USS Muscatine (ID-2226)
History | |
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United States | |
Name: | Muscatine |
Namesake: | A city and county in Iowa named for an Native American word meaning “dweller in the prairie” |
Builder: | Standard Shipbuilding Corp., Shooters Island, New York |
Laid down: | 20 October 1917 as SS Scandinavic |
Acquired: | by the U.S. Navy 28 April 1918 |
Commissioned: | 2 May 1918 as USS Muscatine (ID 2226) |
Decommissioned: | 16 July 1919 at New York City |
Renamed: | Stian (date unknown); Muscatine (date unknown) |
Struck: | date unknown |
Fate: | sold in 1929 |
Notes: | torpedoed and sunk 20 May 1942 in the Yucatan Channel by German submarine U-103 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | commercial refrigerator ship |
Displacement: | 10,502 tons |
Length: | 392' 6" |
Beam: | 52' |
Draft: | 23' |
Propulsion: | not known |
Speed: | 10.5 knots |
Crew: | 108 crew members |
Armament: | one 5-inch gun and one 3-inch gun |
USS Muscatine (ID-2226) was a Norwegian refrigerator ship (reefer ship) obtained by the U.S. Navy from the United States Shipping Board (USSB) during World War I. She served for the duration of the war, carrying “beef and butter” for military personnel in Europe.
She returned to commercial service after the war, and, during World War II, she had the unfortunate fate of being struck by torpedoes from a German submarine. She sank in the Yucatan Channel.
Built at Shooters Island
Muscatine, a refrigerator ship built in 1917 as Stian by Standard Shipbuilding Corps., Shooters Island, New York, for the Norwegian firm, Salveson, Chr. & Co., was commandeered by USSB and transferred to the Navy 28 April and commissioned 2 May 1918, Lt. Comdr. Jesse Smith, USNRF, in command.
World War I service
After refitting and loading a mixed cargo of Navy supplies Muscatine cleared Halifax in convoy 30 May bound for France. Arriving at St. Nazaire 14 June, she discharged her cargo, proceeded to Verdun, and departed in convoy for New York 7 July. In the subsequent months the ship made five more round trip voyages to St. Nazaire with cargoes of beef and butter.
After completing her last run early in July 1919, Muscatine decommissioned at New York City 16 July 1919 and returned to USSB. In 1929 she was sold to F. D. M. Stracham, Savannah, Georgia, and the following year renamed Floridian.
Subsequent career and fate
In 1936 she was renamed Elizabeth. And, during World War II, she was torpedoed and sunk 20 May 1942 in the Yucatan Channel by the German submarine U-103 under the command of Werner Winter.
See also
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- NavSource Online: Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive - Muscatine (ID 2226)