SS Lane Victory Adventure August 2008
God Bless These Brave Men And Women Who Served In The Merchant Marines
A Cruise On The S.S. Lane Victory
Six times a year, during the summer, the SS Lane Victory leaves port for an all day adventure in order to teach people about the Merchant Marine in WWII. It was fun, entertaining, and educational! A great way to spend a Saturday! Please joint us in the adventure....
FDR 1943: "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.?
Click to see the full sized image of the Lane Victory
She began her first wartime journey on June 27, 1945, in the closing stages of World War II. She delivered munitions, loaded in Port Hueneme, California to Admiralty Island in the Pacific. She went on to serve with distinction in both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.
During the Korean War, Lane Victory's moment of glory came in December 1950, during the evacuation of Korean civilians and United Nations personnel from Wonsan. As the cruiser Saint Paul and destroyers laid down a covering fire, Lane Victory offloaded troops, vehicles and cargo. She then evacuated 7,010 men, women and children, taking them south to safety. When they arrived, 7,011 got off the ship....a baby had been born during the voyage.
In September 1966, Lane Victory joined the Vietnam War effort. She was returned to the Ready Reserve Fleet in 1970. In 1982, the U.S. Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II commenced efforts to acquire her. Their objective was twofold: to have her serve as a living memorial to the men and women of the U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S. Navy Armed Guard; and to operate her as a working museum dedicated to the maritime trades. She was towed from San Francisco to San Pedro in June 1989.
Lane Victory is now fully operational and is supported by 6 'Victory at Sea' WWII-Cruises each summer off Catalina Island. She has also been used as a set for many motion pictures and television productions. SS Lane Victory is a National Historic Landmark.
Our Adventure Began At 7:00 AM
Everything begins with a line but we got to visit some nice people and a group from Australia was interesting to talk to.
Paul was even patient while awaiting of turn to board the
vessel
We were trying to figure out where to roost fro the voyage making sure we had shade, a view, and air!
Great car on the dock reminding us of WWII
We
arrived at 7:00 to a throng of people! Full contingent of 800 today!
We are on and doing a quick walk-about finding the facilities and other important locations
The Lane Victory is directly underneath the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro
One San Pedro landmark is the Vincent Thomas Bridge, a 1,500-foot- long suspension bridge linking San Pedro with Terminal Island and named after California Assemblyman Vincent Thomas. It is the third longest suspension bridge in California. Nearby is the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, the largest maritime museum in California, as is the museum ship SS Lane Victory, a fully operational victory ship of World War II and National Historic Landmark.
We studied the seating arrangements and got the best seat in the house... We could listen to the music, we were in the shade, close to the food, and high enough to see
everything!
Click to see expanded view. We left from the main channel at the foot of the VT Bridge.
San Pedro Harbor
Our tug was right on time
The Tall Ship Festival Was Underway In San Pedro
USCGC Eagle (WIX-327), the United States' only active duty tall ship
We Are Headed For Catalina To Deliver The Goods!
Lazy seals lying on the buoy in the harbor sleeping the day away
Oil Oil Everywhere!
An oil platform or oil rig is a large structure used to house workers and machinery needed to drill and/or extract oil and natural gas through wells in the ocean bed. Depending on the circumstances, the platform may be attached to the ocean floor, consist of an artificial island, or be floating. Generally, oil platforms are located on the continental shelf, though as technology improves, drilling and production in deeper waters becomes both feasible and profitable. A typical platform may have around thirty wellheads located on the platform and directional drilling allows reservoirs to be accessed at both different depths and at remote positions up to 5 miles (8 kilometres) from the platform.
42,000,000 gallons each trip!
We Finally Leave The Breakwater For The Open Sea
We always wonder what they catch besides a cold?
Offshore breakwaters, also called bulkheads, reduce the intensity of
wave action in inshore waters and thereby reduce coastal erosion. They
are constructed some distance away from the coast or built with one end
linked to the coast. The breakwaters may be small structures, placed one
to three hundred feet offshore in relatively shallow water, designed to
protect a gently sloping beach. Breakwaters may be either fixed or
floating: the choice depends on normal water depth and tidal range.
When oncoming waves hit these breakwaters, their erosive power is
concentrated on these structures some distance away from the coast. In
this way, there is an area of slack water behind the breakwaters.
Deposition occurring in these waters and beaches can be built up or
extended in these waters. However, nearby unprotected sections of the
beaches do not receive fresh supplies of eroded sediments and may
gradually shrink due to erosion.
1940's Dancing Went On All Day!
Good music by a live band enabled us to dance during the adventure.
A Ceremony Planned To Honor The Fallen Merchant Marine Seamen
We did not know but in WWII, the chances of being killed if you were in the Merchant Marines was 1 in 27 and being killed as a Marine was 1 in 39! The Merchant Marine service was far more dangerous than the US Marines!
Most people stoof up with the hand over their hearts!
We Sat Too Long, Time To Wonder Around
I have been sitting too long!
No, I refuse to do the standing up on the front anf fly routine! I'll just hold the camera.
Amen to this sign. We pretty much saved the world from Hitler and the Japanese through the heroic exploits of our servicemen and women!
The Ship Is In Excellent Shape
"Look at these neat little handles!"
The 3" anti-aircraft gun was no air rifle!
One of the first acts of the United States War Shipping Administration when it was formed in February 1942 was to commission the design of the class, initially designated EC2-S-AP1, where EC2 = Emergency Cargo, type 2 (Load Waterline Length between 400 and 450 feet), S = steam propulsion with one propeller (EC2-S-C1 had been the designation of the Liberty ship design). It was changed to VC2-S-AP1, and the title Victory Ship officially adopted on 28 April 1943.
The VC2-S-AP2,VC2-S-AP3, and VC2-M-AP4 were armed with a 5 inch (127 mm) stern gun for use against submarines, a bow-mounted 3 inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun and eight 20 mm cannon, also for use against aircraft. These weapons were manned by United States Naval Armed Guard personnel, members of the United States Navy.
Careful, Sue has the camera!
Don't Mess With Me!
United States Navy Armed Guard units were established during World War II in an attempt to provide defensive firepower to merchant ships in convoy or merchant ships traveling alone. This was done because of the constant danger from enemy submarines, surface raiders, fighter aircraft and bombers, and because of the shortage of Allied escort vessels necessary to provide the merchant vessels with adequate protection.
The United States Navy Armed Guard (USNAG) were U.S. Navy gun crews consisting of Gunner's Mates, Coxswains and Boatswains, Radiomen, Signalmen, an occasional Pharmacist (Hospital Corpsman), and toward the end of the war a few radarmen serving at sea on Merchant Ships. Armed Guard crews served on Allied merchant marine ships in every theatre of the war. Typically the crew was led by a single commissioned officer, but earlier in the war chiefs and even petty officers had command
The ship was armed with a 5 inch (127 mm) stern gun for use against submarines, a bow-mounted 3 inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft gun and eight 20 mm cannon, also for use against aircraft. These weapons were manned by United States Naval Armed Guard personnel, members of the United States Navy.
California Shipbuilding Corporation built 467 Liberty and Victory ships
during World War II, including Haskell-class attack transports.
California Shipbuilding Corporation was often referred to as Calship.
The Calship shipyard was created at Terminal Island in Los Angeles,
California, USA as part of the WWII shipbuilding effort. It was
initially 8 ways, and increased to 14. After the war it was liquidated.
Calship was sited on the East Basin side of Terminal Island, north of
Dock Street.