USS West Ekonk
West Ekonk in dazzle camouflage underway near Seattle in July 1918
| |
History | |
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United States | |
Awarded | 15 January 1918[3] |
Builder |
|
Cost | $1,776,468 |
Yard number | 25 (USSB number 1178)[2] |
Laid down | 16 April 1918[1] |
Launched | 22 June 1918[1] |
Completed | 13 July 1918[1] |
Acquired | 13 July 1918 |
Commissioned | 13 July 1918 |
Decommissioned | 9 April 1919 |
Stricken | 9 April 1919 |
Fate | returned to USSB |
History | |
Name |
|
Owner |
|
Port of registry | |
Identification | US official number: 216620[4] |
Fate | torpedoed and sunk, 1942[5] |
General characteristics | |
Type | Design 1013 ship |
Tonnage | |
Displacement | 12,225 t[5] |
Length | |
Beam | 54 ft 2 in (16.51 m)[4] |
Draft | 24 ft 2.25 in (7.3724 m) (mean)[5] |
Depth of hold | 29 ft 9 in (9.07 m)[5] |
Propulsion | 1 × Curtis geared steam turbine[6] |
Speed | 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h)[4] |
Complement | 107 (as USS West Ekonk)[5] |
Crew | 31 (as SS Empire Wildebeeste)[7] |
Armament |
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USS West Ekonk (ID-3313) was a cargo ship for the United States Navy during World War I. She was later known as SS West Ekonk in civilian service under American registry, and as SS Empire Wildebeeste under British registry.
West Ekonk was
West Ekonk was reactivated for cargo service out of
After sailing to the UK as West Ekonk, the ship was renamed Empire Wildebeeste and sailed in transatlantic convoys, making three round-trips between March 1941 and December 1942. On the westbound leg at the beginning of her fourth round-trip, she straggled behind her convoy and was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-106 on 24 January 1942. Nine men died in the attack; the 22 survivors were rescued by American destroyer USS Lang (DD-399) and landed at Bermuda.
Design and construction
The West ships were
West Ekonk was the fourth ship built under a USSB contract that called for Skinner & Eddy to deliver 14 ships at a cost of $1,672,000 each,[3] but the cost of extras during her construction added $35,268.[11] Skinner & Eddy received a $69,200 bonus for West Ekonk's early completion,[12] which brought the total cost of the ship to $1,776,468.
West Ekonk was 5,630 gross register tons (GRT),[4] and was 409 feet 5 inches (124.79 m) long (between perpendiculars) and 54 feet 2 inches (16.51 m) abeam. West Ekonk had a steel hull and a deadweight tonnage of 8,800 DWT.[1] The ship had a single steam turbine that drove her single screw propeller which moved the ship at an 11.5-knot (21.3 km/h) pace.[4]
World War I
After her 13 July 1918 completion,[1] West Ekonk was handed over to the United States Navy for use in the NOTS and assigned the identification number 3313. She was commissioned at Seattle, as USS West Ekonk (ID-3313) the same day.[5]
West Ekonk sailed to Port Costa, California, and took on a load of wheat flour and sailed for New York, via the Panama Canal, on 24 July.[Note 2] After reaching New York on 27 August, West Ekonk joined a France-bound convoy, departing on 4 September.[5]
West Ekonk arrived at
Interwar career
West Ekonk's activities immediately after her return to the USSB in April are not known, but in mid-June The Washington Post reported that West Ekonk would be among the 26 ships allocated to sail out of
After being laid up in a
In 1933,
World War II
In November 1940, while the United States was still neutral, the
After her arrival at Liverpool, West Ekonk was renamed Empire Wildebeeste—MoWT ships taking a name prefixed with "Empire"
After making her way across the Atlantic independently, Empire Wildebeeste arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, on 25 June. After making intermediate stops in Baltimore and Hampton Roads, she sailed for Halifax with a load of scrap iron on 17 July,[40] reaching her destination three days later. She departed in convoy HX 140 on 22 July and arrived at Belfast Lough on 5 August and Newport on 8 August. After arriving at Milford Haven on 25 August, she sailed from there two days later in convoy ON 10 for Halifax, where she arrived on 13 September. From there, Empire Wildebeeste sailed to Montreal and back to Halifax by 5 October. She departed Halifax that same day as a part of convoy HX 153, but had unspecified problems that caused her to drop out and put in at St. John's, Newfoundland,[41] on 11 October.[35] After aborted attempts to sail east in convoys SC 50 and SC 52, Empire Wildebeeste finally reached Loch Ewe on 25 November as a part of convoy SC 54 and Methil on 30 November.[35]
After Empire Wildebeeste made a trip to Hull and back by 23 December, she sailed to Loch Ewe five days later and then departed from Liverpool on 2 January 1942 as a part of convoy ON 53.[35] Empire Wildebeeste strayed behind even before the convoy dispersed on 19 January,[42] and was left to sail on to Baltimore independently.[7] At 06:53 on 24 January, Empire Wildebeeste was struck by a torpedo launched from German submarine U-106 under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hermann Rasch.[7] Empire Wildebeeste went down at position 39°30′N 59°54′W / 39.500°N 59.900°W;[5] eight crewmen and one naval gunner were killed during the attack and sinking.[7] American destroyer Lang was dispatched from Bermuda to pick up the master, 18 crewmen, and three gunners, and landed them in Bermuda.[5][7]
Notes
- ^ Skinner & Eddy was an emergency shipyard that only operated from 1916 until about 1920.
- ^ Many West ships, to avoid sailing empty to the East Coast, loaded grain products intended for the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, and sailed to Europe without unloading or transferring their cargo, which avoided extra handling of the cargo. The USSB, by prior arrangement, received an equivalent amount of cargo space in foreign ships for other American cargos.[8]
- Los Angeles was another West ship, SS West Carnifax.
References
- ^ OCLC 2449383.
- ^ a b c Colton, Tim. "Skinner & Eddy, Seattle WA". Shipbuilding History. The Colton Company. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ a b Shipping Board Operations, p. 413.
- ^ a b c d e f "West Ekonk (2216620)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "West Ekonk". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ^ a b Silverstone, p. 169.
- ^ a b c d e Helgason, Guðmundur. "Allied Ships hit by U-boats: Empire Wildebeeste". The U-Boat War 1939–1945. uboat.net. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ a b Crowell and Wilson, pp. 358–59.
- ^ Hurley, The Bridge to France, title page.
- ^ Hurley, pp. 92–93.
- ^ Shipping Board Operations, pp. 414–15.
- ^ Shipping Board Operations, p. 624.
- ^ "Shipping and mails" (PDF). The New York Times. 28 January 1919. p. 21.
- ^ "26 ships for Baltimore". The Washington Post. 16 June 1919. p. 3.
- ^ "Shipping and mails" (PDF). The New York Times. 20 March 1920. p. 15.
- ^ "Shipping and mails" (PDF). The New York Times. 16 April 1920. p. 31.
- ^ "Shipping and mails" (PDF). The New York Times. 5 June 1920. p. 32.
- ^ "Additional freighters for Pacific". Los Angeles Times. 27 February 1924. p. A10.
- ^ "Liverpool: SS West Ekonk (Gulf Line) travelling from Galveston to Liverpool (summary)". The National Archives of the UK (TNA). BT 26/811/79. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ "Shipping Board lists honor ships". The New York Times. 21 December 1927. p. 51.
- ^ "Casualty reports". The Times. No. 45085. London. 27 December 1928. col C, p. 20.
- ^ "The 'Empire' ships: U". Mariners. Ted Finch. 14 June 2001. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Rosanoski, Neale (23 November 2003). "House Flags of U.S. Shipping Companies: Lykes Brothers S.S. Co". Flags of the World. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ "Liverpool: SS West Ekonk (Dixie UK Line) travelling from Galveston to Liverpool (summary)". The National Archives of the UK (TNA). BT 26/1061/101. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ "Liverpool: SS West Ekonk (Dixie UK Line) travelling from New Orleans to Liverpool (summary)". The National Archives of the UK (TNA). BT 26/1065/51. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ "Liverpool: SS West Ekonk (Lykes Brothers Ripley Steamship Company Inc) travelling from Galveston to Liverpool (summary)". The National Archives of the UK (TNA). BT 26/1067/69. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ "Liverpool: West Ekonk (Lykes Brothers) travelling from Galveston to Liverpool (summary)". The National Archives of the UK (TNA). BT 26/1121/38. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ Cave, Wayne B. (19 November 1940). "Britain in mart for more ships". Los Angeles Times. p. 11.
- ^ a b Arnold Hague Ports Database. "Port Arrivals/Departures: West Ekonk". Convoy Web. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ a b c Lawson, Siri. "Convoy HX 99 - page 2". Warsailors.com. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Lawson, Siri. "Convoy HX 99". Warsailors.com. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ISBN 1-85044-275-4.
- ^ a b "Convoy OB.293". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Convoy battles: OB-293". The U-Boat War 1939–1945. uboat.net. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f Arnold Hague Ports Database. "Port Arrivals/Departures: Empire Wildebeeste". Convoy Web. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Lawson, Siri. "Convoy HX 120". Warsailors.com. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Convoy battles: HX-121". The U-Boat War 1939–1945. uboat.net. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Lawson, Siri. "Convoy HX 121 - page 2". Warsailors.com. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ "Convoy HX.121". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Lawson, Siri. "Convoy HX 140". Warsailors.com. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Lawson, Siri. "Convoy HX 153". Warsailors.com. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ "Convoy ON.53". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
Bibliography
- OCLC 18696066.
- Hurley, Edward N. (1920). The New Merchant Marine. New York: Century. OCLC 751444.
- —— (1927). The Bridge to France. Philadelphia: OCLC 1348068.
- Silverstone, Paul H. (2006). The New Navy, 1883-1922. New York: OCLC 63171106.
- OCLC 64558341.
External links
- Photo gallery of West Ekonk at NavSource Naval History