World War II United States Merchant Navy

{{Further|Maritime history of the United States during World War II}}

The ships were operated by volunteer civilian crews, that were employed and trained by private shipping and passenger companies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/merchant-marine-were-unsung-heroes-world-war-ii-180959253/|title=The Merchant Marine Were the Unsung Heroes of World War II|first=Smithsonian|last=Magazine|website=Smithsonian Magazine}}{{cite web |title=General Quarters! All Hands to Battle Stations! General Quarters! |publisher=American Merchant Marine at War |date=March 30, 2002 |url=http://www.usmm.org/gunnery.html |accessdate=22 June 2021 |archive-date=22 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422160512/http://www.usmm.org/gunnery.html |url-status=dead }} Most ships had armament for self defense, most ships had deck guns manned by United States Navy Armed Guard from the US Navy Troops. The 144,857 strong Navy Armed Guards also operated the radio, semaphore-signal flags, and the signal lamp. Navy Armed Guard were also training in first aid. United States Navy Armed Guard operated on 6,200 ships by the end of the war. Cross training with the ship's crew to cover roles was often completed.{{cite web |title=U.S. Navy Armed Guard and U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II - A Little-Known Story |publisher=Project Liberty Ship |date=February 11, 2014 |url=https://www.armed-guard.com/ |accessdate=22 June 2021}}{{cite web |title=Mariners and Armed Guard Together at the Guns |publisher=American Merchant Marine at War |date=April 24, 2002 |url=http://www.usmm.org/wsa/currier.html |accessdate=March 30, 2002 }}{{cite web |title=Clarification of Gun duties and training of Merchant Marine Mariners aboard ship |publisher=American Merchant Marine at War |date=February 25, 2002 |url=http://www.usmm.org/gunduty.html |accessdate=22 June 2021 |archive-date=4 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804054818/http://www.usmm.org/gunduty.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Armed Guard - Sea Lane Vigilantes |publisher=Project Liberty Ship |date= |year= |url=https://www.armed-guard.com/item07.html |accessdate=22 June 2021 |archive-date=31 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531045847/https://www.armed-guard.com/item07.html |url-status=dead }} In 1943 the United States Merchant Marine Academy was founded to train Merchant Marine officers.[https://books.google.com/books?id=0ikDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA25 "New School To Train Ships Officers"] Popular Science, May 1935{{cite web|url=http://www.melvillehall.com/history.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201200220/http://www.melvillehall.com/history.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 December 2010|title=A Brief History|access-date=17 August 2015}}[http://www.usmm.org/men_ships.html#anchor191801 American Merchant Marine Heroes and their Gallant Ships in World War II]

{{quote box

|width = 40%

|align = right

|quote=The men of our American Merchant Marine have pushed through despite the perils of the submarine, the dive bomber and the surface raider. They have returned voluntarily to their jobs at sea again and again, because they realized that the life-lines to our battle fronts would be broken if they did not carry out their vital part in this global war. . . In their hands, our vital supply lines are expanding. Their skill and determination will keep open the highway to victory and unconditional surrender. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1943{{Cite web|url=http://www.usmm.org/quotes.html#anchor2778174|title=Quotes about American Merchant Marine from Presidents, Military and National Leaders|website=www.usmm.org}}}}

Merchant Navy at its peak had over 215,000 men operating the Merchant Navy ships. The losses by the end of the war was 8,651 crew deaths. Merchant Marine were killed at a per capita rate much higher than those of the combined United States Armed Forces.[https://www.armed-guard.com/sunk.html armed-guard.com Ships sunk] Merchant Navy crews were killed at a rate of 1 in 26 (US Navy rate was 1 in 114).{{Cite web|url=http://www.usmm.org/casualty.html|title=American Merchant Marine Casualties|website=www.usmm.org|access-date=2022-06-20|archive-date=2006-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025181658/http://www.usmm.org/casualty.html|url-status=dead}} The greatest loss was in the Battle of the Atlantic due to U-boat torpedo or deck gun attacks. During the war 3.1 million tons of US merchant ships were sunk in 733 ships. Merchant ships were lost due to submarines, destroyers, naval mines, armed raiders, gun boats, aircraft attacks, kamikaze attacks, grounding and ocean storms. Convoy system with destroyers, escort carriers, submarine chasers, planes and other support, reduced losses by 1944.{{Citation | url = http://www.usmm.org/casualty.html | title = American Merchant Marine Casualties | publisher = USMM | access-date = 2013-07-23 | archive-date = 2006-10-25 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061025181658/http://www.usmm.org/casualty.html | url-status = dead }}.{{cite web |url= http://www.marad.dot.gov/education/history/flag.html |title= U.S. Merchant Marine Flag |access-date= 2007-03-30 |work= U.S. Maritime Administration |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070715021107/http://www.marad.dot.gov/education/history/flag.html |archive-date= 2007-07-15 |url-status= dead }} Merchant Navy ship sunk or captured by Imperial Japan caused 609 crewmen to be captured as prisoners of war, many died in prison.[http://www.usmm.org/duffymerchant.html usmm.org Merchant Marine POW's and MIA's, by Captain George W. Duffy][http://www.usmm.org/women.html usmm.org Women Mariners in World War II, 5 killed][http://www.usmm.org/pownames.html American Merchant Marine Prisoners of War or Civilian Internees during World War II]

File:USS Antares (AK-258).jpg]]

file:Liberty ship at sea.jpg of World War II]]

The Emergency Shipbuilding Program built many types of ships to support the war. The most numerous ships were the 2,710 cargo Liberty ships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/liberty-ships-and-victory-ships-america-s-lifeline-in-war-teaching-with-historic-places.htm|title=Liberty Ships and Victory Ships, America's Lifeline in War (Teaching with Historic Places) (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov}} Liberty ships were built between 1941 and 1945, with a new module assembly process so that about three ships were built every two days.{{cite web |url= http://www.usmm.org/libertyships.html |title= Liberty Ships built by the United States Maritime Commission in World War II |website= usmm.org |publisher= American Merchant Marine at War |access-date= 2021-11-28 |quote= (2,710 ships were completed, as one burned at the dock.) |archive-date= 2008-05-09 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080509091805/http://www.usmm.org/libertyships.html |url-status= dead }} Victory ships were a faster replacement ship for the Merchant Navy. Between 1944 and 1946, 531 Victory ships were built, with some to the US Navy and 414 to the Merchant Navy.Jaffee, Capt. Walter W., The Lane Victory: The Last Victory Ship in War and in Peace, 2nd ed., p. 14, The Glencannon Press, Palo Alto, CA, 1997.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maritime.dot.gov/multimedia/victory-ship|title=Victory Ship | MARAD|website=www.maritime.dot.gov}}

The Merchant Navy also operated: other cargo ships like: Type N3, Type C1, Type C2, Type C3, and the largest Type C4. Merchant Navy operated tanker ships like: T1 tanker, T2 tanker and the largest T3 Tankers for fuel oil, aviation gasoline, and Diesel fuel. Merchant Navy operated special ships like: Type L6, called Lakers, Type P1 small Passenger ships, Type P2 Passenger, Type R, refrigerated cargo ships, Type B Barges and Type V Tugboats. The Merchant Navy operated Troopships, both passenger ships and cargo ships converted to troopships. For World War II 97 Victory ships temporarily were converted to troopship.[http://www.usmm.org/troopships.html usmm.org Troopships] By the end of the war over 11,000 ships were under the control of the War Shipping Administration.{{Cite web|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/m/merchant-ship-shapes.html|title=Merchant Ship Shapes|website=NHHC}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ww2ships.com/documents/doc0002-ship_types.shtml|title=World War Two Ships: Ship Types|website=www.ww2ships.com}}

Many World War 2 surplus merchant ships were removed from the National Defense Reserve Fleet and put into action to support the Korean War and Vietnam War.{{Cite web|url=http://www.usmm.org/koreaships.html|title=American Merchant Marine Ships Participating in Korean War|website=www.usmm.org|access-date=2022-06-20|archive-date=2022-08-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809060915/http://usmm.org/koreaships.html|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.usmm.org/vietnam.html|title=U.S. Merchant Marine in Vietnam|website=www.usmm.org|access-date=2022-06-20|archive-date=2013-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120223022/http://www.usmm.org/vietnam.html|url-status=dead}}

At the end of the war, the US Merchant Navy was given the task of helping bring Troops and for some their war brides home, called Operation Magic Carpet. Some traveled on Navy ships, but many of the 3,500,000 men and women came home on Merchant Navy ships, call troopships.{{cite web|last1=Milstein|first1=Stewart B|title=Operation Magic Carpet|url=http://www.uscs.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DS31_Operation-MagicCarpet.pdf|website=Universal Ship Cancellation Society|access-date=25 May 2018|date=April 2008|archive-date=19 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219054729/https://www.uscs.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/DS31_Operation-MagicCarpet.pdf|url-status=dead}} Some of the US Merchant Navy continued in post-war relief efforts and general cargo shipping to help nations around the world recover from the devastating war. The Seagoing cowboys did United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation work from 1945 to 1947. Seagoing cowboys use cargo ships with added cages and horse stalls to take livestock to war-torn nations.{{Cite web|url=http://www.swarthmore.edu/library/peace/conscientiousobjection/CPSResources/SeagoingCowboys.html|title=Seagoing Cowboys notes (CPS), Swarthmore College Peace Collection|website=www.swarthmore.edu}}{{Cite web|url=https://seagoingcowboyswebsite.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/about_unrrareport_bydate.pdf|title=seagoingcowboys.com, The UNRRA Years, shipments by date}}{{Cite web|url=https://seagoingcowboys.com/seagoing-cowboys/cowboy-stories/|title=Cowboy Stories|date=October 23, 2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://seagoingcowboysblog.wordpress.com/category/seagoing-cowboy-obituaries/|title=Seagoing cowboy obituaries – The Seagoing Cowboys|website=The Seagoing Cowboys|date=31 March 2023 }} Many merchant ships were placed in the Reserve Fleet after the war, some were sold, many scrapped and a few became museum ships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maritime.dot.gov/history/vessels-maritime-administration/james-river-reserve-fleet|title=James River Reserve Fleet | MARAD|website=www.maritime.dot.gov}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.virginiaplaces.org/military/jamesriverreservefleet.html|title=James River Reserve Fleet|website=www.virginiaplaces.org}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHzD1habYBo|title=The Mothball Fleet|date=7 November 2019 |via=www.youtube.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqNKreV8KGg|title=The USN Mothball Fleet - Storing up for a rainy day|date=21 July 2021 |via=www.youtube.com}}

• American Merchant Marine Veterans Memorial in San Pedro, California.
• World War II Merchant Marine Memorial Coyote Point Park in San Mateo County, California{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/world-war-ii-merchant-marine-memorial-finally-gets-a-head/1906303/|title=World War II Merchant Marine Memorial Finally Gets a Head|first=Joe Jr.|last=Rosato|date=3 December 2011 }}
• American Merchant Mariners Memorial in Battery Park, New York Harbor{{cite web | url=https://nymaritime.org/the-american-merchant-mariners-memorial-needs-your-help-now/ | title=The American Merchant Mariners Memorial NEEDS YOUR HELP NOW }}
• Navy – Merchant Marine Memorial in Washington, D.C.
• Action in the North Atlantic 1943 movie with Humphrey Bogart.
• The Rebels of PT-218, (The Rebels of World War II) a 2021 movie about the a Liberty ship that became a war ship.{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt13497908/trivia/|title=The Rebels of PT-218 (2021) - IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}
• The Men Who Sailed the Liberty Ships Film of Veterans of the American merchant marine in World War II tell their story.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0269538/|title=The Men Who Sailed the Liberty Ships|via=IMDb}}
• Forgotten Victory SS Lane Victory 2021 Documentary {{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15314218/|title=Forgotten Victory|date=September 1, 2021|via=IMDb}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDZajESVXZo Onboard a Liberty Ship, 1940s US Navy, WWII] US Navy color film
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78zu7hSXS-k SS Hannibal Victory] 1945 Documentary film.
• List of United States Merchant Navy Film and TV shows
• Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park

• {{SS|Cynthia Olson}}'s crew were the first American casualties of the war on 8 AM on December 7, 1941.
• SS Jean Nicolet, torpedoed by a Japanese submarine I-8 on July 2, 1944, off Ceylon. Crew saved and then most killed by Japanese.{{cite web |url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-8.htm |title=IJN Submarine I-8: Tabular Record of Movement |first1=Bob |last1=Hackett |first2=Sander |last2=Kingsepp |work=combinedfleet.com |date=July 1, 2016|access-date=20 December 2021}}{{Cite book|last=Edwards |first=Bernard |title=Blood and Bushido: Japanese Atrocities at Sea 1941–1945 |year=1997 |publisher=Brick Tower P0ress |location=New York |isbn=1-883283-18-3}}
• {{SS|American Victory}}, {{SS|Lane Victory}}, {{SS|Red Oak Victory}}, {{SS|John W. Brown}}, {{SS|Jeremiah O'Brien}}, {{SS|Arthur M. Huddell}}, survived the war and scrapping to become museum ships.
• {{SS|Canada Victory}}, {{SS|Hobbs Victory}}, {{SS|Logan Victory}}, {{SS| John Burke}}, {{SS|Lewis L. Dyche}} each an ammunition ship, were attacked and sank with an explosion after kamikaze attack in 1945.
• Ships of Convoy PQ 17, 24 merchant ships sunk and 153 merchant mariners killed in 1942.
• {{SS|E. A. Bryan}} had a munitions explosion on July 17, 1944, at Port Chicago, California.
• {{SS|Patrick Henry}} was built in 4 days, 15 hours and 29 minutes, a record.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jaxhistory.org/liberty-ships/|title=Liberty Ships|date=August 28, 2014}}
• {{SS|Albert M. Boe}}, the last Liberty ship built, is now the headquarters of Trident Seafoods in Kodiak, Alaska.
• SS Ohio was attacked in a Malta convoy and was still able to deliver needed fuel in Operation Pedestal to Malta (called the saviour of the beleaguered island).{{cite book |last=Holland |first=James |year=2005 |title=Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege, 1940–1943 |publisher=Cassell Military |isbn=0-304-36654-4 }}{{cite book |last=Spooner |first=Tony |year=1996 |title=Supreme Gallantry: Malta's Role in the Allied Victory, 1939–1945 |place=London }}
• {{SS|Stephen Hopkins}} sank the German commerce raider Stier in a ship-to-ship gun battle in 1942.Sawyer, L. A. and Mitchell, W. H. The Liberty Ships: The History of the "Emergency" Type Cargo Ships Constructed in the United States During the Second World War, Second Edition, pp. 13, 141-2, Lloyd's of London Press Ltd., London, England, 1985. {{ISBN|1-85044-049-2}}.
• {{SS|St. Lawrence Victory}} and SS Winthrop Victory were present in Tokyo Bay on Victory over Japan Day on September 2, 1945.
• {{SS|Lawton B. Evans}} became a war ship in the Battle of Anzio, an eight-day battle the ship shot down five German planes.{{cite letter

| last=Jacobs

| first=Randall

| author-link=Randall Jacobs

| recipient=O'ROURKE, Calvin Stoddard, Seaman First Class, United States Reserve

| title=SS Lawton B. Evans Commendation |location=Washington, DC

| publisher=Navy Department, Bureau of Naval Personnel

| date=1944-06-24

| url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SS_Lawton_B._Evans_Commendation.pdf

| id=Pers-68-MH MM/822 62 83

| via=Wikimedia Commons

| access-date=2020-11-01}}

File:WarShippingAdministrationatWar-1.gif

File:"Merchant seamen deliver what is takes to blast the axis" - NARA - 515005.tif

File:Lane Victory.jpg at dock, a museum ship Los Angeles, California]]

{{quote box

|width = 40%

|align = right

|quote="The men and ships of the Merchant Marine have participated in every landing operation by the United States Marine Corps from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima -- and we know they will be at hand with supplies and equipment when American amphibious forces hit the beaches of Japan itself." Lt. Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift, U. S. Marine Corps CommandantBenefits to Merchant Seamen: Hearings Before the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 1945, page 63}}

At its peak, about 130 companies served as ship operators for the War Shipping Administration.[https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/ATO/Admin/WSA/MMatWar-44/index.html ibiblio.org, War Shipping Administration]

American steamship companies operating merchant ships in World War II:{{Cite web|url=http://www.usmm.org/wsa/operators.html|title=Steamship Company Operators of American Flag Ships during World War II|website=www.usmm.org|access-date=2022-06-20|archive-date=2021-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927074018/http://usmm.org/wsa/operators.html|url-status=dead}}

File:Type T2-SE-A1 tanker Hat Creek underway at sea on 16 August 1943.jpg {{SS|Hat Creek||2}} in August 1943]]

File:AO-72 Niobrara.jpg, a T3 tanker]]

American steamship companies operating merchant tanker ships in World War II:

{{Commons|United States Merchant Marine}}

{{Commons category|Victory ships}}

{{Commons category|Liberty ships}}

{{Commons category|T2 tanker (ship type)|T2 tanker}}

• Merchant Marine Act of 1936
• James River, Reserve Fleet
• History of the United States Merchant Marine
• Awards and decorations of the United States Merchant Marine
• United States Maritime Service
• Merchant Navy (United Kingdom)
• Royal Fleet Auxiliary
• The Marine Society
• United States home front during World War II

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qDxqBvK3NA&t=306s, youtube How A Cargo Ship Helped Win WW2: The Liberty Ship Story]
• [http://www.usmm.org American Merchant Marine at War] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228093342/http://www.usmm.org/ |date=2011-02-28 }}
• [http://www.usmm.org/casualty.html Casualty statistics World War II] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025181658/http://www.usmm.org/casualty.html |date=2006-10-25 }}
• [http://www.usmm.org/heroes.html Recipients of Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal]
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20010202125500/http://www.usmm.net/ United States Merchant Marine in history]}}
• [https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/ATO/USGM/MC.html ibiblio.org United States Maritime Commission]
• [https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Admin-Hist/172-ArmedGuards/172-AG-3.html ibiblio.org Defense of Merchant Navy ]
• [https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/Admin-Hist/173-ArmedGuards/173-AG-1.html ibiblio.org, US Armed Guards]

{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{Liberty ships}}

{{Victory ships}}

{{Type T2-SE-A1 tankers}}

{{Type C1-A ships}}

{{Type C1-B ships}}

{{Type C1-M ships}}

{{Type C1-S ships}}

{{MARCOMships}}

{{WWII US ships}}

Category:Liberty ships

Category:Victory ships

Category:Maritime history of the United States