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World War II United States Merchant Navy

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This article is about the merchant navy and the merchant marine of United States. For a more general article on the subject, see ship transport.
A United States World War II recruiting poster for the merchant marine

World War II United States Merchant Navy was the largest civilian Navy in the world, which operated during World War II. With the United States fighting a world war in all the world oceans, the demand for cargo and fuel was very high. Cargo and fuel was needed around the world for the United States Navy, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Army Air Forces, United States Coast Guard and the support of the allied nations of the United States.[1][2] American steamship companies chartered ships from the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration to meet the demand. Many United States Merchant Marine ships were newly built in the Emergency Shipbuilding Program, other ships were older World War I ships that were put back in service, or private ships acquired under Emergency war requisitions. The Merchant Navy operated in the Pacific War and European war.[3][4] Over 200 US Merchant ships took part in the D-day Normandy landings. To make a Normandy breakwater Harbor, called Mulberry harbour, 33 merchant ships were sunk 1,000 yards from shore. Some of the ghosts merchant ships used were damaged and others were deemed too old.[5][6][7]

Crew

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Further information: Maritime history of the United States during World War II

The ships were operated by volunteer civilian crews, that were employed and trained by private shipping and passenger companies.[8][4][9] Most ships had armament for self defense, most ships had deck guns manned by United States Navy Armed Guard from the US Navy Troops. The 144,857 strong Navy Armed Guards also operated the radio, semaphore-signal flags, and the signal lamp. Navy Armed Guard were also training in first aid. United States Navy Armed Guard operated on 6,200 ships by the end of the war. Cross training with the ship's crew to cover roles was often completed.[10][11][12][13] In 1943 the United States Merchant Marine Academy was founded train Merchant Marine officers.[14][15][16]

The men of our American Merchant Marine have pushed through despite the perils of the submarine, the dive bomber and the surface raider. They have returned voluntarily to their jobs at sea again and again, because they realized that the life-lines to our battle fronts would be broken if they did not carry out their vital part in this global war. . . In their hands, our vital supply lines are expanding. Their skill and determination will keep open the highway to victory and unconditional surrender. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1943[17]

Losses

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Merchant Navy at its peak had over 215,000 men operating the Merchant Navy ships. The losses by the end of the war was 8,651 crew deaths. Merchant Marine were killed at a per capita rate much higher than those of the combined United States Armed Forces.[18] Merchant Navy crews were killed at a rate of 1 in 26 (US Navy rate was 1 in 114).[19] The greatest loss was in the Battle of the Atlantic due to U-boat torpedo or deck gun attacks. During the war 3.1 million tons of US merchant ships were sunk in 733 ships. Merchant ships were lost due to submarines, destroyers, naval mines, armed raiders, gun boats, aircraft attacks, kamikaze attacks, grounding and ocean storms. Convoy system with destroyers, escort carriers, submarine chasers, planes and other support, reduced losses by 1944.[20][21] Merchant Navy ship sunk or captured by Imperial Japan caused 609 crewmen to be captured as prisoners of war, many died in prison.[4][22][23][24]

Ships

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A Victory ship of World War II
Liberty ship of World War II

The Emergency Shipbuilding Program built many types of ships to support the war. The most numerous ships were the 2,710 cargo Liberty ships.[25] Liberty ships were built between 1941 and 1945, with a new module assembly process so that about three ships were built every two days.[26] Victory ships were a faster replacement ship for the Merchant Navy. Between 1944 and 1946, 531 Victory ships were built, with some to the US Navy and 414 to the Merchant Navy.[27][28] The Merchant Navy also operated: other cargo ships like: Type N3, Type C1, Type C2, Type C3, and the largest Type C4. Merchant Navy operated tanker ships like: T1 tanker, T2 tanker and the largest T3 Tankers for fuel oil, aviation gasoline, and Diesel fuel. Merchant Navy operated special ships like: Type L6, called Lakers, Type P1 small Passenger ships, Type P2 Passenger, Type R, refrigerated cargo ships, Type B Barges and Type V Tugboats. The Merchant Navy operated Troopships, both passenger ships and cargo ships converted to troopships. For World War II 97 Victory ships temporarily were converted to troopship.[29] By the end of the war over 11,000 ships were under the control of the War Shipping Administration.[4][30][31]

Many World War 2 surplus merchant ships were removed from the National Defense Reserve Fleet and put into action to support the Korean War and Vietnam War.[32][33]

Post war

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At the end of the war, the US Merchant Navy was given the task of helping bring Troops and for some their war brides home, called Operation Magic Carpet. Some traveled on Navy ships, but many of the 3,500,000 men and women came home on Merchant Navy ships, call troopships.[34] Some of the US Merchant Navy continued in post-war relief efforts and general cargo shipping to help nations around the world recover from the devastating war. The Seagoing cowboys did United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation work from 1945 to 1947. Seagoing cowboys use cargo ships with added cages and horse stalls to take livestock to war-torn nations.[35][36][37][38] Many merchant ships were placed in the Reserve Fleet after the war, some were sold, many scrapped and a few became museum ships.[39][40][41][42]

Legacy

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Notable ships

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Ship operators

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War Shipping Administration and United States Merchant Navy routes during World War 2
'Merchant seamen deliver what it takes to blast the Axis' - poster
SS Lane Victory at dock, a museum ship Los Angeles, California

"The men and ships of the Merchant Marine have participated in every landing operation by the United States Marine Corps from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima -- and we know they will be at hand with supplies and equipment when American amphibious forces hit the beaches of Japan itself." Lt. Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift, U. S. Marine Corps Commandant[55]

At its peak, about 130 companies served as ship operators for the War Shipping Administration.[56] American steamship companies operating merchant ships in World War II:[57]

75 To 100 Ships
Operator Headquarters City
Alaska Steamship Company Seattle
American Export Lines New York City
American Hawaiian Steamship Company New York City
American President Lines San Francisco
Grace Line Inc. New York City
Isthmian Steamship Company New York City
Lykes Brothers Steamship Company New Orleans
Matson Navigation Company San Francisco
Moore McCormack Lines New York City
United Fruit Company Boston
United States Line New York City
Waterman Steamship Corporation Mobile
51 To 75 Ships
Agwilines Inc. New York City
Alcoa Steamship Company New York City
American Mail Line Seattle
American South African Line New York City
A. H. Bull & Company, Inc. New York City
Luckenbach Steamship Company New York City
Marine Transport Line New York City
Mississippi Shipping Company New Orleans
Mccormick Steamship Company San Francisco
Pacific-Atlantic Steamship Company Vancouver
Seas Shipping Company New York City
South Atlantic Steamship Lines Savannah
Weyerhaeuser Steamship Company Newark
26 To 50 Ships
American West African Line, Inc. New York City
Black Diamond Steamship Company New York City
Calmar Steamship Corporation New York City
Coastwise Line San Francisco
International Freighting Corporation New York City
Mystic Steamship, a Division of Eastern Gas and Fuel Associates Boston
Sprague Steamship Company Boston
Sudden & Christenson Company San Francisco
J. H. Winchester & Company New York City
5 To 25 Ships
Alaska Packers' Association San Francisco
Alaska Transportation Company Seattle
American Foreign Steamship Corporation New York City
American Range-Liberty Lines, Inc. New York City
Blidberg Rothchild Company New York City
Boland and Cornelius Company Buffalo
A. L. Burbank & Company, Ltd. New York City
Burns Steamship Company Los Angeles
W. R. Chamberlin & Company San Francisco
Cosmopolitan Shipping Company New York City
De La Rama Steamship Company, Inc. New York City
Dichmann, Wright & Pugh, Inc. Norfolk
Eastern Steamship Lines Boston
Fall River Navigation Company Fall River
General Steamship Corporation San Francisco
James Griffiths & Sons, Inc. Seattle
Hammond Shipping Company San Francisco
Isbrandtsen Line New York City
Interocean Steamship Corporation San Francisco
Merchants & Miners Transportation Company Baltimore
R. A. Nicol & Company New York City
North Atlantic & Gulf Steamship Company New York City
Northland Transportation Company Seattle
Norton Lilly Management Corporation New York City
Oliver J. Olson & Company San Francisco
Olympic Steamship Company Seattle
Ore Steamship Company New York City
Overlakes Freight Corporation New York City
Parry Navigation Company New York City
Pocahontas Steamship Company New York City
Polarus Steamship Company New York City
Pope & Talbot, Inc. San Francisco
Prudential Steamship Corporation New York City
William J. Rountree Company New York City
Shepard Steamship Company Boston
Smith & Johnson New York City
Sword Line Inc. New York City
Standard Fruit & Steamship Company New Orleans
States Marine Corporation New York City
T. J. Stevenson & Company, Inc. New York City
Stockard Steamship Corporation New York City
M & J Tracy Inc. New York City
United States Navigation Company New York City
Union Sulphur Company New York City
Wessel Duval & Company New York City
West India Steamship Company New York City
Wilmore Steamship Company Boston
1 To 5 Ships
American Republic Corporation (SS Oscar F. Barrett)[58] Houston
Bulk Carriers Coprp. (SS Edward B. Dudley) [59] New York City
Coastwise Transportation Corp. (SS Raymond T. Baker)[60] Boston
Intercoastal Packing Company (SS Ogontz) Juneau
Nicholson Transit Company Ecorse
Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission New York City
Pacific Far East Line San Francisco
Pacific Lighterage Company Seattle
Simpson Spence & Young New York City
Wellart Steamship Company (SS Selwyn Eddy) [61] Boston

Tanker operators

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The T2 tanker Hat Creek in August 1943
USS Niobrara, a T3 tanker

American steamship companies operating merchant tanker ships in World War II:[57]

75 To 100 Tankers
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey New York City
51 To 75 Tankers
Pacific Tankers Inc. San Francisco
War Emergency Tankers New York City
26 To 50 Tankers
Deconhil Shipping Company San Francisco
Gulf Oil Corporation New York City
Keystone Shipping Company Philadelphia
Los Angeles Tanker Operators Los Angeles
Socony-Vacuum Oil Company New York City
The Texas Company New York City
5 To 25 Tankers
American Petroleum Transport Corporation New York City
American Republics Corporation Houston
American Trading & Production Corporation New York City
Atlantic Refining Company Philadelphia
Barber Asphalt Company New York City
Bernuth-Lembcke Company New York City
Cities Services Oil Company New York City
National Bulk Carriers New York City
Pan American Petroleum and Transport Company New York City
Republic Oil Refining Company Houston
Richfield Oil Corporation Los Angeles
Sabine Transportation Company Port Arthur
Sieling & Jarvis New York City
Sinclair Refining Company New York City
Spencer Kellogg & Sons, Inc. New York City
Standard Oil Company of California San Francisco
Sun Oil Company Philadelphia
Tidewater Associated Oil Company New York City
Union Oil Company Los Angeles
1 To 5 Ships
Tankers Company (SS Lafcadio Hearn) [62] New York City

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to United States Merchant Marine.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Victory ships.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Liberty ships.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to T2 tanker.
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References

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  1. ^ "American Merchant Marine in World War 2". www.usmm.org. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  2. ^ American merchant ships at War
  3. ^ UN Navy, Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil, The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II
  4. ^ a b c d "Supplying Victory: The History of Merchant Marine in World War II". The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. 7 February 2022.
  5. ^ "American Merchant Marine Ships at Normandy in June 1944". www.usmm.org.
  6. ^ "U.S. Ships Sunk or Damaged in Murmansk Run, Normandy, Northeast Atlantic, Northern European ports". www.usmm.org.
  7. ^ ibiblio.org, U.S. Merchant Marine at War
  8. ^ Magazine, Smithsonian. "The Merchant Marine Were the Unsung Heroes of World War II". Smithsonian Magazine.
  9. ^ "General Quarters! All Hands to Battle Stations! General Quarters!". American Merchant Marine at War. March 30, 2002. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  10. ^ "U.S. Navy Armed Guard and U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II - A Little-Known Story". Project Liberty Ship. February 11, 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Mariners and Armed Guard Together at the Guns". American Merchant Marine at War. April 24, 2002. Retrieved March 30, 2002.
  12. ^ "Clarification of Gun duties and training of Merchant Marine Mariners aboard ship". American Merchant Marine at War. February 25, 2002. Archived from the original on 4 August 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Armed Guard - Sea Lane Vigilantes". Project Liberty Ship. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  14. ^ "New School To Train Ships Officers" Popular Science, May 1935
  15. ^ "A Brief History". Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  16. ^ American Merchant Marine Heroes and their Gallant Ships in World War II
  17. ^ "Quotes about American Merchant Marine from Presidents, Military and National Leaders". www.usmm.org.
  18. ^ armed-guard.com Ships sunk
  19. ^ "American Merchant Marine Casualties". www.usmm.org. Archived from the original on 2006-10-25. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  20. ^ American Merchant Marine Casualties, USMM, archived from the original on 2006-10-25, retrieved 2013-07-23.
  21. ^ "U.S. Merchant Marine Flag". U.S. Maritime Administration. Archived from the original on 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2007-03-30.
  22. ^ usmm.org Merchant Marine POW's and MIA's, by Captain George W. Duffy
  23. ^ usmm.org Women Mariners in World War II, 5 killed
  24. ^ American Merchant Marine Prisoners of War or Civilian Internees during World War II
  25. ^ "Liberty Ships and Victory Ships, America's Lifeline in War (Teaching with Historic Places) (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov.
  26. ^ "Liberty Ships built by the United States Maritime Commission in World War II". usmm.org. American Merchant Marine at War. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2021-11-28. (2,710 ships were completed, as one burned at the dock.)
  27. ^ Jaffee, Capt. Walter W., The Lane Victory: The Last Victory Ship in War and in Peace, 2nd ed., p. 14, The Glencannon Press, Palo Alto, CA, 1997.
  28. ^ "Victory Ship | MARAD". www.maritime.dot.gov.
  29. ^ usmm.org Troopships
  30. ^ "Merchant Ship Shapes". NHHC.
  31. ^ "World War Two Ships: Ship Types". www.ww2ships.com.
  32. ^ "American Merchant Marine Ships Participating in Korean War". www.usmm.org. Archived from the original on 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  33. ^ "U.S. Merchant Marine in Vietnam". www.usmm.org. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  34. ^ Milstein, Stewart B (April 2008). "Operation Magic Carpet" (PDF). Universal Ship Cancellation Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  35. ^ "Seagoing Cowboys notes (CPS), Swarthmore College Peace Collection". www.swarthmore.edu.
  36. ^ "seagoingcowboys.com, The UNRRA Years, shipments by date" (PDF).
  37. ^ "Cowboy Stories". October 23, 2015.
  38. ^ "Seagoing cowboy obituaries – The Seagoing Cowboys". The Seagoing Cowboys. 31 March 2023.
  39. ^ "James River Reserve Fleet | MARAD". www.maritime.dot.gov.
  40. ^ "James River Reserve Fleet". www.virginiaplaces.org.
  41. ^ "The Mothball Fleet". 7 November 2019 – via www.youtube.com.
  42. ^ "The USN Mothball Fleet - Storing up for a rainy day". 21 July 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
  43. ^ Rosato, Joe Jr. (3 December 2011). "World War II Merchant Marine Memorial Finally Gets a Head".
  44. ^ "The American Merchant Mariners Memorial NEEDS YOUR HELP NOW".
  45. ^ "The Rebels of PT-218 (2021) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
  46. ^ "The Men Who Sailed the Liberty Ships" – via IMDb.
  47. ^ "Forgotten Victory". September 1, 2021 – via IMDb.
  48. ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (July 1, 2016). "IJN Submarine I-8: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  49. ^ Edwards, Bernard (1997). Blood and Bushido: Japanese Atrocities at Sea 1941–1945. New York: Brick Tower P0ress. ISBN 1-883283-18-3.
  50. ^ "Liberty Ships". August 28, 2014.
  51. ^ Holland, James (2005). Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege, 1940–1943. Cassell Military. ISBN 0-304-36654-4.
  52. ^ Spooner, Tony (1996). Supreme Gallantry: Malta's Role in the Allied Victory, 1939–1945. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  53. ^ Sawyer, L. A. and Mitchell, W. H. The Liberty Ships: The History of the "Emergency" Type Cargo Ships Constructed in the United States During the Second World War, Second Edition, pp. 13, 141-2, Lloyd's of London Press Ltd., London, England, 1985. ISBN 1-85044-049-2.
  54. ^ Jacobs, Randall (1944-06-24). "SS Lawton B. Evans Commendation" (PDF). Letter to O'ROURKE, Calvin Stoddard, Seaman First Class, United States Reserve. Washington, DC: Navy Department, Bureau of Naval Personnel. Pers-68-MH MM/822 62 83. Retrieved 2020-11-01 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  55. ^ Benefits to Merchant Seamen: Hearings Before the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 1945, page 63
  56. ^ ibiblio.org, War Shipping Administration
  57. ^ a b "Steamship Company Operators of American Flag Ships during World War II". www.usmm.org. Archived from the original on 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  58. ^ aukevisser.nl, SS Oscar F. Barrett
  59. ^ oclc.org, SS Edward B. Dudley
  60. ^ dot.gov, SS Raymond T. Baker
  61. ^ greatlakesvesselhistory.com, SS Selwyn Eddy
  62. ^ aukevisser.nl, SS Lafcadio Hearn


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