 Contessa as U.S. Army SWPA X-96 troop ship armed with 5 inch gun and 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Contessa |
| Namesake | Contessa Entellina, Sicily, birthplace of Vaccaro brothers |
| Owner |
|
| Port of registry |  La Ceiba, Honduras[1] |
| Builder | Barclay, Curle & Co, Glasgow[1] |
| Yard number | 638, Clydeholm Yard[3] |
| Launched | 18 February 1930 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 5,512 GRT[1] |
| Length | 381 ft 5 in (116.3 m)[1] |
| Beam | 53 ft 7 in (16.3 m)[1] |
| Draught | 30 ft 6 in (9.3 m)[1] |
| Propulsion | 1-screw; steam, Q4Cyl. (25, 37, 54 & 78 – 48) inch. 260 lb (120 kg). 895 hp (667 kW), nominally.[1][3] |
| Speed | 16 knots (18 mph; 30 km/h)[4] |
| Notes | Refrigeration by Haslam & Newton, Ltd., cooling 285,000 cubic feet (8,100 m3) of cargo space delivering 6,840,000 cubic feet (194,000 m3) of chilled air per hour.[2] |
Contessa was a refrigerated cargo and passenger ship of 5,512 GRT built by Barclay, Curle & Co., Glasgow for Vaccaro Brothers & Company launched 18 February 1930.[2][1][3] The ship, along with sister ship Cefalu, served ports in the United States (New York and New Orleans), Cuba, and Central America specifically La Ceiba, Honduras which is still a port for the fruit trade.[5] The ship became part of the Standard Fruit Company, a company established by Vaccaro Brothers, and operated as a cargo passenger vessel until taken over at New Orleans by the War Shipping Administration (WSA) on 29 May 1942 with Standard Fruit Company remaining as the WSA operating agent.[6] The ship was later bareboat sub chartered to the United States War Department 14 July 1943 and operated in the Army's Southwest Pacific Area local fleet under the local fleet number X-96 from 18 September 1943 into 1945 as a troop ship.[6][7] The ship was returned to WSA with Standard Fruit again its agent on 28 May 1946 in Brooklyn until returned to the company for commercial operation at New Orleans on 20 August 1947.[6]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Lloyd's Register (PDF). Lloyd's Register. 1934–1935. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ a b c Lloyd's Register—Vessels Fitted With Refrigerating Appliances (PDF). Lloyd's Register. 1930–1931. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ a b c "The Clyde Built Ships". The Clyde Ships Data Base. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ Bykofsky & Larson 1990, p. 148, fn #32.
- ^ Larsson, Björn (2 April 2011). "Standard Fruit & Steamship Co. (Vaccaro Line)". Maritime Timetable Images. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ a b c Maritime Administration. "Contessa". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ Masterson 1949, pp. 346, Appendix 30, p. 2.
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