CHIRIQUI

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aukepalmhof
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CHIRIQUI

Post by aukepalmhof » Tue Oct 18, 2016 6:51 pm

The stamp of Guatemala depict the banana loading pier in Puerto Barrios, which during a hurricane now partly is demolished. On both sides of the pier is berthed a Great White Fleet ship, of which the nearest is given that she is the CHIRIQUI, the other vessel is not identified.
Built as a passenger-cargo-reefer vessel for the liner service of the United Mail SS Co. (White Great Fleet) by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry-dock Co, Newport News under yard 346.
14 November 1931 launched as the CHIRIQUI, christened by Mrs. J. Harris Robinson, she was named after the Panamanian province Chiriqui. Five sisters.
Tonnage 6,932 gross, 3,184 net, 4,425 dwt, dim. 136.17 x 18.28 x 11.59m., length bpp. 126.49m.
Powered by two General Electric steam turbines connected to electro motors, 11,000 shp, twin shafts, speed 18 knots.
Accommodation for 100 passengers.
Cargo capacity 270,000 cubic feet and could carry 50,000 stems of bananas.
18 March 1932 delivered to owners, and managed by United Fruit Company.

Her maiden voyage was from New York on 24 March to San Francisco where she arrived on 14th April. She was then put in the Pacific coastal service from San Francisco to west coast of Central America.
1935 Put in the service from New York to the Carib and east coast of Central America.
04 June bareboat chartered by the US Government, and renamed USS TARAZED AF-13.
US Navy service
The US Navy bareboat chartered her through the Maritime Commission on 4 June 1941. Brewer's Drydock Co. of Staten Island, New York converted her for Navy use and she was commissioned on 14 June 1941, commanded by Cmdr J.M. Connally.
Neutrality period operations
TARAZED loaded supplies sailed to North Carolina to supply ships of the Neutrality Patrol. After returning to New York, she left late in August for a voyage to Iceland to resupply US and Royal Navy ships.
World War II North Atlantic operations
When the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, TARAZED was at Halifax, Nova Scotia preparing to join another convoy to Iceland. Upon completion of the voyage she went to Baltimore, Maryland, for an extensive overhaul before making resupply runs to Newfoundland, Iceland and Bermuda.
In July 1942 TARAZED reached Boston, Massachusetts, from Nova Scotia and loaded a cargo for Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Panama. On 21 September she returned to Baltimore with a cargo of sugar. She continued supply runs from Baltimore or Norfolk, Virginia, to the Caribbean until mid-1943.
Supporting the invasion of North Africa
On 8 June 1943 TARAZED joined Task Force 65 at Norfolk — headed for North Africa — and arrived at Mers el Kebir, Algeria, on 22 June. She partially unloaded there and, on the 30th, took the rest of her cargo to Oran.
On 4 July, TARAZED left for the US in convoy GUS-9. She reached Norfolk, VA on 23 July, was replenished, and left for Bermuda. After supplying Bermuda and Cuba she returned to the US, reaching Bayonne, New Jersey, on 13 August.
Eight days later TARAZED left for North Africa, reaching Mers el Kebir on 2 September. After calling at Bizerte and Algiers, she returned to the US in convoy GUS-15 and arrived at Norfolk on 4 October. Late that month, she joined convoy UGS-22 to take materiel to Oran, Bizerte and Palermo. Then, with the exception of a voyage to the Mediterranean in April, she took provisions to the Caribbean in the first five months of 1944.
Supporting the invasion of southern France
In June, TARAZED delivered provisions to ships in the ports of Plymouth, Swansea and Portland Harbour in Britain and at Belfast in Northern Ireland. She steamed from Norfolk on 24 August and arrived at Oran on 4 September to supply ships supporting the invasion of southern France. She continued logistics runs to the Mediterranean into April 1945 and turned to supplying bases and ports in the Caribbean until 14 December 1945 when she was ordered to report to the 8th Naval District for disposal.
Military honors and awards
TARAZED received one battle star for World War II.
Post-war decommissioning
TARAZED was decommissioned on 4 January 1946, was returned to United Fruit through the War Shipping Administration at New Orleans, Louisiana, the same day and was struck from the Navy list on 21 January 1946. She was renamed again in CHIRIQUI.
Post-war service
United Fruit restored the ship's pre-war name CHIRIQUI to her.
1958 United Fruit sold her to Union-Partenreederei T/S (Scipio & Co.) of Bremen, Germany, which also acquired her United Fruit sister ship JAMAICA. Union-Partenreederei changed CHIRIQUI’s name to BLEXEN. The new owner cut her down to a freighter by Todd New Orleans Shipyard.
Used in the banana trade from Central America to Europe.
28 November 1969 sold to Kaohsiung, Taiwan for scrapping, work of scrapping commenced in 1971.

References: Wikipedia. Going Bananas by Mark H. Goldberg. Lloyds Registry. Internet.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
Guatemala 1935 3c sg299, scott?
Attachments
CHIRIQUI 1932.jpg
1935 CHIRIQUI (2).jpg

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