View source for SS Bozeman Victory

{{short description|Victory ship of the United States}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin |display title=}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:RedOakVictory-2013-07-20.jpg
|Ship caption=Typical Victory ship
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header=
| Ship country             = United States
| Ship flag                = {{USN flag|1945}}
| Ship name                = SS ''Bozeman Victory''
| Ship owner               = War Shipping Administration
| Ship builder             =*[[Oregon Shipbuilding Company]]
| Ship laid down           = November 3, 1944
| Ship launched            = December 9, 1944  
| Ship completed           = February 17, 1945
|Ship namesake             =  [[Bozeman, Montana]]  
| Ship in service          = 
| Ship operator            = [[Alaska SS Company]] 1945
| Ship struck              = 
| Ship reinstated          =         
| Ship fate                = Sold to private 1946, scrapped 1972 
|}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=VC2-S-AP3 Victory ship
|Ship tonnage={{GRT|7612}}, {{NRT|4,553}}
|Ship displacement=15,200 tons
|Ship length={{convert|455|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|62|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship draft={{convert|28|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship power={{convert|8500|shp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=HP & LP [[steam turbine|turbines]] geared to a single {{convert|20.5|ft|m|adj=on}} propeller
|Ship speed={{convert|16.5|kn}}
|Ship boats=4 lifeboats
|Ship complement=62 Merchant Marine and 28 US Naval Armed Guards
|Ship armament=*1 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|5-inch (127&nbsp;mm)/38 caliber gun]]
*1 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|3-inch (76&nbsp;mm)/50 caliber gun]]
*8 × [[Oerlikon 20&nbsp;mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikon]]
|Ship notes=<ref>{{Cite journal |author=[[Babcock & Wilcox]] |date=April 1944 |title=Victory Ships |journal=Marine Engineering and Shipping Review}}</ref>
}}
|}

'''SS ''Bozeman Victory''''' was a [[Victory ship]] built during [[World War II]] under the [[Emergency Shipbuilding program]]. It was built and launched by the [[Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation]] on December 9, 1944 and completed on February 17, 1945. The ship's [[United States Maritime Commission]] designation was VC2-S-AP3 and hull number 151 (1205). She was built in just 106 days. The Maritime Commission turned it over for [[Merchant navy]] operation to a civilian contractor, the [[Alaska SS Company]] under the [[United States Merchant Marine]] act for the [[War Shipping Administration]].<ref>[http://shipbuildinghistory.com/merchantships/2victoryships.htm shipbuildinghistory.com Merchant ships Victory ships]</ref> She was named after the city of [[Bozeman, Montana]].

Victory ships were designed to supersede the earlier [[Liberty ship]]s. Unlike Liberty ships, Victory ships were designed to serve the [[US Navy]] after the war<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/116liberty_victory_ships/116setting.htm|title=Liberty Ships and Victory Ships --Setting the Stage|website=www.nps.gov|access-date=2017-03-17}}</ref> and also last longer. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, and had a thinner stack set farther toward the [[superstructure]]. They also had a long raised [[forecastle]].

==Christen==
[[Bozeman, Montana]] City Commission and the War Committee of the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce asked Alice Dahl to christen the SS Bozeman Victory in Portland, Oregon. Alice had helped the war effort by selling bonds, working with the Red Cross and USO. Alice Dahl christened the Bozeman Victory in Portland on December 9, 1944. Alice Dahl was a [[American Gold Star Mothers|gold star mom]], a mom who had lost sons or daughters in military service during the war.<ref>Women of the Homefront: World War II Recollections of 55 Americans
edited by Pauline E. Parker, page 139</ref><ref>[http://bozemanmagazine.com/articles/2016/07/01/26410_the_dahl_familys_world_war_ii_experience The Dahl Family’s World War II Experience Patriotism, Sacrifice, & Victory, by Rachel Phillips, July 1, 2016, When the United States entered War]</ref><ref>Billings Gazette Newspaper, Mar 20, 1955, p. 15</ref>

==World War II==
''Bozeman Victory'' served as an [[ammunition ship]] in the [[Pacific War]]. ''Bozeman Victory'' departed [[Mukilteo, Washington]] with [[ammunition]] to supply troops at [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] for the [[Battle of Okinawa]]. The Battle of Okinawa was 82 days, lasted from April 1 until June 22, 1945. On April 28, 1945 a Japanese assault demolition boat causes extensive damage to ''Bozeman Victory''. US Navy gunboats were credited with keeping the ships at the bay off Okinawa safe. But a Japanese explosive speedboat slipped through. ''Bozeman Victory'' was hit at 2:10{{nbsp}}am while at anchor. ''Bozeman Victory''{{'}}s hull plates were badly damaged near [[cargo hold]] #4. Six crew members were injured in the attack. Some of propeller shaft bearings were cracked in the hit, these immobilized the ship. This damage was bad, but none of the ships cargo, 6,000 tons of ammunition was damaged. The explosive speedboat may have been a ''[[kaiten]]'', or a midget submarine.<ref>Robin L. Rielly Kamikaze Attacks of World War II a Complete History of Japanese Suicide Strikes on American Ships, By Aircraft and Other Means 2010, page 249</ref><ref>United States Merchant Marine Casualties of World War II, By Robert M. Browning, Jr., page 374</ref>

On the same day [[kamikaze]]s damaged four destroyers, {{USS|Wadsworth|DD-516|2}}, {{USS|Daly|DD-519|2}}, {{USS|Twiggs|DD-591|2}} and {{USS|Bennion|DD-662|2}}; also ''Bennion'' was damaged by aerial attack. Also on April 28, the hospital ships {{USS|Pinkney|APH-2|2}} and {{USS|Comfort|AH-6|2}} were hit by kamikazes.<ref>[http://www.etherit.co.uk/month/3/28.htm World War Two - Day by day account, April 28th, 1945]</ref>

Three Victory [[ammunition ship]]s sank in action at Okinawa after kamikaze attacks: {{SS|Canada Victory||2}} on April 27, 1945, {{SS|Logan Victory||2}} on April 6, 1945, and {{SS|Hobbs Victory||2}} on April 6, 1945. The loss of the three Victory ships severely hurt the combat forces. The three ships were carrying a total of 24,000 tons (54 million pounds) of ammunition; including most of the [[M252 mortar|81 mm mortar shells]] needed for the invasion of Okinawa.

The ammunition ship {{SS|Saginaw Victory||2}} arrived April 12, 1945, at Okinawa to replace the ammunition lost on the three ships. ''Bozeman Victory'' and ''Saginaw Victory'' became the main ammunition ships in the Pacific War. More ammunition ships were not needed as the war came to an end without the invasion of [[Empire of Japan|Japan]], called [[Operation Downfall]].<ref>[https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/n/naval-armed-guard-service-in-world-war-ii/action-at-okinawa.html US Navy, Armed Guard Service]</ref> Forty-seven ships were sunk by ''kamikaze'' attack during World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/background/ships-sunk/index.htm|title=kamikaze Attackes|access-date=2017-06-16|archive-date=2010-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702024423/http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/background/ships-sunk/index.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="47sunk">{{cite web |url=http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/background/ships-sunk/index.htm |title=47 Ships Sunk by Kamikaze Aircraft |access-date=2017-06-16 |archive-date=2010-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702024423/http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/background/ships-sunk/index.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Private use==
In 1946 ''Bozeman Victory'' was sold to [[Compañía Argentina de Navegación Dodero]], [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]] and renamed SS ''Campero''. In 1949 she was sold to Flota Argentina de Navegación de Ultramar, Buenos Aires. In 1961 she was sold to [[Empresa Líneas Marítimas Argentinas]], Buenos Aires. In 1972 she was scrapped at [[Campana, Buenos Aires|Campana, Argentina]].<ref>[http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsN.html mariners-l.co.uk Victory ships]</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Victory ships]]
* {{SS|William and Mary Victory}} also sold to Compana Argentina de Nav. Dodero
* [[Liberty ship]]
* [[Type C1 ship]]
* [[Type C2 ship]]
* [[Type C3 ship]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* Sawyer, L.A. and W.H. Mitchell. ''Victory ships and tankers: The history of the ‘Victory type" cargo ships and of the tankers built in the United States of America during World War II'', Cornell Maritime Press, 1974, 0-87033-182-5.
* United States Maritime Commission: [http://www.usmm.org/victoryships.html]
* Victory Cargo Ships [http://www.armed-guard.com/recbr2.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110003648/http://www.armed-guard.com/recbr2.html |date=2018-11-10 }}

{{MARCOMships}}
{{Victory ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bozeman Victory, SS}}
[[Category:Victory ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of the United States]]
[[Category:1945 ships]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of the United States]]