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S.S. Chickasaw City


 
Gross Tonnage:6,196Net:3,849
Dimensions:395' 5" x 55' 0" x 31' 4"MC Type:1037
 
Builder:Chickasaw Shipbuilding & Car Co.
Chickasaw, AL
Hull #
USMC Hull #
Date of Build:
Delivered:
1

1920
5/20
Engines:3SB(Spt), 9cf, GS181, HS8919 FDEngine Builder:Hooven, Owens Rentschler Co.
Hamilton, Ontario
Navigation:GyCDecks, etc.:1 Deck(Stl) & Shelter Deck(Stl), Web Frames & Longitudinal Framing, Fitted for Oil Fuel

Began Isthmian Service:1920Ended Isthmian Service:1942

----------------------------------- Vessel History -----------------------------------
Date
Vessel
#
Vessel
Name
Vessel
Owner
Call Ltrs
Home
Port
Flag
1920
219875
Chickasaw CityU.S. Steel Products Co.
New York
LWHC
New YorkUS
1930
219875
Chickasaw CitySeptember: Isthmian Lines, Inc.
New York
LWHC
New YorkUS
1933
219875
Chickasaw CityIsthmian Lines, Inc.
New York
KUNZ
New YorkUS

Events:
12/29/22: In Liverpool the Master, George A. Saunders, disappears, never to be seen again.
7/24: Converted from coal to fuel oil, the last of the new fleet to be converted.

Disposition DateComments
194210/7 - At 5:02 AM, while steaming a 9 knot nonevasive course from Cape Town, South Africa to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, position 34.00 S, 17.16 E about 85 miles SW of Cape Town, with 1,400 tons chrome ore, coffee and hides, John Walker Monton Master, the U-172 (Emmerman) spotted the vessel burning dim navigation lights. Two torpedos struck the starboard side, rupturing the double bottoms and after deck. The engine watch secured the engines as the ship sank in just 3 minutes. The complement of 10 officers, 27 crewmen, 11 armed guards and 1 passenger launched 1 boat, 2 rafts and 2 floats. The U-Boat Captain questioned the crew about the cargo before leaving the scene. The Corvette HMS ROCKROSE (K-51) rescued 42 survivors 38 hours later, landing them at Cape Town. Five crewmen, 1 armed guard and the passenger died.

Dutch vessel "ZAANDAM", carrying survivors from the "CHICKASAW CITY" was sunk several hundred miles off the coast of Brazil on voyage from Capetown to US repatriating suvivors from numerous ships, sunk by two torpedos. Vessel broke in two, 300 on board, 185 lives lost. Survivors picked up after six days. Reference "Heroes in Dungarees", page 142.


Photo courtesy of Knickles Studio & Gallery © 2004 - All rights reserved.
For a copy, please contact John at kingwell@ns.sympatico.ca.






The information on this web site is the kind contribution of our Historian, Skip Lewis, © 2003. Skip, whose dad sailed for Isthmian, is an avid collector and researcher of everything Isthmian and States Marine. In his quest, he has used many sources and publications including Lloyd's of London and Imperial Steel by John Atherton.

If you have any questions about, or information for, this website, please contact us.

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