SS Platano

SS Platano was a refrigerated banana boat of the United Fruit Company.[2] She was built in 1930, reflagged in 1947, renamed El Toro in 1965 and scrapped in 1966.[1]

History
Panama, Honduras
Name:

SS Platano (1930–65)

SS El Toro (1965–66)[1]
Owner:

Balboa Shipping (1930– )[2][3]

Empressa Hondurena de Vapores (by 1964)[4]
Operator: United Fruit Company[2][3]
Port of registry:

[2][3] (1930–47)[1]

(1947–66)[1]
Builder: Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, England[2]
Launched: 14 March 1930[1]
Completed: June 1930[1]
Identification:
Fate: scrapped 1966[1]
General characteristics
Tonnage:
Length:

416.3 ft (126.9 m) p/p[2]

432 ft (132 m) o/a[1]
Beam: 56.2 ft (17.1 m)[2]
Draft: 25.75 ft (7.85 m) fully laden[1]
Depth: 30.5 ft (9.3 m)[2]
Propulsion:
Speed: 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h)[1][4]
Sensors and
processing systems:		 echo sounding device[2]
Armament: 1 × 4"/50 caliber gun (1942)[1]
Notes: sister ship: SS Musa

Building

Platano was built by Cammell Laird of Birkenhead, England, launched on 13 March 1930 and completed that June.[2] United Fruit had a sister ship, SS Musa, built in the same year by Workman, Clark of Belfast, Northern Ireland.[5]

Platano had turbo-electric transmission built by British Thomson-Houston of Rugby, Warwickshire.[2] Her oil-fired boilers supplied steam to a turbo generator that fed current to a propulsion motor on her single propeller shaft.[2]

Career

Platano was owned by a United Fruit subsidiary, Balboa Shipping Co, Inc, which registered her under the Panamanian flag of convenience.[2][3] In the Second World War the US War Shipping Administration allocated Platano and Musa to the United States Army Transportation Corps.[1]

On 18 February 1943 the Director of the Naval Transportation Service approved acquiring the two ships as United States Navy auxiliary ships and on 1 March the Auxiliary Vessels Board endorsed the decision.[1] On 16 March the Naval Transportation Service requested that Platano be assigned to the Navy and on 24 March the Auxiliary Vessels Board confirmed this had been done.[1]

Soon the plan was changed, with an older banana boat, SS Ulua being substituted for Musa.[1] On 22 April 1943 the Vice Chief of Naval Operations assigned Platano and Ulua the names and classifications USS Octans (AF-26) and USS Pictor (AF-27).[1] Ulua was duly acquired, renamed and commissioned into the Navy but Platano was not.[1] The Auxiliary Vessels Board decided on 22 May 1944 to cancel Platano's acquisition, and the cancellation was executed on 26 May.[1]

In 1947 United Fruit reflagged Platano from Panama to the Honduran flag of convenience.[1] By 1964 the company had transferred her from Balboa Shipping to another subsidiary, Empressa Hondurena de Vapores.[4] She kept her original name until 1965, when she was renamed El Toro.[1] She was scrapped in 1966.[1]

References
  1. Roberts, Stephen S (15 September 2001). "Class: Pictor (AF-27)". U.S. Navy Auxiliary Vessels 1884–1945. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  2. Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships (PDF). London: Lloyd's Register. 1934. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  3. Harnack 1938, p. 596
  4. Harnack 1964, p. 633.
  5. Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships (PDF). London: Lloyd's Register. 1934. Retrieved 22 May 2013.

Sources
  • Harnack, Edwin P (1938) [1903]. All About Ships & Shipping (7th ed.). London: Faber and Faber.
  • Harnack, Edwin P (1964) [1903]. All About Ships & Shipping (11th ed.). London: Faber and Faber.
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