SS Maui (1916)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

SS ''Maui'' was built as a commercial passenger ship in 1916 for the
Matson Navigation Company Matson may refer to: * Matson (surname) *Matson, Gloucester, England, a suburb of Gloucester *Matson, Missouri, an unincorporated community * 2586 Matson, an asteroid * Matson, Inc., a shipping company, formerly Matson Navigation Company * Matson F ...
of San Francisco and served between the
United States West Coast 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 U.S. ...
and
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 state ...
until acquired for World War I service by the United States Navy on 6 March 1918. The ship was commissioned USS ''Maui'' (ID-1514) serving as a
troop transport A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...
from 1918 to 1919. The ship was returned to Matson for commercial service September 1919 and continued in commercial service until purchased by the United States Army in December 1941. USAT ''Maui'' was laid up by the Army in 1946 and scrapped in 1948.


Construction

''Maui'' was built as the commercial passenger ship SS ''Maui'' in 1916 for the
Matson Navigation Company Matson may refer to: * Matson (surname) *Matson, Gloucester, England, a suburb of Gloucester *Matson, Missouri, an unincorporated community * 2586 Matson, an asteroid * Matson, Inc., a shipping company, formerly Matson Navigation Company * Matson F ...
of San Francisco by
Union Iron Works Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries ...
at
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " 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 fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, and launched on 23 December 1916 destined for the company's Hawaiian service. Under the Postal Subsidy Act of 1891 the ship was built as a second class auxiliary cruiser. At the time ''Maui'' was the largest passenger ship constructed on the Pacific Coast and the largest commercial installation of geared turbines.


Characteristics

The hull was all steel construction with a double bottom, large hatches and cargo booms capable of handling up to 50 ton loads and four cargo ports on each side of the vessel. A deep tank between #2 and #3 holds, extending to the lower deck, was provided for carriage of molasses or fuel oil with a dedicated pump for loading and unloading. Propulsion was by two sets of single reduction type geared Westinghouse Parsons turbines of 5,000 shaft horse-power for each set, composed of two turbines of 2,500 hp each, for a total of 10,000 horse-power at full load that were provided with steam by eight oil fired Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers. ''Maui'' was the first large twin screw passenger ship with geared turbines with previous single screw installations being between 2,000 and 3,000 horsepower rating. Each main propulsion unit was composed of a high and low pressure turbine and astern turbines developing 60% of the ahead power and, combined, designed for a speed of at propeller speed of 125 rpm under reduced boiler pressure and 129.5 at full pressure. Total weight of propulsion machinery, located aft, was 146.32 tons. There was some uncertainty concerning the turbine teeth and surfaces as the delivery of engines had been rushed so that full testing in the factory had not taken place. As a result, the lubricant for the first two voyages had been lard oil subsequently replaced with mineral oil with good performance until gear abrasion due to lubrication failure was determined after the eighth voyage in Honolulu. The gears were transposed in San Francisco so that astern and forward surfaces were reversed and good surfaces were used for ahead turbines and lard oil was again used. During the transit from San Francisco to New York after requisition by the government salt water entered the system due to an accident in an oil cooler causing the lard oil to go highly acidic requiring a complete overhaul in Baltimore where again abrasion to tooth surfaces was detected due to inferior oil and another failure of the oil cooling system; however, ''Maui'' made a round trip to Europe without gear trouble. Despite these early problems the propulsion plant for ''Maui'' was proven so successful in both early commercial service and under demanding service with the Navy that similar Westinghouse propulsion plants were specified in the design of Matson's postwar ships and . Electric power was provided by two 30 kilowatt and one 50 kilowatt generators supplying 110-volt direct current. Three ten ton Brunswick Refrigeration Company compressors chilled galley and pantry units and a large cluster of separate chill rooms for various classes of stores in a special gallery of by served by a handling room and a larger space for refrigerated cargo. Passenger accommodations were similar to the older with a larger number of special staterooms with a capacity for 252 first class passengers in 64 three berth, 24 two berth and 12 single berth rooms.


Passenger service

Sea trials were conducted 3 April 1917 and the new Matson liner departed San Francisco on maiden voyage to
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
on 7 April. ''Maui'' became the flagship of the Matson fleet and, with ''Matsonia'', accounted not only for passenger traffic between the mainland and Hawaii but 20,000 tons a month of cargo each way bringing goods from the mainland and returning with sugar and pineapples. The sugar industry and islands received a "shock" with news announced in early June 1917 of a cable from President Matson concerning the fact the government would take over ''Maui'' for wartime service when she reached San Francisco on a voyage already underway and ''Matsonia'' as soon as she returned from the round trip. Sugar stocks were already building up in the islands and loss of the two ships was of concern with hopes expressed that seized German ships might be put on the route.


Government requisition


United States Shipping Board service

''Maui'' was one of the vessels requisitioned for
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
service with 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 ...
and, on the anniversary of her launch, on 23 December 1917 sailed through the
Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...
for the Atlantic stopping at
Tocopilla, Chile Tocopilla is a city and commune in the Antofagasta Region, in the north of Chile. It is the capital of the province that bears the same name. Every year Tocopilla celebrates its anniversary on 29 September with a big show the day before, which ...
to load nitrates. On 19 January 1918 the ship transited 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 condui ...
arriving at Hampton Roads on 25 January awaiting orders which sent her to Charleston, South Carolina to unload the cargo. From Charleston ''Maui'' sailed 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 ...
, arriving on 14 February, where on 2 March the ship was ordered into Naval service.


United States Navy service

As a Naval transport ''Maui'' transported
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
troops and cargo to
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 entirel ...
on her outbound voyages and brought passengers and sick and wounded military personnel back to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
on her return voyages until the end of the war in November 1918. After the war, she conducted voyages to bring American troops back to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
for demobilization. The U.S. Navy commissioned ''Maui'' on 6 March 1918 as the troop transport USS ''Maui'' (ID-1514), assigned to the
Cruiser and Transport Force The Cruiser and Transport Service was a unit of the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet during World War I that was responsible for transporting American men and materiel to France. Composition On 1 July 1918, the Cruiser and Transport Force was ...
, under the command of Lieutenant Commander W. F. M. Edwards ( USNRF) who had been the ship's commercial captain on her last Hawaiian voyage and had automatically entered Naval service with acquisition of the ship. A number of the Matson officers and crew, also members of the reserve, remained with the ship in Naval service. On March 17 Commander C. A. Abele (USN) assumed command with Edwards becoming the ship's navigator as regular Naval officers reported aboard in preparation for sailing on 2 April and arrival at Army Pier Number 4, Hoboken Port of Embarkation on 4 April where stores and ammunition were loaded in preparation for trials which began on 10 April. On 15 April the first of 478 troops bound for France on the ship's first wartime voyage came aboard with sailing the next day to join a convoy led by but suffered loss of her port engine, found to be failure of the thrust bearing due to blockage in lubricant, and was ordered back to port where another mishap on 21 April cost the life of seaman second class C. F. Conway and near loss of rescuers. With some repair, ''Maui'' proceeded to sea later on 21 April and zig zagged unaccompanied using full power on her starboard engine and half on her port engine the ship rejoined the convoy on 28 April bound for
Brest, France Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French m ...
and completion of her first wartime crossing. By the first anniversary of the ship's commissioning, 6 March 1919, she had made seven round trips to France and was tied up at Army Pier Number 1 at Hoboken. On 3 October Edwards again took command and served throughout the war in that capacity with his rank advanced to Commander 13 May 1919. ''Maui'' was in New York when the end of the war came 11 November 1918 and joined in the early morning (New York time) celebration of ship's whistles throughout the harbor. ''Maui'' was one of the first transports with returning troops after the war. Despite orders to sail 24 December, the ship was in New York for Christmas Day, sailing 26 December and celebrating the new year of 1919 at sea headed back to France for more homeward bound troops. She arrived back in New York with harbor craft making a loud welcome and docking to a large Army band celebrating her New York arrival 25 January 1919 with 3,000 troops for demobilization through the New York Port of Embarkation. The next trip, made without cargo, began on 2 February and met a gale on 10 February caused damage to the ship and loss of four men; two overboard (Boatswain E. J. Rumph and Cxwain A. J. Rousseau) and two (First Officer Lt. J. Marmion & Seaman V. Lindgren) of injuries in a simultaneous accident in the damaged forecastle that also injured another five men. On 4 May troops of 109th Infantry, an element of the 28th Division, were returned to Philadelphia where the city turned out and a regatta was planned; one disrupted when ''Maui'' demonstrated full speed upstream at leaving the welcoming boats behind and arriving an hour early.''Philadelphia in the World War, 1914–1919'' on page 744 notes a second visit to the city by ''Maui'' on 18 August. Upon debarking troops ''Maui'' returned to Brest for more troops landing them for demobilization through the Newport News Port of Embarkation within twenty days. For some time the ship had been back under her merchant service officers and crew and by her tenth voyage had transported about 32,000 men to and from France with about 20,000 being men returned home.The "Log" reference notes that the statistics were compiled before an eleventh trip was made. In September 1919 and again if February 1920 the ship had faced onboard influenza but in total, including the influenza, lost only four Army men during her transport service. On 13 September 1919 ''Maui'' departed Norfolk, Virginia with a load of government owned coal for San Francisco where she would be decommissioned and returned to Matson upon unloading.


Post war commercial service

By January 1920 ''Maui'' had been restored to commercial configuration and had made two trips to Hawaii on her regular schedule. After renovation at Bethlehem Shipbuilding's Union Plant the ship departed for Honolulu on 5 May with full cargo and complete list of passengers for the first time since the war. Due to the difficult economic circumstances prevailing during the Great Depression, she was laid up at San Francisco in 1933. In 1934, ''Maui'' was converted into a cargo ship and returned to commercial operations. In November 1941 she was involved in a collision in San Francisco Bay.


United States Army Transport

On 3 December 1941, the United States Army purchased ''Maui'' for
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
service, converted her into a troop transport, and placed her in service as the
United States Army Transport During World War II the U.S. Army operated approximately 127,800 watercraft of various types.) Those included large troop and cargo transport ships that were Army-owned hulls, vessels allocated by the War Shipping Administration, bareboat chart ...
USAT ''Maui''. ''Maui'' was part of a particularly important convoy, Number 2033 escorted by departing San Francisco on 12 February 1942 arriving at
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
, Australia on 5 March, that transported Army air units, planes and supplies to Australia to reinforce that area against Japanese advances in the
Southwest Pacific The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
. She operated in the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
for the remainder of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, carrying personnel and
cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
to
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
, the South Pacific, the Southwest Pacific, the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
, and, after the end of the war in August 1945, to Japan. ''Maui'' completed her Army service in early 1946 and was transferred to the
Maritime Administration Maritime administrations, or flag state administrations, are the executive arms/state bodies of each government responsible for carrying out the shipping responsibilities of the state, and are tasked to administer national shipping and boating issue ...
for disposal entering the reserve fleetat Olympia,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
30 August 1946 and totally stripped by 19 September 1947. On 16 January 1948 the ship was sold to Zidell Ship Dismantling Company for $40,000 scrapped in 1948.


Footnotes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Standing in the middle of his men who have just entered their bunk space aboard the USAT ''Maui'' at Pier 3, Fort Mason, 22 Aug 1942.
(photo)
Photos of ''Maui'' launch and fitting out.
* ttps://books.google.com/books?id=PG_mAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA151 Geared Turbine Passenger Ship ''Maui''(Detailed ''International Marine Engineering'' technical article with diagrams including ship profiles and plan.)
U.S.S. Maui Engineering Records, 1918-1919, MS 540
held by Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy {{DEFAULTSORT:Maui (ID-1514) World War I transports of the United States Transports of the United States Navy Transport ships of the United States Army Ships built in San Francisco 1917 ships