American Victory Museum
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Namesake: | American University |
| Builder: | California Shipbuilding (Calship) |
| Yard number: | 272 |
| Laid down: | 30 March 1945 |
| Launched: | 24 May 1945 |
| Acquired: | 20 June 1945 |
| In service: | 1945 |
| Out of service: | 1969 (Final) |
| Identification: | IMO number: 5014680 |
| Status: | Museum Ship, Tampa, Florida |
| Notes: | Ship radio callsign: KKUI |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | VC2-S-AP2 Victory Ship |
| Tonnage: | 10,750 long tons deadweight (DWT) |
| Length: | 455 ft (139 m) |
| Beam: | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Draft: | 28 ft 6 in (8.69 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph) |
| Range: | 23,500 mi (20,400 nmi; 37,800 km) |
| Capacity: | 500,000 cu ft (14,000 m3) (approximate) |
| Complement: | 62 United States Merchant Marine and United States Navy Armed Guard |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
Modern Surface Search Radar, fitted in 1980's |
| Armament: | |
| Aircraft carried: | none |
| Aviation facilities: | none |
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| Location | 705 Channelside Dr, Berth 271, Tampa, Florida |
| Coordinates | 27°56′38″N 82°26′39″W / 27.94389°N 82.44417°WCoordinates: 27°56′38″N 82°26′39″W / 27.94389°N 82.44417°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1945, in just 55 days |
| Built by | California Shipbuilding Corporation, Terminal Island, Los Angeles, CA |
| NRHP reference # | 01001533 |
| Added to NRHP | February 4, 2002 |
SS American Victory is a Victory ship which saw brief service in the Pacific Theater of Operations during the waning months of World War II, Korean War from 1951-1954, and Vietnam War from 1967-1969. Built in June 1945, she carried ammunition and other cargo from U.S. West Coast ports to Southeast Asia, then ferried cargo, equipment and troops back to the U.S. after the war ended. She survived two typhoons, and one hurricane. She sailed across the world twice.
American Victory spent half of the period between 1946 and 1966 chartered to commercial carriers and the other half in two stints in U.S. reserve fleets. From 1966 to 1969 she delivered cargo to Southeast Asia in the Vietnam War, then three decades again in reserve. In April 1999, she was turned over to a preservation organization to serve as a museum ship. Today she is the main feature of the American Victory Ship & Museum, also known as the American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship in Tampa, Florida's Channel District.
Named after American University in Washington, D.C., the ship was built at the California Shipbuilding Yard (Calship) in Los Angeles, California in just 55 days and was delivered on 20 June 1945. SS American Victory was at first assigned to the U.S. Army at Fort Mason, California. She was a United States Merchant Marine ship operated by the American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines. She loaded up cargo at a few west coast ports and streamed to Manila in the Philippines. Manila had been liberated on March 3, 1945 and was in need of supplies. She took her remaining cargo to Shanghai, China. In November 1945, she sailed to Calcutta and Port Said, Egypt and load military cargo to be returned to the USA. She arrived in New York in January 1946 and unloaded her cargo, having completed her around the world trip. At the end of the war she ferried more cargo, equipment and troops stateside.
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