SS Albert M. Boe

SS Albert M. Boe was a Liberty ship laid down on 11 July 1945 at the East Yard of New England Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland, Maine, as a boxed aircraft transport. The ship is notable as the final liberty ship built.

The former SS Albert M. Boe in its current role as the main office of Trident Seafoods
History
United States
Name: SS Albert M. Boe
Namesake: Merchant Mariner, Chief Engineer, Albert M. Boe
Builder: New England Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, ME
Laid down: 11 July 1945
Launched: 26 September 1945
Completed: 30 October 1945
Out of service: 1 December 1953
Stricken: 11 March 1954
Identification: Official number 248849
Fate: Converted to a floating cannery in February 1965, renamed SS Star of Kodiak
Status: grounded, but in use
General characteristics
Type: Z-EC2-S-C5
Tonnage: 7,200 GRT 10,600 DWT Bale (cubic capacity): 490,000
Length: 442 ft (135 m)
Beam: 57 ft (17 m)
Draft: 28 ft (8.5 m)
Propulsion: two 220 PSI boilers, a single three cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine, single 4 blade, 18' 6" propeller, Shaft Horsepower, 2,500. (Engine Builder: Filer & Stowell Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Speed: 11 knots (20 km/h)
Complement: 39

She was named after Chief Engineer Albert M. Boe who remained in the engine room acting to control the spread of fire, despite fatal burns, when an engine of the aircraft repair vessel U.S. Army FS-214 exploded. He is credited with saving the lives of other crew members by that action and received the posthumous Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal.[1]

Albert M. Boe was assigned hull number 3132 by the U.S. Maritime Commission (USMC), launched on 26 September 1945, assigned official number 248849 and delivered to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) on 30 October 1945. The ship was a special boxed aircraft transport variant of the standard Liberty with four large holds, rather than the usual five and kingpost lifting gear instead of the usual booms.[2] The C5 design varied in other respects from the standard C1 Liberty:[3]

  • 7,200 GRT vice 7,170 GRT
  • 10,600 DWT vice 10,800 DWT
  • 4,300 Net vice 4,380 Net
  • 490,000 vice 500,000 Bale cubic capacity

The ship was operated under a WSA agreement by Wessel, Duval & Co. until entering the Wilmington, N.C. Reserve Fleet on 16 November 1946.[2] Albert M. Boe was delivered to the US Army on 17 February 1947 and from 30 October 1945 was operated as USAT Albert M. Boe under bareboat charter from WSA.[1][2]

On 1 March 1950, due to the reorganization into the Department of Defense and transfer of Army Transportation Service (ATS) ships to the newly formed Military Sea Transportation Service,[4][5] the ship was transferred to US Navy and placed in service as USNS Albert M. Boe (T-AKV-6). The ship supported operations in the Pacific, Korea, transporting crated aircraft, engines, and spare parts.[1]

Albert M. Boe was removed from service and on 22 January 1954 was transferred to custody of the Maritime Administration entering the Reserve Fleet at Olympia, Washington. On 11 March 1954, she was struck from the Naval Register.[1][2]

The ship was sold on a bid of $65,556.58 for commercial service awarded on 7 August 1964 to Zidell Explorations, Inc. for non transportation service. The ship was withdrawn from the reserve fleet on 19 August 1964 and converted for use as the fish cannery ship Star of Kodiak in February 1965.[2] Though currently landlocked, Star of Kodiak is still in use as the home of Trident Seafoods.

References
  1. Naval History And Heritage Command (15 June 2015). "Albert M. Boe". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History And Heritage Command.
  2. Maritime Administration. "Albert M. Boe". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration.
  3. "Federal Register" (PDF). 11 (161). U.S. Governmnet. 17 August 1946: 8974. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Mercogliano, Salvatore R. (29 November 2000). "One Hundred Years in the Making: The Birth of Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS)". American Merchant Marine at War.
  5. "Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and Military Sealift Command (MSC) Deck Logs, 1946-81". U.S. National Archives. 15 August 2016.

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