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{{short description|Victory ship of the United States}}
{{copyedit|date=February 2017}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File: SS American Victory.jpg|300px]]
|Ship image=SS American Victory.jpg
|Ship caption= VC2-S-AP2 type Victory ship<!-- proxy -->
|Ship caption= VC2-S-AP2 type Victory ship<!-- proxy -->
}}
}}
{{Infobox ship career
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Hide header=
|Ship country=USA
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag= {{USN flag|1946}}
|Ship flag= {{USN flag|1946}}
|Ship name= ''SS Rushville Victory''
|Ship name= ''SS Rushville Victory''
|Ship namesake= City of [[Rushville, Illinois]].
|Ship namesake= City of [[Rushville, Illinois]]
|Ship owner= [[War Shipping Administration]]
|Ship owner= [[War Shipping Administration]]
|Ship operator= Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, inc.
|Ship operator= [[Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, Inc.]]
|Ship registry=
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship route=
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|Ship launched= April 24, 1945
|Ship launched= April 24, 1945
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened= April 4, 1945
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed= May 22, 1945
|Ship completed= May 22, 1945
|Ship acquired=
|Ship acquired=
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|Ship honors=
|Ship honors=
|Ship captured=
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate= Sold to private sank 1958
|Ship fate= Sold to private; sank 1958
|Ship status=
|Ship notes=
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
|Ship badge=
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|Ship class=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=
|Ship type=
|Ship tonnage= 7,607 Tons (Gross), 4,551 Tons (Net)
|Ship tonnage= 7,607 tons ([[Gross register tonnage|GRT]]), 4,551 tons ([[Net register tonnage|NRT]])
|Ship displacement= 15,200 Tons (Full Load), 10,8750 Tons (Lightweight)
|Ship displacement= 15,200 tons (full load), 10,875 tons (lightweight)
|Ship tons burthen=
|Ship length= {{convert|455|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship length= 455'
|Ship beam= {{convert|62|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= 62'
|Ship height=
|Ship height=
|Ship draft= 28' 0"
|Ship draft= {{convert|28|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship hold depth=
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|Ship ice class=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion= 2 B&W oil-fired steam boilers, 2 [[steam turbine]]s, single propeller, 6,000shp
|Ship propulsion= 2 B&W oil-fired steam boilers, 2 [[steam turbine]]s, single propeller, 6,000 shp (4,500 kW)
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed= 16 knots
|Ship speed= {{convert|16|kn}}
|Ship range=
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship boats=
|Ship boats=
|Ship capacity= 1597 Troops
|Ship capacity=
|Ship troops=
|Ship troops= 1597
|Ship complement=
|Ship complement=
|Ship crew=
|Ship crew=
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|Ship sensors=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*1 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|5 inch (127 mm)/38 caliber gun]]
|Ship armament=*1 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|5-inch (127 mm)/38 caliber gun]]
*1 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|3 inch (76 mm)/50 caliber gun]]
*1 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber gun]]
*8 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikon]]
*8 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikon]]


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|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=*Hull Type: [[Type C2 ship|C2-S-AP2]]
|Ship notes=*Hull Type: [[Type C2 ship|C2-S-AP2]]
*MCV hull #651<ref name=vsc>Vessel Status Card [http://www.marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory/Detail/]</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |author=[[Babcock & Wilcox]] |date=April 1944 |title=Victory Ships |journal=Marine Engineering and Shipping Review}}</ref>
*MCV hull {{abbr|No.|number}}&nbsp;651<ref name=vsc>[http://www.marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory/Detail/ Vessel Status Card]</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |author=[[Babcock & Wilcox]] |date=April 1944 |title=Victory Ships |journal=Marine Engineering and Shipping Review}}</ref>
}}
}}
|}
|}


'''SS ''Rushville Victory''''' was a [[Victory ship]]-based [[troop transport]] built for the [[U.S. Army Transportation Corps]] late in [[World War II]] under the [[Emergency Shipbuilding program]]. It saw service in the [[European Theater of Operations]] during 1945-1946 and in the immediate post-war period repatriating U.S. troops.
'''SS ''Rushville Victory''''' was a [[Victory ship]]-based [[Troopship|troop transport]] built for the [[US Army Transportation Corps]] (USAT) late in [[World War II]] under the [[Emergency Shipbuilding program]]. It saw service in the [[European Theater of Operations]] in 1945, 1946 and in the immediate post-war period repatriating US troops.


After being briefly laid up in the U.S., ''Rushville Victory'' was sold for private cargo shipping and sank in 1958.
After being briefly laid up in the US, ''Rushville Victory'' was sold for private cargo shipping in 1947 and sank near Antwerp in 1958.


==History==
==History==
===Construction and operation===
===Construction===
SS ''Rushville Victory'' was laid down on March 3, 1945 as a [[United States Maritime Commission|U.S. MARCOM]] [[Type C2 ship]]-based VC2-S-AP2, MCV hull #651, by [[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation|Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard]] of [[Baltimore, Maryland]].<ref>[http://shipbuildinghistory.com/merchantships/2victoryships.htm shipbuildinghistory.com Merchant ships Victory ships]</ref> She was launched on April 24, 1945 and later converted into a dedicated troopship.<ref>Appendix B: Victory Troopship Conversions [http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/Private_Frederick_C_Murphy_HAER_Report.pdf] Compiled from Roland W. Charles, Troopships of World War II (Washington, DC: The
SS ''Rushville Victory'' was laid down on March&nbsp;3, 1945, as a [[United States Maritime Commission|US Maritime Commission]] (MARCOM) [[Type C2 ship]]-based VC2-S-AP2, MCV hull {{abbr|No.|number}}&nbsp;651, by [[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation|Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard]] of [[Baltimore, Maryland]].<ref>[http://shipbuildinghistory.com/merchantships/2victoryships.htm shipbuildinghistory.com Merchant ships Victory ships]</ref> SS ''Rushville Victory'' was the last of the 50 Victory ships built by the Bethlehem Ship Corporation.<ref>The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland · Page 11, April 25, 1945</ref> She was launched on April&nbsp;24, 1945, and later converted into a dedicated [[troopship]].<ref>Appendix B: Victory Troopship Conversions [http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/Private_Frederick_C_Murphy_HAER_Report.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509022344/http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/Private_Frederick_C_Murphy_HAER_Report.pdf |date=2013-05-09 }} Compiled from Roland W. Charles, Troopships of World War II (Washington, DC: The Army Transportation Association, 1947), Appendix E, pp. 356-357</ref><ref>Record of the Third Naval District Office of Port Director, Port of New York [http://www.armed-guard.com/clayvic.html]</ref> She was operated on behalf of the [[US Army Transportation Corps]] (USAT) by [[Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, Inc.]]
Army Transportation Association, 1947), Appendix E, pp. 356-357</ref> <ref>Record of the Third Naval District Office of Port Director, Port of New York [http://www.armed-guard.com/clayvic.html]</ref> She was operated on behalf of USAT by Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, inc. The SS ''Rushville Victory'' was the last of the 50 Victory ships built by the Bethlehem Ship Corporation. <ref>The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland · Page 11, April 25, 1945</ref> On the [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah Waterfront]] at the [[Savannah Machine & Foundry]] Company converted six Victory cargo ships to troopships, including SS ''Rushville Victory''. The conversion started on May 25, 1945. She was able to transport up to 1,500 troops to and from [[Europe]]. Her cargo holds were converted to [[bunk bed]]s and [[hammock]]s stack three high for [[hot bunking]]. In the cargo hold [[Mess hall]]s and [[exercise]] places were also added. As part of [[Operation Magic Carpet]] she took US troops home from Europe port cities know as [[Cigarette Camp]]s.<ref>[http://www.savannahga.gov/documentcenter/view/1793 World War II on the Savannah Waterfront in the American Theater of Operations, Wartime Production and Service in Savannah, City of Savannah Research Library and Municipal Archives, page 3, August 29, 2008]</ref><ref>[http://baltimoresun.imagefortress.com/search/asset_details/1356189?adv%5Bquery%5D=%40folder_barcode+AR-3024-BS&page=1&results_index=1 baltimoresun, photo S.S. Rushville Victory Christening April 4, 1945]</ref><ref>[http://baltimoresun.imagefortress.com/search/asset_details/1356190 baltimoresun, photo S.S. Rushville Victory launching April 4, 1945]</ref>
Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier [[Liberty Ship]]s. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the [[superstructure]] and had a long raised [[forecastle]].


Beginning on May 25, 1945, ''Rushville Victory'' was converted to a troopship along with six other Victory cargo ships at the [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah Waterfront]] by the [[Savannah Machine & Foundry|Savannah Machine & Foundry Company]]. Her cargo holds were converted to [[mess hall]]s, [[exercise]] places, and sleeping areas with [[hammock]]s and [[bunk bed]]s.
===World War II===
⚫
As a transport allocated to the U.S. Army USAT, the ''Rushville Victory'' was crewed by [[United States Merchant Marine]]s, protected by a contingent of the US [[Naval Armed Guard]]s, and had a complement of the US [[Army Transportation Corps]] (Water Division) aboard for troop administration.<ref>{{cite book |last=United States War Department |title=FM 55-105 |publisher=[[United States Department of War]] |year=1944 |isbn= |lccn= |page=12 Section 14, Allocated Vessels, Diagrams following p. 64 |url=https://archive.org/details/Fm55-105}}</ref>
⚫
She was armed with a [[5"/38 caliber gun|5 inch (127 mm) stern gun]] for use against submarines and surface ships, a bow-mounted [[3"/50 caliber gun]] and eight [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm cannon]] for use against aircraft.


===Operation===
==World War II crossings==
⚫
As a transport allocated to USAT, the ''Rushville Victory'' was crewed by [[United States Merchant Marine|US Merchant Marines]], protected by a contingent of the [[United States Navy Armed Guard|US Navy Armed Guards]], and had a complement of the US [[Army Transportation Corps]] (Water Division) aboard for troop administration.<ref>{{cite book |last=United States War Department |title=FM 55-105 |publisher=[[United States Department of War]] |year=1944 |page=[https://archive.org/details/Fm55-105/page/n16 12] Section 14, Allocated Vessels, Diagrams following p. 64 |url=https://archive.org/details/Fm55-105}}</ref>
⚫
A few of her [[Atlantic Ocean]] crossings:
⚫
She was armed with a [[5"/38 caliber gun|5-inch (127 mm) stern gun]] for use against submarines and surface ships, and a bow-mounted [[3"/50 caliber gun|3-inch (76 mm) gun]] and eight [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm cannon]] for use against aircraft.
⚫
*Depart [[Le Havre]], [[France]] October 3, 1945 and arrived in the [[Port of New York]] on Oct. 11, 1945.
⚫
*Departed [[Calais]], France on October 31, 1945 and arrived in New York on November 12, 1945.
⚫
*Departed [[Marseille]], France on Nov. 30, 1945 and arrived in New York on Dec. 7, 1945
*Departed Le Havre, France to [[New Jersey]] and arrived Jan. 5, 1946.
*Departed [[Antwerp]] with 1530 troops, included the: 3235th and 3006th [[Ammunition|Ordnance]] Depot Company., 7th Medical [[Convalescence]] [[Hospital]], 39th Heavy Signal [[Construction Battalion]], 4423rd [[Quartermaster Corps (United States Army)|Quartermaster Depot Supply Company]] and the 355th Quartermaster [[Railhead]] Company and arrived on February 2, 1946 in New York.
<ref>A Small Town’s Contribution: The Participation, Sacrifice and Effort of the War, page 17, By Randall M Dewitt</ref>
<ref>Benton Harbor News Palladium, October 12, 1945</ref>
⚫
<ref>History of the 313th Infantry in World War II, page 174, By Sterling A. Wood</ref> <ref>Rupert Red Two: A Fighter Pilot's Life From Thunderbolts to Thunderchiefs, page 283, By Jack Broughton</ref> <ref>The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Page 2, February 2, 1946</ref><ref>[https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10450-27285061/barrier-daily-truth-broken-hill-nsw?trp=&trn=organic_google&trl= myheritage.com, Barrier Daily Truth (Broken Hill, NSW), Dec. 25, 1945, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia]</ref>


⚫
Her [[Atlantic Ocean]] crossings include:
⚫
In April of 1946 the ''Rushville Victory'' took [[German prisoners of war in the United States|German POWs]] from New York to Antwerp, this included the crews of [[U-Boat]]s: [[U-530]] and [[U-977]]. <ref>Hirschfeld: The Secret Diary of a U-Boat NCO, 1940-1946, page 219, By Geoffrey Brooks</ref>
⚫
*Departed [[Le Havre]], [[France]], October 3, 1945, and arrived in the [[Port of New York and New Jersey|Port of New York]] on October 11, 1945.
⚫
*Departed [[Calais]], France, on October 31, 1945, and arrived in New York on November 12, 1945.
*Departed [[Marseille]], France, on November&nbsp;24, 1945, and arrived in New York on December&nbsp;7, 1945.<!--previously said 'departed Nov. 30, 1945', but reference says "We spent 13 days on that ship before getting back to New York on December 7th" Dec. 7th -13 days = Nov. 24th--><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=vzg8AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA9 A Small Town's Contribution: The Participation, Sacrifice and Effort of the War, page 17, By Randall M Dewitt]</ref>
⚫
*Departed Le Havre, France, and arrived in [[New Jersey]] on January 5, 1946.
⚫
*Departed [[Antwerp]], [[Belgium]], with 1,530 troops, including the: 3235th and 3006th [[Ammunition|Ordnance]] Depot Company, 7th Medical [[Convalescence]] [[Hospital]], 39th Heavy Signal [[Construction Battalion]], 4423rd [[Quartermaster Corps (United States Army)|Quartermaster Depot Supply Company]] and the 355th Quartermaster [[Railhead]] Company and arrived on February&nbsp;2, 1946, in New York.<ref>Benton Harbor News Palladium, October 12, 1945</ref><ref>History of the 313th Infantry in World War II, page 174, By Sterling A. Wood</ref><ref>Rupert Red Two: A Fighter Pilot's Life From Thunderbolts to Thunderchiefs, page 283, By Jack Broughton</ref><ref>The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Page 2, February 2, 1946</ref><ref>[https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10450-27285061/barrier-daily-truth-broken-hill-nsw?trp=&trn=organic_google&trl= myheritage.com, Barrier Daily Truth (Broken Hill, NSW), Dec. 25, 1945, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia]</ref>{{Failed verification|date=September 2017|Although they contain the name ''Rushville Victory'', these references don't contain dates, or don't refer to the above voyages.}}

⚫
In April 1946, the ''Rushville Victory'' took [[German prisoners of war in the United States|German POWs]] from New York to Antwerp; this included the crews of the [[U-boat]]s [[U-530]] and [[U-977]].<ref>Hirschfeld: The Secret Diary of a U-Boat NCO, 1940–1946, page 219, by Geoffrey Brooks</ref>

As part of [[Operation Magic Carpet]] she took US troops home from European port cities known as [[Cigarette Camp]]s.<ref>[http://www.savannahga.gov/documentcenter/view/1793 World War II on the Savannah Waterfront in the American Theater of Operations, Wartime Production and Service in Savannah, City of Savannah Research Library and Municipal Archives, page 3, August 29, 2008]</ref>


Near the end of 1946, with her Atlantic crossings completed, she was laid up in the [[James River]] in [[Virginia]] as part of the [[National Defense Reserve Fleet]].
Near the end of 1946, with her Atlantic crossings completed, she was laid up in the [[James River]] in [[Virginia]] as part of the [[National Defense Reserve Fleet]].


==Private use and sinking==
==Private use and sinking==
''Rushville Victory'' was sold in 1947 to [[East Asiatic Company|A/S Det Ostasiatiske Kompagni]] of [[Copenhagen]], [[Denmark]] and renamed '''MV ''Nikobar'''''. In 1954 she was sold to Deniz Nikilyati in [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]] and renamed '''SS ''Aydin'''''. In 1955 she was sold to D. B. Deniz Nakliyati T.A.S. of Istanbul and kept her name. The ''Aydin'' sank on February 11, 1958. The ''Aydin'' had a collision with the MS ''Charles Tellier'' owned by French Cie de Messageries Maritimes. After the collision she ran aground in the [[Schelde River]] near Antwerp to avoid sinking. She was abandoned and declared a total loss, her masts could be seen above the water line for many years. The MS ''Charles Tellier'' was repaired and put back in service. The MS ''Charles Tellier'' a 12,000 ton [[passenger ship]], is named after [[Charles Tellier]] and was launched on December 2, 1951 in [[Saint-Nazaire]], France for Compagnie Sud Atlantique. <ref>[http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsR.html Mariners, The Website Of The Mariners Mailing List., Victory Ships]</ref>
''Rushville Victory'' was sold in 1947 to [[East Asiatic Company|A/S Det Ostasiatiske Kompagni]] of [[Copenhagen]], [[Denmark]] and renamed '''MV ''Nikobar'''''. In 1954 she was sold to Deniz Nikilyati in [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]] and renamed '''SS ''Aydin'''''. In 1955 she was sold to D. B. Deniz Nakliyati T.A.S. of Istanbul and kept her name. On February 11, 1958, The ''Aydin'' had a collision with the MS ''Charles Tellier'', owned by French Cie de Messageries Maritimes. After the collision she ran aground in the [[Schelde River]] near Antwerp to avoid sinking. She was abandoned and declared a total loss; her masts could be seen above the water line for many years.<ref>[http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsR.html Mariners, The Website Of The Mariners Mailing List., Victory Ships]</ref><ref>[http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?612 Wrecks: SS Aydin (Ajdin) [+1958]</ref><ref>[http://www.swiss-ships.ch/schiffe/anunciada_023/berichte%20&%20bilder/anunciada_023-bilder-eugen-wehrli.htm Photo of the sunken ''Aydin'' from the M/S "ANUNCIADA"]</ref><ref>[http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2047544 shipspotting.com, MS ''Charles Tellier'']</ref>

<ref>[http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?612 Wrecks: SS Aydin (Ajdin) [+1958]</ref><ref>[http://www.swiss-ships.ch/schiffe/anunciada_023/berichte%20&%20bilder/anunciada_023-bilder-eugen-wehrli.htm Photo of the sunken ''Aydin'' from the M/S "ANUNCIADA"]</ref><ref>[http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2047544 shipspotting.com, MS ''Charles Tellier'']</ref>
==See also==
*[[Victory Ship]]
*[[Liberty Ship]]


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==Sources==
==External links==
*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.
*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, {{ISBN|0-87033-182-5}}.
*United States Maritime Commission: [http://www.usmm.org/victoryships.html]
*[http://www.usmm.org/victoryships.html United States Maritime Commission]
*Victory Cargo Ships [http://www.armed-guard.com/recbr2.html]
*[http://www.armed-guard.com/recbr2.html Victory Cargo Ships] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050922060615/http://www.armed-guard.com/recbr2.html |date=2005-09-22 }}
*[http://baltimoresun.imagefortress.com/search/index?adv%5Bquery%5D=%40folder_barcode+AR-3024-BS Baltimore Sun image archives (2 images)]


{{WWIIUSShips}}
{{WWII US ships}}
{{MARCOMships}}
{{MARCOMships}}
{{Victory ships}}
{{Victory ships}}
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[[Category:1945 ships]]
[[Category:1945 ships]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of the United States]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Troop ships of the United States]]

Latest revision as of 15:03, 1 June 2024

VC2-S-AP2 type Victory ship
History
Vereinigte Staaten
NameSS Rushville Victory
NamesakeCity of Rushville, Illinois
OwnerWar Shipping Administration
OperatorDichmann, Wright & Pugh, Inc.
BuilderBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard Corp.
Laid downMarch 3, 1945
LaunchedApril 24, 1945
CompletedMay 22, 1945
RenamedNikobar 1947, then Aydin 1954
FateSold to private; sank 1958
General characteristics
Tonnage7,607 tons (GRT), 4,551 tons (NRT)
Displacement15,200 tons (full load), 10,875 tons (lightweight)
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draft28 ft (8.5 m)
Propulsion2 B&W oil-fired steam boilers, 2 steam turbines, single propeller, 6,000 shp (4,500 kW)
Speed16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Troops1597
Armament
Notes

SS Rushville Victory was a Victory ship-based troop transport built for the US Army Transportation Corps (USAT) late in World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. It saw service in the European Theater of Operations in 1945, 1946 and in the immediate post-war period repatriating US troops.

After being briefly laid up in the US, Rushville Victory was sold for private cargo shipping in 1947 and sank near Antwerp in 1958.

History

[edit]

Bauwesen

[edit]

SS Rushville Victory was laid down on March 3, 1945, as a US Maritime Commission (MARCOM) Type C2 ship-based VC2-S-AP2, MCV hull No. 651, by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard of Baltimore, Maryland.[3] SS Rushville Victory was the last of the 50 Victory ships built by the Bethlehem Ship Corporation.[4] She was launched on April 24, 1945, and later converted into a dedicated troopship.[5][6] She was operated on behalf of the US Army Transportation Corps (USAT) by Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, Inc.

Beginning on May 25, 1945, Rushville Victory was converted to a troopship along with six other Victory cargo ships at the Savannah Waterfront by the Savannah Machine & Foundry Company. Her cargo holds were converted to mess halls, exercise places, and sleeping areas with hammocks and bunk beds.

Operation

[edit]

As a transport allocated to USAT, the Rushville Victory was crewed by US Merchant Marines, protected by a contingent of the US Navy Armed Guards, and had a complement of the US Army Transportation Corps (Water Division) aboard for troop administration.[7] She was armed with a 5-inch (127 mm) stern gun for use against submarines and surface ships, and a bow-mounted 3-inch (76 mm) gun and eight 20 mm cannon for use against aircraft.

Her Atlantic Ocean crossings include:

In April 1946, the Rushville Victory took German POWs from New York to Antwerp; this included the crews of the U-boats U-530 and U-977.[14]

As part of Operation Magic Carpet she took US troops home from European port cities known as Cigarette Camps.[15]

Near the end of 1946, with her Atlantic crossings completed, she was laid up in the James River in Virginia as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet.

Private use and sinking

[edit]

Rushville Victory was sold in 1947 to A/S Det Ostasiatiske Kompagni of Copenhagen, Denmark and renamed MV Nikobar. In 1954 she was sold to Deniz Nikilyati in Istanbul, Turkey and renamed SS Aydin. In 1955 she was sold to D. B. Deniz Nakliyati T.A.S. of Istanbul and kept her name. On February 11, 1958, The Aydin had a collision with the MS Charles Tellier, owned by French Cie de Messageries Maritimes. After the collision she ran aground in the Schelde River near Antwerp to avoid sinking. She was abandoned and declared a total loss; her masts could be seen above the water line for many years.[16][17][18][19]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Vessel Status Card
  2. ^ Babcock & Wilcox (April 1944). "Victory Ships". Marine Engineering and Shipping Review.
  3. ^ shipbuildinghistory.com Merchant ships Victory ships
  4. ^ The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland · Page 11, April 25, 1945
  5. ^ Appendix B: Victory Troopship Conversions [1] Archived 2013-05-09 at the Wayback Machine Compiled from Roland W. Charles, Troopships of World War II (Washington, DC: The Army Transportation Association, 1947), Appendix E, pp. 356-357
  6. ^ Record of the Third Naval District Office of Port Director, Port of New York [2]
  7. ^ United States War Department (1944). FM 55-105. United States Department of War. p. 12 Section 14, Allocated Vessels, Diagrams following p. 64.
  8. ^ A Small Town's Contribution: The Participation, Sacrifice and Effort of the War, page 17, By Randall M Dewitt
  9. ^ Benton Harbor News Palladium, October 12, 1945
  10. ^ History of the 313th Infantry in World War II, page 174, By Sterling A. Wood
  11. ^ Rupert Red Two: A Fighter Pilot's Life From Thunderbolts to Thunderchiefs, page 283, By Jack Broughton
  12. ^ The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Page 2, February 2, 1946
  13. ^ myheritage.com, Barrier Daily Truth (Broken Hill, NSW), Dec. 25, 1945, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
  14. ^ Hirschfeld: The Secret Diary of a U-Boat NCO, 1940–1946, page 219, by Geoffrey Brooks
  15. ^ World War II on the Savannah Waterfront in the American Theater of Operations, Wartime Production and Service in Savannah, City of Savannah Research Library and Municipal Archives, page 3, August 29, 2008
  16. ^ Mariners, The Website Of The Mariners Mailing List., Victory Ships
  17. ^ Wrecks: SS Aydin (Ajdin) [+1958
  18. ^ Photo of the sunken Aydin from the M/S "ANUNCIADA"
  19. ^ shipspotting.com, MS Charles Tellier
[edit]
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