SS Park Victory
| Career (USA) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Park Victory |
| Namesake: | Park College |
| Builder: | Permanente Metals, Richmond, California |
| Yard number: | Richmond Shipyards #2 |
| Laid down: | 11 March 1945 |
| Launched: | 21 April 1945 |
| Acquired: | 16 May 1945 |
| Fate: | sank after accidental grounding in the Gulf of Finland on December 24, 1947 |
| General characteristics | |
| Length: | 455' |
| Speed: | 15.5 knots |
The SS Park Victory was a Victory-class cargo ship built during World War II. The ship's military service is uncertain as it was launched on April 21, 1945, very near the end of the war.
The ship was named in honor of Park College (now Park University), one of 150 educational institutions that had Victory ships named after them. Park College was selected as a training center for the V-12 Navy College Training Program from 1943 to 1945. This partnership between the Navy and Park College may have led to the naming of a ship in the college's honor. In reciprocation, Park College donated $300 to buy 120 books for the library aboard the SS Park Victory. The launching ceremony on April 21, 1945 was attended by several Park alumni.[1]
SS Park Victory sank in the Gulf of Finland near Utö on December 24, 1947 after accidentally running aground on rocks in a storm. The Master of the ship, Allen Zepp, initially lost his license when a Coast Guard examiner said that Zepp failed to maintain an adequate anchor watch. The decision was overturned on appeal.[2]
References
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