''West Kasson'' was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 by

Long Beach Shipbuilding Company '' Light Vessel No.57'' at Toledo, Ohio Craig Shipbuilding was a shipbuilding company in Long Beach, California. To support the World War I demand for ships Craig Shipbuilding shipyard switched over to military construction and built: US N ...

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporated ...

for the

United States Shipping Board The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting the World War ...

(USSB) as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the

Emergency Fleet Corporation The Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) was established by the United States Shipping Board, sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board, on 16 April 1917 pursuant to the Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729) to acquire, maintain, and operate merchant sh ...

(EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The vessel initially operated on the

round-the-world Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body (e.g. a planet or moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first recorded circumnavigation of the Earth was the Magel ...

route from the

West Coast of the United States The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous ...

via

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

before being shifted to serve the

Gulf A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodies ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

trade in 1922. In 1926 she was sold to the W. R. Grace and Company and renamed ''Cuzco''. In her new role the ship operated chiefly between the ports of the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

and various Chilean and Peruvian ports. In 1940 the ship was again sold and transferred into Panamanian registry and renamed ''Carmona''. The vessel continued sailing between South America and the United States and was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine on one of her regular trips in July 1942.

Design and construction

After the United States entry into

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, a large shipbuilding program was undertaken to restore and enhance shipping capabilities both of the United States and their Allies. As part of this program, EFC placed orders with nation's shipyards for a large number of vessels of standard designs. Most of these new vessels were known as the ''West'' ships as they were built by several shipyards on the

and all were given names that began with the word ''West''. Design 1019 cargo ship was among the designs adopted by USSB, and was a standard cargo freighter of approximately 8,800

deadweight tonnage Deadweight tonnage (also known as deadweight; abbreviated to DWT, D.W.T., d.w.t., or dwt) or tons deadweight (DWT) is a measure of how much weight a ship can carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, pro ...

Theodore E. Ferris Theodore Ernest Ferris (August 17, 1872 – May 30, 1953) was an American naval architect and engineer responsible for the "Ferris Designs" used by the US Emergency Fleet Corporation, of the United States Shipping Board, during World War I. Early ...

. ''West Kasson'' was part of the order for eight vessels placed by USSB with the Long Beach Shipbuilding Co. on 10 July 1918 and was laid down on 15 October 1918 and launched on 15 March 1919 (yard number 130), with Mrs. John F. Craig, wife of John F. Craig, chairman of the board of directors of the shipbuilding company, being the

sponsor Sponsor or sponsorship may refer to a person or organization with some role (especially one of responsibility) regarding another person or organisation: *Sponsor (commercial), supporter of an event, activity, or person *Sponsor (legislative), a per ...

. The launch was witnessed by a large crowd of 3,000 shipyard employees consisting of workers and management, and approximately 2,000 spectators. The vessel was launched approximately 80% complete with only her boilers and engine cylinders needed to be installed. Just as with many other vessels being built for the Shipping Board, her name was picked by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson who often chose Native American words for naming purposes. Similar to all vessels of this class the ship had two main decks and was built on the

three-island principle The three-island principle was a technique used in the construction of steel-hulled ships whereby a ship was built with a forecastle, bridge deck, and poop. The technique allowed the economical and efficient construction of ships and was particula ...

of ship construction. She had her machinery situated amidships and had five main holds which allowed for the carriage of a variety of goods and merchandise. The vessel also possessed all the modern machinery for quick loading and unloading of cargo from five large hatches, including ten

winches A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire rope (also called "cable" or "wire cable"). In its simplest form, it consists of a spool (or drum) attache ...

and eleven booms. She was also equipped with wireless apparatus and submarine signal system and had electric lights installed along the decks. As built, the ship was long (

between perpendiculars Length between perpendiculars (often abbreviated as p/p, p.p., pp, LPP, LBP or Length BPP) is the length of a ship along the summer load line from the forward surface of the stem, or main bow perpendicular member, to the after surface of the stern ...

) and

abeam This glossary of nautical terms is an alphabetical listing of terms and expressions connected with ships, shipping, seamanship and navigation on water (mostly though not necessarily on the sea). Some remain current, while many date from the 17th t ...

, and had a depth of . ''West Kasson'' was originally assessed at and and had deadweight tonnage of approximately 8,570. The vessel had a steel

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

and a single 2,500

ihp Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...

triple expansion steam engine A compound steam engine unit is a type of steam engine where steam is expanded in two or more stages. A typical arrangement for a compound engine is that the steam is first expanded in a high-pressure ''(HP)'' cylinder, then having given up he ...

, with cylinders of , and diameter with a stroke that moved the ship at up to . The steam for the engine was supplied by three

Scotch marine boiler A "Scotch" marine boiler (or simply Scotch boiler) is a design of steam boiler best known for its use on ships. The general layout is that of a squat horizontal cylinder. One or more large cylindrical furnaces are in the lower part of the boile ...

s fitted for oil fuel. The four hour long dock trial was successfully held on 25 June 1919 after which the ship sailed to San Pedro. The sea trials were held on June 28 in the channel just outside the harbor during which the ship performed satisfactorily. Following their successful completion, the ship was delivered to her owners and officially accepted by them on June 30.

Operational history

Under USSB control (1919-1925)

Following delivery to the Shipping Board, ''West Kasson'' was allocated to the

Pacific Mail Steamship Company The Pacific Mail Steamship Company was founded April 18, 1848, as a joint stock company under the laws of the State of New York by a group of New York City merchants. Incorporators included William H. Aspinwall, Edwin Bartlett (American consul ...

, who inaugurated a round-the-world service to promote American shipping. The steamer then proceeded on her shakedown cruise to

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

for loading and arrived there on July 9. The next day the vessel was ordered to relocate for docking elsewhere and left her anchorage. During her trip ''West Kasson'' suddenly went on a spree of wild turns when the

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder ...

apparently failed to obey the orders, and eventually the pilot was forced to order to stop the vessel and called in a tug to tow the ship to her new anchorage. Following this incident, the Shipping Board ordered the ship to have another trial trip which was conducted on July 18 and after its successful completion the ship was again accepted by USSB. ''West Kasson'' then loaded her cargo and departed San Francisco for

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital city, capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is Cities of the Philippines#Independent cities, highly urbanize ...

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

and

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

on July 29. After visiting Chinese ports the steamer returned to Manila where she took on board a cargo of

copra Copra (from ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from copr ...

and from there proceeded to

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

to load more of the same cargo and take it to

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

. ''West Kasson'' reached her destination on November 23 and upon unloading her cargo left for

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...

in ballast on December 4. The freighter was supposed to reach United States around December 15, but was unexpectedly delayed on her journey prompting widespread speculations about her fate. ''West Kasson'' finally arrived at

Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Unit ...

on December 29, thus successfully concluding her five month long maiden voyage. Originally, the ship was supposed to stay in the Atlantic, but the high demand for cargo on the West Coast prompted the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. to send ''West Kasson'' west. She proceeded to

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

for loading in early January and after embarking 7,300 tons of general cargo sailed for California on 29 January 1920. After passing through the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a Channel ( ...

on February 5, the ship reached San Pedro on February 17 after largely an uneventful passage. Following successful completion of a round the world scout trip through East Asia and the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...

by ''West Kasson'', Pacific Mail Steamship Co. decided to expand this service adding more vessels to the trade route. The freighter departed San Francisco for the inaugural round-the-world trip to a variety of ports in the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The te ...

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

and the Mediterranean on 12 March 1920. She returned to Boston on July 30 bringing general cargo such as sugar from Java and

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor p ...

and skins from India to the East Coast ports. Upon discharging part of her cargo, ''West Kasson'' loaded at Boston and proceeded to New York and Baltimore to unload and load more cargo. She left Baltimore on September 4 and after passing through the Panama Canal arrived in San Francisco on 4 October 1920 successfully completing another round the world journey covering more than 28,000 miles in the process. ''West Kasson'' made one more round-the-world journey while under control of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co., returning to Baltimore on 11 March 1921 to discharge approximately 1,000 tons of

manganese ore Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

. On 10 April 1921 it was reported that the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. decided to return four large vessels, including ''West Kasson'', to the Shipping Board citing lack of cargo in all of their foreign ports of service. The vessel arrived at San Pedro on April 20 and then proceeded to San Francisco where she remained berthed awaiting further assignment. In June 1921 SS ''West Hartland'' who was supposed to take a large cargo of

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

to Japan collided with another steamer, SS ''Governor'', and consequently was libeled and had to remain in port awaiting the trial. The Shipping Board dispatched ''West Kasson'' to

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

to take her place under control of the

Pacific Steamship Company The Pacific Steamship Company was a US freight and passenger shipping company that operated between 1916 and 1936. The company was formed by the merger of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company and the Pacific-Alaska Navigation Company and was a di ...

. After taking on board nearly 2,700,000

feet The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg mad ...

fir Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related to ...

and

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

lumber, ''West Kasson'' departed Portland on 5 July 1921 bound for Japanese ports of

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, w ...

and

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...

. Initially, the freighter was supposed to return directly to the West Coast, however, upon arrival in Japan at the end of July the vessel was rerouted to

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

resulting in another round-the-world trip. ''West Kasson'' departed

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

for New York on 29 November 1921, however, on her way back 'she lost her propeller and was forced to put in into Bermuda on December 18 for repairs. She spent 59 days there being repaired before departing for

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ...

on 15 February 1922. While in Bermuda, the ship was allocated to the

Mississippi Shipping Company Mississippi Shipping Company (also called Delta Line) of New Orleans, Louisiana was a Passenger ship, passenger and cargo ship, cargo steamship company founded in 1919. In 1961 officially changed its name to the Delta Line. The Mississippi Shipp ...

which operated two different lines from the Gulf ports, one to

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, ver ...

, Antwerp and

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest i ...

and the other to the east coast of South America. After reaching

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoun ...

on 5 April 1922 bound for Antwerp and Havre. She reached Le Havre on April 22 and after discharging her cargo sailed back to New Orleans in ballast on May 5. The steamer continued to operate from the Gulf ports of New Orleans, Mobile,

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Gal ...

Port of Tampa Port Tampa Bay, known as the Port of Tampa until January 2014, is the largest port in the state of Florida and is overseen by the Tampa Port Authority, a Hillsborough County agency. The port is located in Tampa, Florida near downtown Tampa's Cha ...

and Charleston to Havre and Antwerp through 1926. She mostly carried

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...

, case oil,

phosphate rock Phosphorite, phosphate rock or rock phosphate is a non-detrital sedimentary rock that contains high amounts of phosphate minerals. The phosphate content of phosphorite (or grade of phosphate rock) varies greatly, from 4% to 20% phosphorus pentoxi ...

and lumber on her transatlantic travels to

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

, usually returning home in ballast. For example, ''West Kasson'' arrived at Tampa on 20 March 1923 to load part cargo of 3,300 tons of phosphate rock for delivery to

Dunkerque Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy '' Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which ...

. From mid 1923 through the end of 1924 she also made trips to various ports of

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

. For example, the ship left Port Arthur on 11 July 1923 loaded with case oil and rice bound for

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the Capital city, capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata ...

and

Montevideo Montevideo () is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . Montevideo is situated on the southern ...

. On her way back from South America she usually carried various agricultural and meat products as well as

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

. For example, the freighter left Brazilian ports of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of the same name, Brazil's List of Brazilian states by population, third-most populous state, and the List of largest citi ...

Santos Santos may refer to: People *Santos (surname) *Santos (DJ) (born 1971), Italian DJ *Santos Benavides (1823–1891), Confederate general in the American Civil War *Santos Balmori Picazo (1899–1992), Spanish-Mexican painter * Santos (footballer, ...

and Vitória at the end of July 1924 carrying nearly 70,000 60-kilogram bags of coffee to New Orleans. Early in 1925 the vessel returned to her travels to France and Belgium and sailed from New Orleans on 1 February 1925 fully laden with wheat, lumber and case oil bound for Le Havre and Antwerp. After discharging part of her cargo in Havre, ''West Kasson'' proceeded to Antwerp. On March 1 While docked there a fire ignited in her holds which burnt for several hours but was eventually contained. The ship suffered heavy damage amidships and had her entire engine room flooded, however, most of her cargo of wheat remained undamaged and was safely unloaded once the fire was completely extinguished. After completing all necessary repairs, the vessel departed Europe on April 18 for Mobile and arrived at New Orleans in May where she was returned to the Shipping Board.

W. R. Grace (1926-1940)

On 23 January 1926 it was reported that ''West Kasson'' together with another Shipping Board ship, SS ''West Inskip'', was sold to W. R. Grace and Company. W. R. Grace paid for ''West Kasson'' and was required as part of the sale to maintain regular service between the West Coast of the United States and the West Coast of South America for five years. The freighter was delivered to Grace Line in New Orleans and departed it on 18 March 1926 in ballast. After passing through the Panama Canal, she picked up part cargo of coffee and sugar in

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and delivered it to San Francisco on April 13. ''West Kasson'' then immediately sailed out north to the

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected m ...

ports to load up for her upcoming trip to South America. The vessel had her new cargo booms installed in Seattle before proceeding to Tacoma area to load flour, lumber and box shooks. She left Tacoma on May 4 bound for

Pisco Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternativ ...

and Chilean ports of Valparaiso and

Arica Arica ( ; ) is a commune and a port city with a population of 222,619 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica y Parinacota Region. It is Chile's northernmost city, being located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the cap ...

. The steamer reached her destination in mid-June and upon discharging her cargo she loaded 6,550 tons of

nitrates Nitrate is a polyatomic ion with the chemical formula . Salts containing this ion are called nitrates. Nitrates are common components of fertilizers and explosives. Almost all inorganic nitrates are soluble in water. An example of an insol ...

and approximately 1,100 tons of

copper ore Following is a list of minerals that serve as copper ores in the copper mining Copper extraction refers to the methods used to obtain copper from its ores. The conversion of copper consists of a series of physical and electrochemical proces ...

. ''West Kasson'' then proceeded to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

where she arrived on August 1 to unload her cargo of fertilizer. The vessel then continued to Tacoma where she arrived on August 23 to discharge ore for the local

ASARCO Asarco LLC (American Smelting and Refining Company) is a mining, smelting, and refining company based in Tucson, Arizona, which mines and processes primarily copper. The company has been a subsidiary of Grupo México since 1999. Its three larges ...

smelter Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a c ...

, successfully concluding her first full trip under new ownership. ''West Kasson'' immediately left on her second journey loaded with flour, lumber and box shooks for

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

on 13 September 1926. She sailed back from

Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists of the whole Call ...

on November 2 loaded again with nitrates and various ores. On December 6 while being off the southern coast of Mexico, ''West Kasson'' sent out a distress signal stating that she had fire in one of her forward holds but not requesting any assistance. The vessel's later messages stated that the fire was under control. Subsequently, the ship owners denied that there was any fire at all, as they claimed a chemical reaction between lead and silver ore concentrates produced fumes which were mistaken for fire. ''West Kasson'' safely reached San Pedro ten days without any signs of damage, and later proceeded north to load more cargo for South America. In late November W. R. Grace decided to change the names of all of their recently acquired vessels to various Inca names, with ''West Kasson'' becoming ''Cuzco''. The vessel continued serving roughly the same route through the end of her career with W. R. Grace. On her way down south the ship usually loaded lumber, wheat, flour and paper at various ports of the Pacific Northwest, then would proceed to San Pedro where case oil and general merchandise were loaded. On her trips up north she carried nitrates, chiefly

nitrate of soda Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Chile saltpeter (large deposits of which were historically mined in Chile) to distinguish it from ordinary saltpeter, potassium nitrate. ...

, in addition to various ores, such as copper, gold and silver. For example, in October 1929 the freighter brought into Tacomea 6,000 tons of copper ore, and in January 1932 ''Cuzco'' cleared out from the West Coast ports fully loaded with 1,500 tons of wheat, 1,500,000 feet of lumber in addition to other cargo and 250 tons of infusorial earth. In August 1928 W. R. Grace announced that several of their freighters will be equipped with refrigerating machinery. ''Cuzco'' was the first vessel to have such machinery installed in November of the same year, allowing her to carry approximately 250 tons of perishable goods, such as dairy products and produce. Following the installation, ''Cuzco'' was able to carry 2,300 cases of fresh eggs as well as butter and apples to Peru on one of her voyages in 1930. In 1930

Post Office Department The United States Post Office Department (USPOD; also known as the Post Office or U.S. Mail) was the predecessor of the United States Postal Service, in the form of a Cabinet department, officially from 1872 to 1971. It was headed by the postmas ...

awarded W. R. Grace a contract to carry mail to various South American destinations. This resulted in extension of company's shipping services to include extra destinations both in Chile and Peru, with ''Cuzco'' becoming the first vessel to inaugurate such mail service for the company in July 1930. As part of the mail contract W. R. Grace placed an order for several new speedier vessels to take over the route. Early in 1932 the company realigned their services shifting six older ships, including ''Cuzco'', to take over the Panama Mail Service Line route covering nearly twenty ports along the Central America and Mexico Pacific coast. In addition, all six vessels were to make stops and pick up cargo at

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...

and had their passenger accommodations somewhat enlarged. ''Cuzco'' departed California in June 1932 to start her new service, carrying among other cargo a repaired fishing motor boat on her deck. She also had

corrals A pen is an enclosure for holding livestock. It may also perhaps be used as a term for an enclosure for other animals such as pets that are unwanted inside the house. The term describes types of enclosures that may confine one or many animal ...

erected both aft and fore for mules to be transported between ports along her new route. The new service went into full effect a year later when twenty ports were added to service including Corinto and

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has ...

. During her career ''Cuzco'' occasionally carried unusual cargo. For example, in September 1933 the vessel delivered about 24,000 pounds of

aerial bombs An aerial bomb is a type of explosive or incendiary weapon intended to travel through the air on a predictable trajectory. Engineers usually develop such bombs to be dropped from an aircraft. The use of aerial bombs is termed aerial bombing. ...

destined for the Armed Forces of Honduras and

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...

, and in November 1934 she brought back approximately 500 tons of

sulfur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formul ...

from South America to San Pedro. In February 1939 she also transported part order of seven

Northrop A-17 The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F model, was a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the United States Army Air Corps. When in British Commonwealth service during W ...

bombers from Northrop factory in California for the

Peruvian Air Force The Peruvian Air Force ( es, link=no, Fuerza Aérea del Perú, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguardin ...

. Even though ''Cuzco'' had limited passenger accommodations, she carried some notable people during her trips. For example, in May 1928 the vessel brought in Laura de la Puente Ganoza, one of the Peru's best dancers to study dance in Los Angeles. Similarly, in December 1934 the ship carried Willard Galbraith, a renowned diplomat, just appointed as a secretary of the US consulate in Tegucigalpa to assume his new post. Following a military coup against Nicaraguan president

Juan Bautista Sacasa Juan Bautista Sacasa (21 December 1874 in León, Nicaragua – 17 April 1946 in Los Angeles, California) was the President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1933 to 9 June 1936. He was the eldest son of Roberto Sacasa and Ángela Sacasa Cuadra, the form ...

, ''Cuzco'' was delayed in Corinto on 6 June 1936 awaiting arrival of the exiled president and twelve people from his

entourage An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to: Arts and entertainment * L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...

. The ship then took Sacasa to La Libertad where he disembarked on June 9. During her extensive career ''Cuzco'' had several mishaps. On 27 October 1935 while on one of her regular trip from San Pedro to Valparaiso, the ship went aground on Lempa shoals in

Jiquilisco Bay The Jiquilisco Bay Biosphere Reserve is located on the southeast Pacific coast of El Salvador, in the department of Usulután. Jiquilisco Bay's mangrove-lined inlets and bay host the largest abundance of coastal-marine birds in the El Salvador, ma ...

on El Salvador's Pacific coast. The vessel was heavily pounded by the waves and started to list prompting the crew to abandon her. All crew was rescued by Gulf-Pacific Mail Line steamer SS ''Point Ancha'' where they remained for the duration of salvage work. Meanwhile, a salvage steamer ''Merritt'' was dispatched from Jamaica to assist in refloating operations, and a smaller one from sent from the Panama Canal area. Both tugs arrived on the scene in early November and after an inspection determined the vessel's hull was intact, an attempt to refloat the grounded steamer was made. After jettisoning part of ''Cuzco''s deckload of lumber, she was successfully refloated on November 5 and proceeded under her own power to the Panama Canal for inspection and repairs. On 28 January 1936 ''Cuzco'' arrived in Wilmington carrying her usual cargo of nitrates, sulfur and ore concentrates. Next day the unloading started using a

clamshell bucket A bucket (also called a scoop to qualify shallower designs of tools) is a specialized container attached to a machine, as compared to a bucket adapted for manual use by a human being. It is a bulk material handling component. The bucket has an i ...

and a crane. During the unloading, the clamshell bucket produced sparks several times when hitting the sulfur rocks, and on one occasion such spark started a fire. The burning was fueled both by sulfur and treated ore concentrates and was threatening to get out of control and destroy the ship, however, the firemen were able to deploy two fireboats in time to quickly extinguish the blaze. Late in 1939 the

Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 19 ...

(MARCOM) offered W. R. Grace to put three modern Type C2 vessels in operation between the West Coast and South America. In exchange, MARCOM was to get six World War I era steamers being operated by Grace Line as prepayment. While Grace Line eventually agreed to purchase new vessels for their South American operations, the deal with MARCOM did not include any of their aging ships. Instead, in March 1940 it was announced that W. R. Grace agreed to sell three of their vessels, ''Cuzco'', ''Capac'' and ''Charcas'' to a Panama-based Compañía de Vapores Cardina, S.A, a subsidiary of Belgium-based Compagnie Continentale d’Importation. The new owners were going to engage in tramp shipping, mainly between the United States and Europe. At the time of sale ''Cuzco'' was on her regular journey to Central and South America transporting her usual cargo including five

Arabian horse The Arabian or Arab horse ( ar, الحصان العربي , DMG ''ḥiṣān ʿarabī'') is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily ...

s bought by the government of Colombia. After loading her usual cargo of nitrates and copper and vanadium ore the vessel passed through the Panama Canal on May 5 and continued to New York where she was transferred into Panamanian registry.

In Panamanian registry (1940-1942)

Following arrival in New York in mid-May 1940 ''Cuzco'' was renamed ''Carmona'' and put under operational control of a newly created company, Carmona Steamship Company. Due to developing disaster in France any potential trips to Europe became impossible. ''Carmona'' then sailed from New York for New Orleans where she loaded 7,000 tons of

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...

for delivery to

Tokoyama A is a hairdresser employed by the Japan Sumo Association to cut and prepare sumo wrestlers' hair, which is done in the style. The Sumo Association ranks them according to experience and ability and only the most senior are entitled to prepar ...

. The freighter passed through the Panama Canal on 20–21 July 1940 and after making a short stop in Los Angeles in early August continued to Japan. She returned to Seattle on 7 February 1941 and upon loading her cargo the vessel left for

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

on February 17. The ship then proceeded to the Atlantic where she entered a trade route from the east coast of South America to New York.

Sinking

SS ''Carmona'' (Master Charles Beke) was en route from

to the US with a cargo of 7,138 tons of

linseed Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...

in bulk. The ship was sailing alone and unarmed. At 11:27 local time on July 18, 1942, in position , southeast of

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

, German submarine under command of

Georg Lassen __NOTOC__ Georg Lassen (12 May 1915 – 18 January 2012) was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was a Watch Officer on at the outbreak of the war and later the skipper of the and recipient of the Knight’s Cross. Whist aboard ...

launched four torpedoes and hit ''Carmona'' on the starboard side. The first torpedo struck the engine room, and killed four crew members. The second hit at #2 hatch about 10 minutes later, and the other two struck shortly after. The ship turned on her side and sunk at 12:00 noon. The Master ordered to abandon ship and the survivors were picked up by a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Patrol Boat and taken to

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a munic ...

. There were 31 survivors.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:West Kasson Design 1019 ships 1919 ships Ships built in California Maritime incidents in July 1942 Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II