SS Mexico Victory

The SS Mexico Victory was the 7th Victory ship built during World War II. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on March 27, 1944 and completed on May 19, 1944. She was built in 114 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 7 (V-7). SS Mexico Victory served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. The 10,500-ton Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle.[2] SS Mexico Victory was the 7th of a long line of Victory ships to leave the Calship building. The launching of The SS Mexico Victory splashed into the water of Wilmington, Los Angeles.[3][4]

The fourth ship, with V-7 on the hull, is the SS Mexico Victory.
History
United States
Name: SS Mexico Victory
Namesake: Mexico
Owner: War Shipping Administration
Operator: Luckenbach SS Co
Builder: California Shipbuilding Company, Los Angeles
Laid down: January 26, 1944
Launched: March 27, 1944
Completed: May 19, 1944
Fate: Sold, 1947
Poland
Name: SS Kilinski
Namesake: Jan Kiliński
Owner: Gdynia-America Shipping Lines, Gdańsk.
Fate: Sold, 1973
Denmark
Name: SS Lin
Owner: Poul Christensen of Denmark.
Operator: Universal Mariners S.A
Fate: Scrapped in Taiwan, 1973
General characteristics
Class and type: VC2-S-AP3 Victory ship
Tonnage: 7612 GRT, 4,553 NRT
Displacement: 15,200 tons
Length: 455 ft (139 m)
Beam: 62 ft (19 m)
Draught: 28 ft (8.5 m)
Installed power: 8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
Propulsion: HP & LP turbines geared to a single 20.5-foot (6.2 m) propeller, by Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co., Essington
Speed: 16.5 knots
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 4 Lifeboats
Complement: 62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards
Armament:
Notes: [1]

World War II

SS Mexico Victory served in the Atlantic Ocean in World War II as a troopship. She severed as a troop ship take troop to Europe. SS Mexico Victory and 96 other Victory ships were converted to troop ships to bring the US soldiers home as part of Operation Magic Carpet.[5][6][7][8][9] She depart February 27, 1945 from New York Port of Embarkation and arrived March 11, 1945 at Liverpool, England.[10] On January 3, 1946 she arrived at Newport News, Va. with 1,514 troops.[11][12][13] On December 6, 1945 she arrived in New York bring troops home.[14]

She was laid up for a short time in 1947 in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, till she was put back in service for the Korean War.

Korean War

The Mexico Victory served in the Korean War from 1950 until 1953 helping American forces engaged against Communist aggression in South Korea.[15] About 75 percent of the personnel taken to Korea for the Korean War came by the merchant marine ships. SS Mexico Victory transported goods, mail, food and other supplies. About 90 percent of the cargo was moved by merchant marine ships to the war zone.[16][17]

Post war

In 1967 she was sold to Gdynia-America Shipping Lines in Gdańsk, Poland and renamed SS Kilinski. In 1971 she was sold to Poul Christensen in Denmark and renamed SS Lin. In 1973 she was scrapped in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.[18]

See also
Typical Victory Ship

References
  1. Babcock & Wilcox (April 1944). "Victory Ships". Marine Engineering and Shipping Review.
  2. National parks, Reading 2: Victory Ships
  3. shipbuildinghistory.com, Victory ships
  4. National Parks, Victory Ships
  5. ww2troopships.com crossings in 1945
  6. Troop Ship of World War II, April 1947, Page 356-357
  7. Our Troop Ships
  8. Milford W. Crumplar, Corporal
  9. Lud Lekson Collection
  10. Military-History, 539th motor ambulance company
  11. Cumberland Evening Times from Cumberland, Maryland · Page 9, January 3, 1946
  12. Battle of the Bulge, By Turner Publishing Co, page 177
  13. The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio · Page 2, January 2, 1946
  14. Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York · Page 26, December 6, 1945
  15. Small United States and United Nations Warships in the Korean War, By Paul M. Edwards, page 175
  16. Korean War Educator, Merchant Marine, Accounts of the Korean War
  17. Small United States and United Nations Warships in the Korean War, By Paul M. Edwards
  18. Mariners, The Website Of The Mariners Mailing List. Victory Ships

Sources
  • 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.
  • United States Maritime Commission:
  • Victory Cargo Ships
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