SS Mariposa (1931)

SS Mariposa was an ocean liner launched in 1931, one of four ships in the Matson Lines "White Fleet", which included , , and . She was later renamed SS Homeric.

Building The Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation built Mariposa at Quincy, Massachusetts, completing her in December 1931. Her registered length was , her beam was , and her depth was . As built, her tonnages were and . She had twin screws, each driven by three steam turbines via single reduction gearing.

Career with Matson Lines Mariposa was designed for service in the Pacific Ocean, including regular stops in ports along the West Coast of the United States, Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. Her maiden voyage began 16 January 1932 in New York City, where she sailed to Havana, transited the Panama Canal, and berthed in the Port of Los Angeles before continuing on to tour 10 more countries in the south and west Pacific.

War service

In World War II, she operated under the War Shipping Administration with allocation and close association with the US Army, though not officially a US Army Transport, serving as a fast troop carrier, bringing supplies and support forces to distant shores and rescuing persons stranded in foreign countries by the outbreak of war. Mariposa, with a Navy -designated troop capacity of 4,165 and speed of , was one of the very large, fast transports, the largest nicknamed "Monsters", usually sailing without escort.

War voyages 14 October 1940: Mariposa, along with her sister Monterey and the SS Washington were sent to the Far East to repatriate stranded American denizens.https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1940.html] 26 December 1941: She left Honolulu, Hawaii, loaded with some military personnel and many military dependents accompanied by a destroyer escort, and arrived in San Francisco 1 January 1942. 12 January 1942: Mariposa left San Francisco in the "Australian — Suva" convoy escorted by two destroyers and the light cruiser with two other troopships SS President Coolidge and the SS President Monroe (destined for Suva).The SS President Coolidge was allocated to Navy by the War Shipping Administration (WSA) but never commissioned and thus was SS President Coolidge until sunk at Espiritu Santo 26 October 1942. The President Monroe was acquired and bareboat chartered by WSA, but not transferred to the Navy until 18 July 1943 and not commissioned until 20 August 1943 whereupon she became USS President Monroe (AP-104). This was the first large convoy to Australia after Pearl Harbor with Mariposa transporting Army personnel, ammunition and, combined with Coolidge, fifty P-40 fighters intended for the Philippines and Java. The thirteen officers selected by the War Department to form the core of what was to become MacArthur's headquarters in the Southwest Pacific Area Command being formed in Australia as United States Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA), known as the "Remember Pearl Harbor" Group, were embarked in Coolidge and Mariposa. Most troops and equipment were intended to be sent on from Australia to the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDA) area after the Australian bound ships reached Melbourne on 1 February 1942. 35th Pursuit Group commander Clinton D. "Casey" Vincent was aboard.McClure, Glenn E. Fire and Fall Back: the World War Two "CBI" story of "Casey" Vincent, p. 18. Universal City, Texas. Barnes Press. 1975. Mariposa made a brief stop 2 February 1942 in Melbourne before proceeding on to PerthRichard Baker. History of the 80th Depot Repair Squadron, 80th Air Depot Group The ship had been due to continue on with the Army fighter group to India but was withdrawn and the personnel and cargo transshipped into the two Australian transports and . Also on board was the 'Brownout Strangler', Private Edward Leonski. 19 March 1942: She left San Francisco for Australia in a convoy that included . 18 April 1942: She left Melbourne, Australia, for the US, carrying Dutch military personnel who had evacuated Java after the loss to the Japanese Imperial Army; she arrived 3 May 1942 in San Francisco. 28 May 1942: She left Charleston, South Carolina, stopping in Freetown for a week and Cape Town for a short stay before heading for Karachi.Eleazer, Wayne. Duncan's Hot Rod. Air Classics, May 2001 September 1942: She arrived at Karachi. Mariposa arrived in New York City in early September with more than 100 American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) pilots and ground personnel aboard. They had been denied transport back to the United States on half-empty transport planes by the US Ferry Command. 21 December 1942: left Newport News, Virginia unescorted carrying 5,000 military passengers 3 January 1943: Overnight refueling at Rio de Janeiro 26 January 1943: Aden for overnight refueling 27 January 1943: She disembarked outside Massawa 27 February 1943: Disembarked at Bombay 10 April 1943: Arrived at New York City 15 April 1943: Left Brooklyn Navy Yard for Casablanca carrying military medical units and troops including some Tuskegee Airmen 24 April 1943: Arrived at Casablanca, French Morocco Mid-November 1943: Left Sydney Harbour bound for San Francisco, for a 16-day cruise. Among the passengers was prominent Dutch pilot Ivan Smirnov (Romanized to "Smirnoff"). No convoy was used. 10 December 1943: She departed Los Angeles for Hobart, Tasmania, with 4,500 railroad troops, with no escort. During the voyage, the men were near-mutinous due to bad food. 26 December 1943: Docked at Hobart early 1944: Docked at Bombay 9 March 1944: Departed Los Angeles 8 April 1944: Arrived Bombay 13 April 1944: Left Bombay for Boston 23 May 1944: Arrived at Boston Spring 1944: New York to North AfricaVernon Joseph Baker We never had a chance. And yet we did it 8 August 1944: Left Boston for Liverpool with no escort 14 August 1944: Arrived at Liverpool 30 August 1944: Left Boston for Liverpool, sailed alone 7 September 1944: Arrived Liverpool 1 December 1944: Left Boston for Marseille, sailed alone 10 December 1944: Arrived Marseille 8 January 1945: Left Boston for Marseille 18 January 1945: Arrived Marseille 7 May 1945: En route to the US on VE Day 17 October 1945: Left Le Havre for Boston bringing troops home 24 October 1945: Arrived at Boston

1946 Australia/New Zealand dependent voyages from Australia 20 February 1946 (WSA operation): Departed Brisbane with 882 dependents 11 April 1946 (WSA operation): Departed Brisbane with 769 dependents 31 May 1946 (WSA operation): Departed Brisbane with 802 dependents 11 July 1946 (WSA operation): Departed Sydney with 230 dependents

Career with Home Lines In 1947, the ship was mothballed for six years at Union Iron Works in Alameda, California. Her engines were overhauled by Todd San Francisco Division. Home Lines bought her and renamed her SS Homeric, sailing her to Trieste for reconstruction to allow 1243 passengers: 147 first class and 1,096 tourist class. Her gross register tonnage increased to 18,563, and total length increased to 641 ft (195.5 m). Home Lines operated her beginning 24 January 1955 for liner service between ports in the north Atlantic.

On 18 August 1956, Homerics bow struck the side of the Greek Line ship Columbia in fog in Quebec. At the time, tugs were towing Homeric and Columbia was moored at a pier. About of Columbias starboard side were damaged, and some of her lifeboats were crushed.

In 1964, she replaced SS Italia to steam on the regular run between New York and Nassau, Bahamas, though she, in turn, was shortly replaced by . SS Homeric was reassigned to intra-Caribbean cruises. In 1973, a major fire destroyed much of her galley and restaurant, and she was scrapped in Taiwan next to Holland America Line SS Nieuw Amsterdam in 1974. During the ship breaking process, her sister ship, the Chandris Lines' Ellinis (ex-Lurline), suffered major engine damage on a cruise to Japan; Chandris was able to purchase one of the Mariposa engines from the ship breakers.

See also SS Mariposa (1883) SS Manoa (1913) SS Malolo (1926) SS Monterey (1931) SS Lurline (1932)

Notes

References

SS Mariposa (1931)

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