USS Don Marquis (IX-215), an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for that writer, poet, and artist. Her keel was laid down by the California Shipbuilding Corporation, in Los Angeles, California, as a Type EC2-S-C1 hull under Maritime Commission contract number 1874.[1] She was launched on 23 August 1943.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Don Marquis |
| Namesake | Don Marquis |
| Builder | California Shipbuilding Corporation, Los Angeles |
| Yard number | 245[1] |
| Way number | 1[1] |
| Laid down | 31 July 1943 |
| Launched | 23 August 1943 |
| Acquired | 31 May 1945 |
| In service | 31 May 1945 |
| Out of service | Date unknown |
| Stricken | 5 June 1946 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Type | Liberty ship |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 441 ft 7 in (134.59 m) |
| Beam | 56 ft 11 in (17.35 m) |
| Draft | 27 ft 7 in (8.41 m) |
| Propulsion | Triple expansion reciprocating steam engine, single propeller, 2,500 shp (1,864 kW) |
| Speed | 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) |
| Range | 17,000 nmi (31,000 km) |
She was acquired and placed in service by the Navy on 31 May 1945. She was employed as dry floating storage in the Pacific until returned to the War Shipping Administration on 28 November 1945. On 26 September, 1944, near Manus, New Guinea, while carrying highly explosive ammunition, USS Don Marquis was rammed at night by a tanker, burst into flames and began settling by the head. She was assisted by USS Donaldson DE-44 and USS Crowley DE-303, which were operating in the area. She was declared a total loss on 27 September 1944. Don Marquis was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 5 June 1946.[3]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 "Kaiser California Shipbuilding CalShip". shipbuildinghistory.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ↑ "NavSource Online: IX-215 Don Marquis". NavSource. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ↑ http://www.donmarquis.org/ussdonmarquis.htm
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.- Photo gallery of USS Don Marquis at NavSource Naval History
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