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.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Presidential Yacht Mayflower in World War II-- Part 1

I started writing about this ship in two entries in my Cooter's History Thing Blog today.  Since it was in World War II, I decided to post about it here as well.

The reason I wrote about it in the other blog was because seaman Leon D. Robinson of Sycamore, Illinois, was stationed to it after he was wounded at the Occupation of Vera Cruz, mexico, in 1914.

The ship had an interesting history and you can read about it in the history blog.  But, this is the ship's history immediately before and during World War II.

From the Jan. 25, 2011, Wilmington (N.C.) Star-News "My Reporter: Whatever happened to the Presidential Yacht Mayflower, once moored in Wilmington?" by Amy Hotz.

The Mayflower was a 273-foot steam yacht of 2,690 tons with a speed of 17 knots manned by a crew of 171, drawing 13 feet 2 inches of water.

After it stopped being the presidential yacht because of costs, it caught fire and sank at its berth in Philadelphia Navy Yard.  It was raised on sold to a private party who then sold it to Broadfoot Iron Works in Wilmington, North Carolina.

It was there either for repairs or to be broken up.

--GreGen




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