From the October 22, 2009, Contra Costa Times.
Two obsolete World War II Victory ships are to be removed from the Suisun Bay reserve Fleet, cleaned of underwater growth and then towed to Texas for scrapping. Fifty-five vessels still remain.
The Earlham Victory and Pan-American Victory were built in 1945 by Permanente Metals of Richmond, California with the first one launched June 13, 1945.
Victory ships were based on their predecessors, the Liberty ships. A total of 531 were built from 1944 to 1945 and capable of speeds of from 15 to 17 knots. They were also mass-produced and each 455 feet long with a 62 foot beam. They could carry a dry cargo of 10,850 tons and operated by 62 merchant seamen and 28 Navy personnel.
Their armament consisted of one 5-inch stern gun, one 3-inch at the bow and eight 20mm machine guns.
After the war, 200 of them were sold and many mothballed as part of the National defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF).
More to Come. --GreGen
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
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