:SS Charles F. Amidon
{{Short description|Liberty ship of World War II}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = File:SS Charles F Amidon.png | Ship caption = Charles F. Amidon on 27 December 1943 }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship country = United States | Ship flag = {{USN flag|1947}} | Ship name = Charles F. Amidon | Ship namesake = Charles F. Amidon | Ship owner = | Ship ordered = | Ship awarded = | Ship builder = Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation | Ship original cost = | Ship yard number = 781 | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = 24 September 1943 | Ship launched = 11 October 1943 | Ship sponsor = | Ship christened = | Ship completed = 19 October 1943 | Ship acquired = | Ship commissioned = | Ship decommissioned = | Ship in service = | Ship out of service = March 1961 | Ship renamed = | Ship reclassified = | Ship refit = | Ship struck = | Ship reinstated = | Ship homeport = Portland | Ship identification = *Callsign: KUBH
| Ship motto = | Ship nickname = | Ship honors = | Ship captured = | Ship fate = Scrapped, 1961 | Ship notes = | Ship badge = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Ship class = {{Liberty ship class}} | Ship type = | Ship tonnage = {{Liberty ship tonnage}} | Ship displacement = {{Liberty ship displacement}} | Ship length = {{Liberty ship length}} | Ship beam = {{Liberty ship beam}} | Ship draft = {{Liberty ship draft}} | Ship capacity = {{Liberty ship cargo capacity}} | Ship hold depth = | Ship power = {{Liberty ship power}} | Ship propulsion = {{Liberty ship propulsion|8}} | Ship complement = {{Liberty ship complement}} | Ship armament = {{Liberty ship armament}} | Ship speed = {{Liberty ship speed}} | Ship notes = }} |
SS Charles F. Amidon was an American Liberty ship built in 1943 for service in World War II. Her namesake was Charles F. Amidon, an American Judge from 1896 to 1928.
Description
{{main|Liberty ship}}
The ship was {{Convert|442|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}} long overall ({{Convert|417|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}} between perpendiculars, {{Convert|427|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on}} waterline), with a beam of {{Convert|57|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on}}. She had a depth of {{convert|34|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}} and a draught of {{Convert|27|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}}. She was assessed at {{GRT|7,210}}, {{NRT|4,880}}, {{DWT|10,856}}.{{cite web|last=Davies|first=James|year=2012|title=Liberty Cargo Ships|url=http://ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf|work=ww2ships.com|page=23|accessdate=7 May 2012}}{{cite journal|year=1943|title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motorships|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/44/44b0113.pdf|journal=Lloyd's Register|publisher=Lloyd's|accessdate=21 June 2021}}
She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of {{convert|24.5|in|cm}}, {{convert|37|in|cm}} and {{convert|70|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|70|in|cm}} stroke. The engine was built by the Worthington Pump & Machinery Corporation, Harrison, New Jersey. It drove a single screw propeller, which could propel the ship at {{convert|11|kn|km/h}}.
Construction and career
This ship was built by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland. She was laid down on 24 September 1943 and launched on 11 October 1943, later completed on 19 October 1943. She was operated by the Grace Lines{{Cite web|date=May 2004|title=Oregon Shipbuilding Corp. Liberty Ships|url=http://ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf|access-date=12 January 2022|website=WW2Ships|page=108 of 164}}{{Cite web|title=CHARLES F. AMIDON|url=https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/882|access-date=2022-01-11|website=vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov}}
She departed Colombo together with Convoy JC 54B on 4 July 1944 for Calcutta while carrying army stores, she arrived six days later.{{Cite web|title=Convoy JC.54B|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=BEN%20H%20MILLER~armain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}} The ship returned to Colombo with Convoy CJ 37 on 2 August.{{Cite web|title=Convoy CJ.37|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/misc/index.html?yy.php?convoy=CJ.37!~miscmain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}} Carlos Carrillo together with Convoy GUS 50 departed from Port Said, on 23 August, for Hampton Roads.{{Cite web|title=Convoy GUS.50|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/gus/index.html?gus.php?convoy=50!~gusmain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}} She again departed from Hampton Roads for Port Said with Convoy UGS 57 from 12 October until 18 September.{{Cite web|title=Convoy UGS.57|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ugs/index.html?ugs.php?convoy=57!~ugsmain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}} The ship then left with Convoy GUS 57, for Cristóbal, from 15 November until 2 December.{{Cite web|title=Convoy GUS.57|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/gus/index.html?gus.php?convoy=57!~gusmain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}}
Throughout 1945, Charles F. Amidon made independent trips to Eniwetok, Port Townsend, Hagushi, Kossol Roads, Tacloban, Pearl Harbor, San Francisco, Ulithi, Okinawa, Takuu and Balboa.{{Cite web|title=Charles F. Amidon's Convoys|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=BEN%20H%20MILLER~armain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}} On 15 February 1945, she was in the Pacific Ocean at position {{coord|36|55|N|126|05|W}} when she mistook the U.S. Navy submarine {{USS|Crevalle|SS-291}} for a Japanese submarine and opened gunfire on her at a range of {{convert|2,800|yd|sigfig=3}}, firing eight rounds and claiming two hits. All rounds actually missed, and Crevalle — which reported her own position as {{coord|36|54|N|126|02|W}} — suffered no damage or casualties.Hinman & Campbell, pp. 40–41.
In 1946, Charles F. Amidon was transferred to the United States Department of Commerce in Portland, Oregon.{{Cite web|title=D/S Charles F. Amidon - Sjøhistorie|url=https://www.sjohistorie.no/en/skip/620557/https:/www.sjohistorie.no/en/skip/620557/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.sjohistorie.no}} In March 1961, she was then sold to Zidell Explorations Inc., Tacoma for opphogging.
Charles F. Amidon was scrapped in 1961 after being sold to Ankom on 16 March 1961.Miramar Ship Index
References
=Citations=
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=hkupDwAAQBAJ&dq=LApon+raton&pg=PA181 Hinman, Charles R., and Douglas E. Campbell. The Submarine Has No Friends: Friendly Fire Incidents Involving U.S. Submarines During World War II. Syneca Research Group, Inc., 2019.] {{ISBN|978-0-359-76906-3}}.
{{February 1945 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles F. Amidon}}
Category:Ships built in Portland, Oregon
Category:Maritime incidents in February 1945
Category:Friendly fire incidents of World War II
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