SS Western Maid
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image = Western Maid.jpg |Ship caption = Western Maid, 13 August 1918 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header = |Ship name =*Western Maid (1918)
|Ship owner =*United States Shipping Board (1918)
|Ship operator =*United States Shipping Board (1918)
|Ship registry =*{{flagicon|US|1912}} Portland, United States (1918-40)
|Ship route = |Ship ordered = |Ship builder = Northwest Steel Co |Ship original cost = |Ship yard number = 13 |Ship way number = |Ship laid down = |Ship launched = 8 July 1918 |Ship completed = August 1918 |Ship commissioned = 17 August 1918 |Ship decommissioned = 20 March 1919 |Ship christened = |Ship acquired = |Ship maiden voyage = 21 August 1918 |Ship in service = 21 August 1918 |Ship out of service = 1 October 1945 |Ship identification =*US Official Number 120372 (1918)
|Ship fate = Scuttled |Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header = |Header caption = |Ship type =Cargo ship
|Ship displacement = |Ship length = {{convert|409.8|ft}} between perpendiculars; {{convert|423|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}} overall{{citation needed|date=March 2013}} |Ship beam = {{convert|54.2|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship height = |Ship draught = 24 feet 0½ inch (7.33 m){{citation needed|date=March 2013}} |Ship depth = {{convert|27.2|ft|abbr=on}} or {{convert|29|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}}{{citation needed|date=March 2013}} |Ship decks = |Ship deck clearance = |Ship range = |Ship power = 594 NHP |Ship propulsion = DeLaval double reduction-geared steam turbine; single screw |Ship speed = {{convert|15|kn|km/h}}{{cite web |url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?115831 |title=SS Empire Cormorant [+1945] |publisher=Wrecksite |access-date=16 April 2011}} |Ship capacity = |Ship crew = |Ship notes = |Ship complement = 70{{citation needed|date=March 2013}} }} |
{{location map|British Isles Oceans|width=304
|lat=55.5
|long=-11.0
|caption=Position of the scuttling of Empire Cormorant.
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Western Maid was a {{GRT|5760|link=off}} cargo ship that was built in 1918 by the Northwest Steel Company, Portland, Oregon, USA. She was built for the United States Shipping Board (USSB), but was commissioned into the United States Navy on completion as USS Western Maid, with the pennant number ID-3703. In 1919 she was decommissioned and returned to the USSB. In 1937 she was passed to the United States Maritime Commission. In 1940 she was transferred to the British Ministry of Shipping and renamed Empire Cormorant, passing to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) in 1941. In 1945 she was scuttled in the North Atlantic with a cargo of obsolete war matériel.
Description
The ship was built in 1918 by Northwest Steel Co, Portland, Oregon. Yard number 13,{{cite web |url= http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/merchantships/wwi/pacific.htm |title=General Cargo Ships Built in Pacific Coast Shipyards |publisher=Shipbuilding History |access-date=16 March 2011}} she was launched in August 1918,{{cite book |last1= Mitchell |first1=W.H. |last2=Sawyer |first2=L.A. |year=1995 |title=The Empire Ships |page=not cited |publisher= Lloyd's of London Press Ltd |location= London, New York, Hamburg, Hong Kong |isbn=1-85044-275-4}} and completed that month.{{cite web|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-civil/civsh-w/wn-maid.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040908001826/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-civil/civsh-w/wn-maid.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 September 2004 |title=S.S. Western Maid (American Freighter, 1918). Served as USS Western Maid (ID # 3703) in 1918-1919 |publisher=Naval History & Heritage Command |access-date=16 April 2011}}
She had a depth of {{convert|27.2|ft|abbr=on}} or {{convert|29|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}}{{citation needed|date=March 2013}} and a draught of 24 feet {{frac|1|2}} inch (7.33 m).{{cite DANFS |title= Western Maid |url= http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w6/western_maid.htm |access-date= 16 April 2011}} Her tonnages were {{GRT|5760}}, 5,139 tons under deck; {{NRT|3,503,}} {{DWT|12185}}.
Her engine was a steam turbine made by the De Laval Steam Turbine Co of Trenton, New Jersey. It was rated at 594 NHP and drove her single screw propeller via double reduction gearing. This made her a comparatively fast freighter for her day, capable of up to {{convert|15|kn|km/h}}.
History
Originally laid down as Aisne for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, she was taken over by the USSB and launched as Western Maid. On completion, the ship was passed to the United States Navy and commissioned on 17 August 1918 as USS Western Maid, with the pennant number ID-3703. She was operated by the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. The Official Number 120372 was allocated.
Western Maid started her maiden voyage on 21 August 1918, transporting a cargo of flour from Portland to Arica, Chile, and a cargo of nitrates from Arica to New Orleans, Louisiana via the Panama Canal, arriving on 23 October. Western Maid departed New Orleans on 11 November, taking 6,082 tons of general cargo to New York, where she arrived on 17 November. On 10 January 1919 Western Maid was allocated to the War Department for use as a transport. That day, Western Maid was involved in a collision in New York Harbor. The owners of the other vessel attempted to sue the USSB for damages, but the case was dismissed as it was held that Western Maid was "engaged in public service". She departed New York with a cargo of grain for Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom for delivery to the Food Administration Grain Corporation or resale to Allied governments.{{cite web |url= http://supreme.justia.com/us/257/419/case.html |title=THE WESTERN MAID, 257 U. S. 419 (1922) |publisher=US Supreme Court Center |access-date=16 April 2011}} Engine trouble forced a return to New York, and she resumed the voyage on 14 January. Western Maid called at Falmouth and Plymouth and then sailed to Rotterdam, Netherlands before returning to the United States, arriving at Baltimore, Maryland on 12 March 1919.
Western Maid was decommissioned on 20 March 1919 and returned to the USSB. By 1930 she had been allocated the United States Official Number 216754 and the Code Letters LKMT. In 1937, she was transferred to the United States Maritime Commission. In 1940, Western Maid was transferred to the British Ministry of Shipping and renamed Empire Cormorant. She was placed under the management of R Chapman & Son, Newcastle upon Tyne.{{cite web |url= http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireC.html |title=EMPIRE – C |publisher=Mariners |access-date=16 April 2011}} Her port of registry was London and she bore the UK Official Number 168086 and Code Letters GNFF. In 1941 Empire Cormorant was transferred to the MoWT, remaining under the management of Chapman.
Empire Cormorant was a member of Convoy HS 36, which departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 29 July 1942 and arrived at Sydney on 31 July.{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hs/index.html?hs.php?convoy=36!~hsmain |title=Convoy HS.36 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=16 April 2011}} Empire Cormorant then joined Convoy SC 97, which departed Halifax on 22 August and arrived at Liverpool, United Kingdom on 7 September. She was carrying general cargo bound for Cardiff, Wales.{{cite web |url= http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/sc97.html |title=CONVOY SC 97 |publisher=Warsailors |access-date=16 April 2011}} On 29 September 1943, Spitfire Vb aircraft BM177 was loaded on board Empire Cormorant. It was delivered to Portugal on 19 October. Empire Cormorant was a member of Convoy MKS 31, which departed Gibraltar on 23 November and arrived at Liverpool on 7 December. She was on a voyage from Casablanca, Morocco to the River Mersey with a cargo of phosphates.{{cite web |url= http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/sl/index.html?sl140.htm~slmain |title=Convoy SL.140 / MKS.31 |publisher=Convoyweb |access-date=16 April 2011}} On 3 January 1944, cargo loaded on board Empire Cormorant included Spitfire Vb aircraft W3648 and BM176. They were delivered to Portugal on 17 February.{{cite web|url= http://www.spitfire.ukf.net/p013.htm |title=Spitfire Production page 013 |publisher=Spitfire |access-date=16 April 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.spitfire.ukf.net/p026.htm |title=Spitfire Production page 026 |publisher=Spitfire |access-date=16 April 2011}}
=Scuttling=
In 1945 Empire Cormorant was loaded with a cargo of obsolete chemical ammunition and on 1 October she was scuttled in the North Atlantic beyond the continental shelf, 120 nautical miles (138 miles; 222 km) northwest of Ireland.{{cite book |last=Bowles |first=R |title=British Isles Explosive Dumping Grounds |location=London |publisher=Ministry of Defence |page=2}} Her wreck is at {{coord|55|30|N|11|00|W}} in {{convert|8200|ft|m}} of water.
Empire Cormorant was one of four redundant cargo ships that the Admiralty used to dispose of chemical ammunition in the same area of the North Atlantic in 1945. The others were {{SS|Empire Simba}} on 11 September, {{SS|Wairuna}} on 30 October, and {{SS|Lambridge}} on 30 December.{{cite web |url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?152796 |title=Pentridge Hill SS (1936~1939) Lambridge SS [+1945] |last1=Lettens |first1=Jan |last2=Allen |first2=Tony |date=27 December 2010 |work=The Wreck Site |access-date=20 June 2011}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Northwest Steel ships}}
{{Empire ships}}
{{October 1945 shipwrecks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Western Maid}}
Category:Auxiliary ships of the United States
Category:Maritime incidents in October 1945
Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Category:Merchant ships of the United States
Category:Ministry of War Transport ships
Category:Scuttled vessels of the United Kingdom
Category:Ships built in Portland, Oregon
Category:Ships of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique
Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean
Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom