The S/S NEVADA was a Liberty-Ship, a ship's type produced in large series during World War II to replace allied cargo vessels, sunk mainly by the German submarines (note, the first series-built ships were constructed in the USA already during World War I, but in much smaller numbers). Based on a British design a total of 2751 Liberty ships were built by various shipbuilders in the USA, between 1941 and 1945. The ships received names of deceased US-citizen who had distinguished themselves in some way to their country.
Constructed in early 1945 as LAWRENCE T. SULLIVAN by the New England Shipbuilding Corp. South Portland, Maine, USA for the US Maritime Commission. Lawrence Timothy Sullivan was an American seafarer. He served as 3rd mate on the American freighter LEMUEL BURROWS, which was torpedoed by U-404 on 14.03.1942 off Atlantic City. Sullivan and 19 of his comrades lost their lives in the ice-cold water, only 14 men survived. The godmother was Mrs. Susan Sullivan, his mother.
As BELGIAN AMITY handed-over 1946 in bare boat charter to the Belgian Government and taken into service flying the Belgian flag. The management was carried out by Agence Maritime International S.A., Antwerp. In
1947 sold to Companie Maritime Belge SA (Lloyd Royal) and renamed CAPITAINE LIMBOR. The management was retained and the vessel remained under the Belgian flag (call sign: ONCF). The name is in memory of the master Capt. Charles Limbor of the troop carrier LEOPOLDVILLE, which was sunk on 24.12.1944 by U-486. The master, 55 crew members and 763 US-soldiers lost their lives, when their vessel went down just 5,5 nautical miles off Cherbourg (the exact number of victims are not entirely confirmed).
On 12.03.1959 stranded off the island of Tiran in the Golf of Aqaba, but refloated again on 22.03.1959.
On 05.09.1962 flagged-out to Panama and renamed CAPITAINE (registered owner: Soc. Pan Europea S.A. Panama, management: Soc. per Azione Industria Armamento, Genoa, call sign: HOFM).
In October 1962 purchased by Keller Shipping AG, Basel, renamed NEVADA, but she remained under the flag of Panama (registered owner: Nevada Shipping Co. Ltd. Panama, Off. No: 3649 G, call sign: HOFM). The NEVADA served in the Nautilus-Line from the Mediterranean Sea to West Africa. The crew were mainly Italians, but sometimes a Swiss was also on board.
In spring 1971 the old steamer was sold to a Spanish breaker's yard (A. Perez Iborra). On 10.04.1971 the NEVADA arrived in her final harbour Gandia near Valencia for demolition.
Sources:
- Deedy.com.blog
- Uboat.net
SwissShips, MB, HPS, March 2017
Additional Information and Stories
Recollections of H.P. Schwab as 3rd. Engineer (secondo di macchina)
According to my records, collected from the available documens on board during my stay on board as 3rd engineer from 09.05.1970 until 28.08.1970, some of the vessel's particulars were:
- Built at: New England Shipbuilding Corp., South Portland, Maine, USA
- First owner: US Maritime Commission
- Delivery date: March 1945
- Hull No: 3102
- Original name: Lawrence T. Sullivan
- Net tonnage: 4380
- Deadweight: 10'874 mt
- Cargo gear: 1 x 50 tons SWL (Safe Working Load) heavy lift derrick "Jumbo"
1 x 15 tons SWL heavy lift derrick "Jumbo", 12 x 5 tons derricks
12 Steam Cargowinches
- Main engine maker: Worthington Pump and Machinery Corp., Harrison, New Jersey, USA
- Engine built: 1944
- Main engine: Triple expansion reciprocating steam engine
- Cylinder bores: 24,5 / 37 / 70 inches or 622 / 940 / 1778 mm
(HP / MP / LP high-, medium-, low pressure cylinder)
- Stroke: 48 inches or 1219 mm
- Power: 2500 IHP at 76 RPM
- Boilers: 2 Babcock & Wilcox watertube "section-header" boilers
with superheaters, 4 burners each
- Steam pressure: 220 p.s.i. at 450 °F or 15,5 kg/cm2 at 232 °C
Like the other company vessels, the NEVADA was employed in the company's liner service from the Western Mediterranean Sea (Genoa) to West Africa. Due to the slow speed of the vessel, the NEVADA most times went as far as Douala and returned from Cameroon back to Europe. Also, apparently there was not enough power to cope with the strong currents on the Congo river to sail up to Matadi. The master was Capt. Charles Beck and a Swiss messboy from the Romandie sailed with us.
The ship had no radar and during heavy rains, especially in West Africa, the bridge rang "stand-by" on the engine telegraph. Afterwards the officer on watch usually forgot to tell the engine room, that the "stand-by" was over and at the end of the watch, when coming up on deck, either the sun or the moon was shining again.
The main engine, a triple expansion reciprocating steam engine, consisted of 3 cylinders. The crankcase was all open and no oil pumps and forced lubrication was installed. An engine room watch consisted of 3 men, an engineer, a fireman and an oiler. The bearings were lubricated by the oiler every 20 minutes with a large oil can and the engineer had to feel the bearing temperatures by hand, including the bottom end bearing (in the gap between bearing and crank web). If not careful, the running engine would knock him "on his fingers".
Oil cups were fitted on top of the main bearings and on the sides of the crossheads for the crosshead and bottom end bearings (12 drops for the crosshead and 18 drops for the bottom end, every 20 minutes). The lubricating oil was kept for each watch in a separate small tank of about 7-10 ltrs and each tank was carefully locked by a padlock, with the watch engineer and the donkey man having one key each. Daily, the caporale (donkey man) filled-up the tanks, controlled the oil consumption and constantly complained about the "terrible waste of expensive lubricating oil".
The boilers used heavy fuel and had an enormous fuel consumption, as compared to diesel powered vessels. The average fuel consumption per day was about:
- At sea, normal steaming 26-30 mt
- In port with all winches working during 24 hours 16-20 mt
- In port or at anchor, one boiler shut down, no winches working 10-12 mt
The engine room was in comparison to a diesel ship very quite, but it was on the other hand very hot, temperatures reaching on the lower floor at the engine controls about 57-58 °C in Africa. No engine room fans were installed, the only fresh air supply was provided by the four huge ventilation pipes with the cowls on the boat deck, which could be turned according to the direction of the wind.
The vessel had 3 steam dynamos (the piston steam engine had an enclosed crankcase, whereas the dynamo was of open construction) producing D.C. current for the lights and the 4 electric motors on board. The electric motors were the FW-hydrophore pump, the reefer compressor, the fan in the engine room workshop and one portable pump. For electric welding and cutting on deck a second dynamo had to be started. However before taking a second unit into service, the open dynamo casing had to be checked for mice and rats, obviously these little animals considered the space as an attractive home.
The steam winches gave plenty of work to keep them alive. Most important rule was not to try to loosen any bolts and nuts with a spanner or even by using any elongation pipes, but to burn them off electrically. The idea was to prevent any force to break the fragile cast iron parts. Damaged castings, gear wheels and other parts were not thrown over the side, but stowed in the steering gear room. When the next repair job came-up, the best part in the steering gear was retrieved and used again. This sounds completely crazy, but the old steam winches could cope with this "abuse", with today's deck machinery this would be impossible.
I hope, that above is a fair account of the NEVADA, but after 47 years certain things may have slipped the memory and someone may say "stop, but it was …". If so, everybody is kindly invited to give his comments and corrections.
SwissShips, HPS, March 2017