USS Western Belle
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Launching of USS Western Belle, September 28, 1918, Portland, Oregon
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | USS Western Belle |
Namesake | Previous name retained |
Builder | Columbia River Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon |
Launched | 28 September 1918 |
Completed | 1918 |
Acquired | 1918 |
Commissioned | 22 November 1918 |
Decommissioned | 3 May 1919 |
Fate | Transferred to U.S. Shipping Board 3 May 1919 |
Notes |
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General characteristics | |
Type | Design 1013 cargo ship |
Tonnage | 5,689 Gross register tons |
Displacement | 12,100 long tons (12,294 t) |
Length | 423 ft 9 in (129.16 m) |
Beam | 54 ft 0 in (16.46 m) |
Draft | 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m) mean |
Depth of hold | 29 ft 9 in (9.07 m) |
Propulsion | Steam engine, one shaft |
Speed | 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) |
Complement | 88 |
Armament | None |
USS Western Belle (ID-3551) was a United States Navy cargo ship in commission from 1918 to 1919.
Construction, acquisition, and commissioning
Western Belle was constructed in 1918 as the commercial
Operational history
Assigned to the
Notes from the Log of Bosun Donald Chandler Thompson, who shipped on the Western Belle in 1918: "Dec. 3 1918 - Left Albers Dock #3 at 6:20 a.m..." Dec. 7 - "Lights of San Francisco glowing on the horizon off port beam at nine oclock." Dec. 9 - "Perfect weather -beginning to get hot. Passed San Diego about 10 p.m." Dec. 12 - "Warm breeze with bright sunlight today. Moonlight tonight. Off Magdalena Bay.". Dec. 17 - "Full moon. Am south of the moon for the first time." Dec. 19 - "Many volcanoes in sight. Off Gautamaulan [sic] coast & pulling offshore all the time." Dec. 23 - "Reached Balboa at 3:47 today." Dec.24 - "Left Balboa at 6 a.m... Fine trip through Canal - took some pictures. Tied up at coal dock in Cristobel at 4:05 p.m." Dec. 26 - "Pulled up to dock at 9 a.m. to load freight and stores. Left for sea at 5:00 p.m. and are now in tropical rain storm in Carribean [sic] Sea at 7:00 p.m." Dec. 31 - "Passed Cuba at 4 p.m. today." Jan 2 1919 - "Knocking along off the southern coast of Florida. Passed Miama [sic
[From family records, posted by Jeri-Lynn Woods, Donald Thompson's granddaughter].
Directed to proceed to Deringe, France, Western Belle got underway from Gibraltar on 8 February 1919. After off-loading her cargo of flour at Deringe, she loaded 924 tons of United States Army cargo and departed Deringe on 20 March 1919 bound for New York City. She arrived at New York on 20 April 1919.
Decommissioning and disposal
Western Belle was
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- ID-3551 Western Belle at Department of the Navy: Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships -- Listed by Hull Number: "SP" #s and "ID" #s -- World War I Era Patrol Vessels and other Acquired Ships and Craft numbered from ID # 3500 through ID # 3599
- NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive: Western Belle (ID 3551)