SS Pomona Victory

The SS Pomona Victory was a Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on April 29, 1944, and completed on July 31, 1944. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was 'VC2- S- AP3, hull number 31'. The 10,500-ton Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II compared to Victory ships, which were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. Victory ships differed from Liberty ships in that they were faster, longer and wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure, and had a long raised forecastle.

Typical Victory ship
History
United States
Name:	SS Pomona Victory
Owner:	U.S. Maritime Commission
Builder:	California Shipbuilding Corporation
Yard number:	246181
Laid down:	29 April 1944
Launched:	26 June 1944
Acquired:	31 July 1944
Fate:	Sold to Belgium, 29 March 1947
Belgium
Name:	SS Tervaete
Owner:	Compagnie Maritime Belge
Acquired:	29 March 1947
Fate:	Sold to Liberia, 1965
Liberia
Name:	SS Hongkong Delegate
Owner:	United Transoceanic Shipping Corp. (1965—1966) Universal Marine Corp. (1966—1975)
Acquired:	1965
Fate:	Sunk in a collision with the SS Columbus Canada, 4 October 1975 Raised and scrapped, 15 December 1975
General characteristics
Class and type:	VC2-S-AP3 Victory ship
Tonnage:	7612 GRT, 4,553 NRT
Displacement:	15,200 tons
Length:	455 ft (139 m)
Beam:	62 ft (19 m)
Draught:	28 ft (8.5 m)
Installed power:	8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
Propulsion:	HP & LP turbines geared to a single 20.5-foot (6.2 m) propeller
Speed:	16.5 knots
Boats & landing craft carried:	4 Lifeboats
Complement:	62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards
Armament:	1 × 5 inch (127 mm)/38 caliber gun 1 × 3 inch (76 mm)/50 caliber gun 8 × 20 mm Oerlikon
Notes:	[1][2]

Following World War II service, Pomona Victory was sold to Belgium where she served as the SS Tervaete from 1947 to 1965. She was eventually resold to Liberia in 1965 where she served as the SS Hongkong Delegate until she was sunk in a collision with the SS Columbus Canada on October 4, 1975. Deemed beyond repair, was eventually raised and scrapped on December 15, 1975.

References

1. Babcock & Wilcox (April 1944). "Victory Ships". Marine Engineering and Shipping Review.
2. "SS Pomona Victory". wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 25 March 2020.