Storms, and Collisions on the Atlantic. New York: OCLC 56913373.
- OCLC 976757.
- OCLC 39890371.
- Naval Historical Center. "Orizaba". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- Naval Historical Center. "Williamson". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
- Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (22 April 1944). "Ships' names (U.S. Navy)". U.S. Navy radio call sign book. Washington, D.C.: OCLC 85776444. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
External links
- Photo gallery of Orizaba at NavSource Naval History
- Photos of SS Orizaba from Wardline.com:
- Photos of Duque de Caxias from Navios de Guerra Basileiros (1822–Hoje):