Misplaced Pages

#905094

61-628: USS Howick Hall (ID-1303) was a cargo steamship that was built in Scotland in 1910 and served in the merchant fleets of the United Kingdom , United States , Italy and Panama . She served in the United States Army in 1917–18 and then the United States Navy in 1918–19. The United States Maritime Commission bought her in 1941, and a German air attack sank her in 1942. The ship

122-482: A Commissioning Support Team (CST), the Prospective Commanding Officer and ship's crew, shipbuilder executives, and senior Navy representatives gather for a formal ceremony placing the ship in active service (in commission). Guests, including the ship's sponsor , are frequently invited to attend, and a prominent individual delivers a commissioning address. On May 3, 1975, more than 20,000 people witnessed

183-401: A commissioned ship. The engineering plant, weapon and electronic systems, galley , and other equipment required to transform the new hull into an operating and habitable warship are installed and tested. The prospective commanding officer, ship's officers, the petty officers , and seamen who will form the crew report for training and familiarization with their new ship. Before commissioning,

244-505: A life expectancy of 25 to 30 years before being scrapped. The words cargo and freight have become interchangeable in casual usage. Technically, "cargo" refers to the goods carried aboard the ship for hire, while "freight" refers to the act of carrying of such cargo, but the terms have been used interchangeably for centuries. Generally, the modern ocean shipping business is divided into two classes: Larger cargo ships are generally operated by shipping lines : companies that specialize in

305-608: A merchant ship's prefix, denotes that it is a T urbine S teamer. Famous cargo ships include the 2,710 Liberty ships of World War II , partly based on a British design . Liberty ship sections were prefabricated in locations across the United States and then assembled by shipbuilders in an average of six weeks, with the record being just over four days. These ships allowed the Allies in World War II to replace sunken cargo vessels at

366-529: A narrow channel between Indonesia and Singapore / Malaysia , and cargo ships are still commonly targeted. In 2004, the governments of those three nations agreed to provide better protection for the ships passing through the Straits. The waters off Somalia and Nigeria are also prone to piracy, while smaller vessels are also in danger along parts of the South American coasts, Southeast Asian coasts, and near

427-543: A new ship received orders similar to those issued to Captain Thomas Truxtun in 1798: Sir, I have it in command from the president of the United States, to direct you to repair with all due speed on board the ship Constellation lying at Baltimore . It is required that no Time be lost in carrying the Ship into deep water, taking on board her Cannon, Ammunition, Water, Provisions & Stores of every kind — completing what work

488-557: A rate greater than the Kriegsmarine 's U-boats could sink them, and contributed significantly to the war effort, the delivery of supplies, and eventual victory over the Axis powers. Liberty ships were followed by the faster Victory ships . Canada built Park ships and Fort ships to meet the demand for the Allies shipping. The United Kingdom built Empire ships and used US Ocean ships . After

549-431: A separate category). Cargo ships fall into two further categories that reflect the services they offer to industry: liner and tramp services. Those on a fixed published schedule and fixed tariff rates are cargo liners. Tramp ships do not have fixed schedules. Users charter them to haul loads. Generally, the smaller shipping companies and private individuals operate tramp ships. Cargo liners run on fixed schedules published by

610-406: A ship utilizing a nuclear reactor or the removal of hazardous materials from a ship, are handled by the government according to the nation's domestic policies. When a ship finishes its inactivation, it is then formally decommissioned, after which the ship is usually towed to a storage facility. In addition to the economic advantages of retiring a ship that has grown maintenance intensive or obsolete,

671-522: A storm sank the two smaller lifeboats, killing their occupants. This left 15 men in Lifeboat Number 1, commanded by Raceland ' s Chief Officer , Otto Hatlestad, and 18 in Lifeboat Number 2, commanded by Raceland ' s Second Officer , Johan Johansen. After six days Hatlestad's boat reached Sørøya in the north of German-occupied Norway , but by then six of the men in her had died. A seventh died after reaching land. The survivors were taken to

SECTION 10

#1733084903906

732-429: A vehicle to the sea from its construction hangar, as was the case with the submarine USS  Virginia ), at which time the initial crew for a ship (usually a skeleton crew composed of yard workers and naval personnel; in the modern era of increasingly complex ships the crew will include technical representatives of the ship builder and major system subcontractors) will assume command of the vessel in question. The ship

793-465: Is a merchant ship that carries cargo , goods , and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade . Cargo ships are usually specially designed for the task, often being equipped with cranes and other mechanisms to load and unload, and come in all sizes. Today, they are almost always built of welded steel , and with some exceptions generally have

854-522: Is a letter of November 6, 1863, from Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles to all navy yards and stations. The Secretary directed: "Hereafter the commandants of navy yards and stations will inform the Department, by special report of the date when each vessel preparing for sea service at their respective commands, is placed in commission." Subsequently, various editions of Navy regulations mentioned

915-494: Is alternatively used in British and Commonwealth contexts, originating in the age-of-sail practice of ending an officer's commission and paying crew wages once the ship completed its voyage. Ship decommissioning usually occurs some years after the ship was commissioned and is intended to serve as a means by which a vessel that has become too old or obsolete can be retired with honor from the country's armed forces. Decommissioning of

976-433: Is increasing: with bunker fuel consumption at 278 million tonnes per year in 2001, it is projected to be at 500 million tonnes per year in 2020. International standards to dramatically reduce sulphur content in marine fuels and nitrogen oxide emissions have been put in place. Among some of the solutions offered is changing over the fuel intake to clean diesel or marine gas oil, while in restricted waters and cold ironing

1037-456: Is judged to be of further use to the nation. The removed material from a ship usually ends up either rotating to another ship in the class with similar weapons and/or capabilities, or in storage pending a decision on equipment's fate. During this time a ship's crew may be thinned out via transfers and reassignments as the ongoing removal of equipment renders certain personnel (such as missile technicians or gun crews) unable to perform their duties on

1098-410: Is then sailed in littoral waters to test the design, equipment, and other ship specific systems to ensure that they work properly and can handle the equipment that they will be using in the future. Tests during this phase can include launching missiles from missile magazines, firing the ship's gun (if so equipped), conducting basic flight tests with rotary and fixed-wing aircraft that will be assigned to

1159-501: Is yet to be done shipping her Complement of Seamen and Marines, and preparing her in every respect for Sea ... It is the President's express Orders , that you employ the most vigorous Exertions, to accomplish these several Objects and to put your Ship as speedily as possible in a situation to sail at the shortest notice. In Truxtun's time, the prospective commanding officer had responsibility for overseeing construction details, outfitting

1220-717: The Caribbean Sea . A category designation appears before the vessel's name. A few examples of prefixes for naval ships are "USS" ( United States Ship ), "HMS" ( Her/His Majesty’s Ship ), "HMCS" ( Her/His Majesty's Canadian Ship ) and "HTMS" (His Thai Majesty's Ship), while a few examples for prefixes for merchant ships are "RMS" ( Royal Mail Ship , usually a passenger liner), "MV" ( Motor Vessel , powered by diesel ), "MT" (Motor Tanker, powered vessel carrying liquids only) "FV" Fishing Vessel and "SS" ( Screw Steamer , driven by propellers or screws, often understood to stand for Steamship ). "TS", sometimes found in first position before

1281-503: The European Union is planning stricter controls on emissions. Cargo ships have been reported to have a possible negative impact on the population of whale sharks. Smithsonian Magazine reported in 2022 that whale sharks , the largest species of fish, have been disappearing mysteriously over the past 75 years, with research pointing to cargo ships and large vessels as the likely culprits. A study involving over 75 researchers highlighted

SECTION 20

#1733084903906

1342-618: The Naval Overseas Transportation Service . After being commissioned, she loaded cargo at Baltimore, steamed to New York and joined a convoy across the Atlantic . On 30 September she reached Saint-Nazaire , France , where she discharged her cargo. She got back to Baltimore on 31 October. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 she loaded cargo at Newport News, Virginia . On 25 December 1918 she left Newport News and crossed

1403-769: The Second Italo-Ethiopian War she took supplies to Massawa . In 1937 she was acquired by the Società Anonima Cooperativa di Navigazione 'Garibaldi'. In June 1940 Ircania was in Port of Jacksonville , Florida when Italy entered the Second World War , so she remained in port. On 30 March 1941 the United States Coast Guard detained Ircania in Jacksonville. On 5 May Judge Louie Strum , of

1464-579: The US District Court for the Southern District of Florida , convicted all 39 members of her crew of sabotaging their own ship. He also convicted her Captain , Nicola Marchese, and Chief Engineer , Feruccio Magni, of conspiracy. On 14 May, Strum sentenced Marchese and Magni to four years in prison and the 37 other crew members to two and a half years. On 14 July 1941 the US Treasury announced that

1525-964: The United States Maritime Commission had bought four Italian merchant ships, including Ircania . The Commission renamed her Raceland and registered her in Panama . Her Panamanian call sign was HPYY. On 31 December 1941 the Commission appointed the South Atlantic Steamship Company to manage Raceland . She loaded at Norfolk, Virginia and Boston , and then crossed the Atlantic in Convoy SC 69, which left Halifax , Nova Scotia on 10 February 1942 and reached Liverpool on 27 February. Raceland may have detached from SC 69 before it reached Liverpool, as she proceeded to Loch Ewe on

1586-449: The national ensign , but not a commissioning pennant. In modern times, officers and crew members of a new warship are assembled on the quarterdeck or other suitable area. Formal transfer of the ship to the prospective commanding officer is done by the Chief of Naval Operations or his representative. The national anthem is played, the transferring officer reads the commissioning directive,

1647-492: The Atlantic to Le Verdon-sur-Mer , where she discharged her cargo. She then bunkered at Bassens , and on 3 February 1919 left to return to the US. En route one of her crew developed spinal meningitis , so on 21 February she stopped at Bermuda , where she and her crew were quarantined . She left Bermuda on 25 February and continued to Newport News. From Newport News she continued to Baltimore, arriving on 5 March 1919. On 13 March she

1708-912: The Norwegian mainland and hospitalised. Three of the survivors were Norwegian. Two, including Hatlestad, gave a propaganda interview for a pro-German radio broadcast. Hatlestad later returned to sea, working for the Germans. After 11 days Johansen's boat reached SørSandfjord, also in northern Norway. By then 13 of the men in her had died: variously from hypothermia , salt poisoning from drinking seawater, or suicide. The five survivors were suffering from frostbite , and most had to have digits or limbs amputated. The German authorities interned survivors in different camps, including two in Marlag und Milag Nord and one in Obermaßfeld . Cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter

1769-433: The act of putting a ship in commission, but details of a commissioning ceremony were not prescribed. Through custom and usage, a fairly standard practice emerged, the essentials of which are outlined in current Navy regulations. Craft assigned to Naval Districts and shore bases for local use, such as harbor tugs and floating drydocks, are not usually placed in commission but are instead given an "in service" status. They do fly

1830-451: The armed forces of a nation. Unlike wartime ship losses, in which a vessel lost to enemy action is said to be struck, decommissioning confers that the ship has reached the end of its usable life and is being retired from a country's navy. Depending on the naval traditions of the country, a ceremony commemorating the decommissioning of the ship may take place, or the vessel may be removed administratively with minimal fanfare. The term "paid off"

1891-408: The canal locks a ship can fit in, water depth ( draft ) is a limitation for canals, shallow straits or harbors and height is a limitation in order to pass under bridges. Common categories include: [REDACTED] The TI-class supertanker is an Ultra Large Crude Carrier, with a draft that is deeper than Suezmax, Malaccamax and Neopanamax. This causes Atlantic/Pacific routes to be very long, such as

USS Howick Hall - Misplaced Pages Continue

1952-408: The ceremony dictates. Religious ceremonies, such as blessing the ship or the singing of traditional hymns or songs may also occur. Once a ship has been commissioned its final step toward becoming an active unit of the navy it serves is to report to its home port and officially load or accept any remaining equipment (such as munitions). To decommission a ship is to terminate its career in service in

2013-467: The commissioning of USS  Nimitz at Norfolk, Virginia . The carrier's sponsor, daughter of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz , was introduced, and U.S. President Gerald R. Ford was the principal speaker. Regardless of the type of ship, the brief commissioning ceremony completes the cycle from christening and launching to bring the ship into full status as a warship of her nation. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from this source, which

2074-500: The danger posed to whale sharks by shipping activities in various regions, including Ecuador, Mexico, Malaysia, the Philippines, Oman, Seychelles, and Taiwan. See also, similar role:- Empire ship , Fort ship , Park ship , Ocean ship . Ship commissioning#Ship decommissioning Ship naming and launching endow a ship hull with her identity, but many milestones remain before it is completed and considered ready to be designated

2135-415: The decommissioning frees up the name used by the ship, allowing vessels currently in the planning or building stages to inherit the name of that warship. Often, but not always, ships that are decommissioned spend the next few years in a reserve fleet before their ultimate fate is decided. Commissioning in the early United States Navy under sail was attended by no ceremony. An officer designated to command

2196-455: The design, planning, or construction phase of the parent nation's navy. Prior to its formal decommissioning, the ship in question will begin the process of decommissioning by going through a preliminary step called inactivation or deactivation. During this phase, a ship will report to a naval facility owned by the country to permit the ship's crew to offload, remove, and dismantle the ship's weapons, ammunition, electronics, and other material that

2257-474: The ensign is hoisted, and the commissioning pennant broken. The prospective commanding officer reads his orders, assumes command, and the first watch is set. Following, the sponsor is traditionally invited to give the first order to the ship's company: "Man our ship and bring her to life!", whereupon the ship's assigned crew would run on board and man the rails of the ship. In recent years, commissionings have become more public occasions. Most commonly assisted by

2318-405: The handling of cargo in general. Smaller vessels, such as coasters , are often owned by their operators. Cargo ships/freighters can be divided into eight groups, according to the type of cargo they carry. These groups are: Specialized types of cargo vessels include container ships and bulk carriers (technically tankers of all sizes are cargo ships, although they are routinely thought of as

2379-697: The locks on the Saint Lawrence Seaway . The earliest records of waterborne activity mention the carriage of items for trade; the evidence of history and archaeology shows the practice to be widespread by the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, and as early as the 14th and 15th centuries BC small Mediterranean cargo ships like those of the 50 foot long (15–16 metre) Uluburun ship were carrying 20 tons of exotic cargo; 11 tons of raw copper, jars, glass, ivory, gold, spices, and treasures from Canaan , Greece , Egypt , and Africa . The desire to operate trade routes over longer distances, and throughout more seasons of

2440-586: The long voyages south of Cape of Good Hope or south of Cape Horn to transit between Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Lake freighters built for the Great Lakes in North America differ in design from sea water–going ships because of the difference in wave size and frequency in the lakes. A number of these ships are larger than Seawaymax and cannot leave the lakes and pass to the Atlantic Ocean, since they do not fit

2501-454: The nation may forgo a ceremony and administratively place the ship in commission. At a minimum, on the day on which the ship is to be commissioned the crew will report for duty aboard the ship and the commanding officer will read through the orders given for the ship and its personnel. If the ship's ceremony is a public affair, the Captain may make a speech to the audience, along with other VIPs as

USS Howick Hall - Misplaced Pages Continue

2562-420: The new ship undergoes sea trials to identify any deficiencies needing correction. The preparation and readiness time between christening-launching and commissioning may be as much as three years for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to as brief as twenty days for a World War II landing ship . USS Monitor , of American Civil War fame, was commissioned less than three weeks after launch. Regardless of

2623-438: The ship in question will undergo a process of degaussing and/or deperming , to reduce the ship's magnetic signature. Once a ship's sea trials are successfully completed, plans for the commissioning ceremony will take shape. Depending on the naval traditions of the nation in question, the commissioning ceremony may be an elaborately planned event with guests, the ship's future crew, and other persons of interest in attendance, or

2684-415: The ship in question. Certain aspects of a ship's deactivation – such as the removal or deactivation of a ship's nuclear weapons capabilities – may be governed by international treaties, which can result in the presence of foreign officials authorized to inspect the weapon or weapon system to ensure compliance with treaties. Other aspects of a ship's decommissioning, such as the reprocessing of nuclear fuel from

2745-504: The ship while it is in port. The process of removing sulphur from the fuel impacts the viscosity and lubricity of the marine gas oil though, which could cause damage in the engine fuel pump . The fuel viscosity can be raised by cooling the fuel down. If the various requirements are enforced, the International Maritime Organization 's marine fuel requirement will mean a 90% reduction in sulphur oxide emissions; whilst

2806-575: The ship's design that may need to be addressed before it can be accepted into service. During her sea trials in 1999 French Naval officials determined that the French aircraft carrier  Charles de Gaulle was too short to safely operate the E2C Hawkeye , resulting in her return to the builder's shipyard for enlargement. After a ship has successfully cleared its sea trial period, it will officially be accepted into service with its nation's navy. At this point,

2867-534: The ship, and recruiting his crew. When a captain determined that his new ship was ready to take to sea, he mustered the crew on deck, read his orders, broke the national ensign and distinctive commissioning pennant , and caused the watch to be set and the first entry to be made in the log . Thus, the ship was placed in commission. Commissionings were not public affairs , and unlike christening-and-launching ceremonies, were not recorded by newspapers. The first specific reference to commissioning located in naval records

2928-410: The ship, and various tests of the electronic and propulsion equipment. Often during this phase of testing problems arise relating to the state of the equipment on the ship, which can require returning to the builder's shipyard to address those concerns. In addition to problems with a ship's arms, armament, and equipment, the sea trial phase a ship undergoes prior to commissioning can identify issues with

2989-468: The shipping companies. Each trip a liner takes is called a voyage. Liners mostly carry general cargo. However, some cargo liners may carry passengers also. A cargo liner that carries 12 or more passengers is called a combination or passenger-run-cargo line. Cargo ships are categorized partly by cargo or shipping capacity ( tonnage ), partly by weight ( deadweight tonnage DWT), and partly by dimensions. Maximum dimensions such as length and width ( beam ) limit

3050-435: The type of ship in question, a vessel's journey towards commissioning in its nation's navy begins with a process known as sea trials. Sea trials usually take place some years after a vessel was laid down , and mark the interim step between the completion of a ship's construction and its official acceptance for service with its nation's navy. Sea trials begin when the ship is floated out of its dry dock (or more rarely, moved by

3111-464: The vessel may also occur due to treaty agreements (such as the Washington Naval Treaty ) or for safety reasons (such as a ship's nuclear reactor and associated parts reaching the end of their service life), depending on the type of ship being decommissioned. In a limited number of cases a ship may be decommissioned if the vessel in question is judged to be damaged beyond economical repair, as

SECTION 50

#1733084903906

3172-775: The war many of the ships were sold to private companies. The Ever Given is a ship that was lodged into the Suez Canal from March 25 to 28, 2021, which caused a halt on maritime trade. The MV Dali , which collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore , Maryland , United States , on 26 March 2024, causing a catastrophic structural failure of the bridge that resulted in at least 6 deaths. Due to its low cost, most large cargo vessels are powered by bunker fuel , also known as heavy fuel oil, which contains higher sulphur levels than diesel. This level of pollution

3233-513: The west coast of Scotland to join Convoy PQ 13 . On 10 March 1942, PQ 13 left Loch Ewe for Murmansk . Raceland had a crew of 45 men, made up of 12 nationalities. On 28 March, German aircraft attacked PQ 13 south of Bear Island . Raceland was sunk at position 72°40′N 020°20′E  /  72.667°N 20.333°E  / 72.667; 20.333 . Her crew launched all four of her lifeboats, and all 45 men safely abandoned ship. On 29 March

3294-563: The year, motivated improvements in ship design during the Middle Ages . Before the middle of the 19th century, the incidence of piracy resulted in most cargo ships being armed, sometimes quite heavily, as in the case of the Manila galleons and East Indiamen . They were also sometimes escorted by warships . Piracy is still quite common in some waters, particularly in the Malacca Straits ,

3355-679: Was decommissioned and returned to her owners. On 13 May 1926 Howick Hall and the motor tanker Gulf of Venezuela collided in the Ambrose Channel . Howick Hall grounded on Roamer's Reef, but was only slightly damaged, and was refloated the same day. Howick Hall remained in US merchant service until October 1929, when the Exeter Shipping Co bought her, renamed her Dovenden and registered her in London . She kept her UK official number, but she

3416-526: Was 212693 and her code letters were LDQF. She was managed by US Steel's Isthmian Steamship Company . In September 1917 the US Army acquired her. On 24 August 1918 took her over from the Army, commissioning her at Baltimore , Maryland as USS Howick Hall with the identification number (ID) 1303. By 1917 she was equipped for wireless telegraphy , and by 1918 her call sign was KLT. Howick Hall made two voyages for

3477-464: Was 400.8 ft (122.2 m), her beam was 51.5 ft (15.7 m) and her depth was 27.0 ft (8.2 m). Her tonnages were 4,923  GRT and 3,094  NRT . She had a single screw , driven by three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engine that was rated at 507 NHP and gave her a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h). Among cargo steamships she was unusual in having two funnels (smokestacks). Her derricks could lift up to 35 tons, which

3538-764: Was given the new code letters LFKH and four-letter call sign GQWN. The Great Depression caused a World slump in shipping, and she spent most of 1930 laid up. That October she went to Rotterdam , where she remained laid up for most of the next two years. In 1932 she changed owners twice, passing first to the McAllum Steamship Co and then Lambert Brothers. In 1935 she again changed hands twice. That January, Halford Constant bought her for £7,500. Later that year he sold her to an Italian company, Ditta Luigi Pittaluga Vapori. Ditta Luigi Pittaluga renamed her Ircania and registered her in Genoa . Her Italian code letters were IBLP. In

3599-514: Was launched as Howick Hall , and kept that name when she served in the US Army and US Navy. She was renamed Dovenden in 1929, Ircania in 1935 and Raceland in 1941. Her name was Raceland when she was sunk in 1942. William Hamilton and Company built the ship in Port Glasgow on the River Clyde , launching her on 1 October 1920 and completing her later that month. Her registered length

3660-549: Was the case with USS  Hugh W. Hadley , or USS  Halibut . In rare cases, a navy or its associated country may recommission or leave a ship that is old or obsolete in commission with the regular force rather than decommissioning the vessel in question due to the historical significance or public sentiment for the ship in question. This is the case with the ships USS  Constitution and HMS  Victory . Vessels preserved in this manner typically do not relinquish their names to other, more modern ships that may be in

3721-696: Was unusually heavy for a ship of that era. The ship's first owners were Charles G Dunn and Company of Liverpool , who named all their ships after English country houses whose name ended in "Hall". She was named after Howick Hall in Northumberland . Dunn & Co registered her at Liverpool . Her United Kingdom official number was 131303 and her code letters were HRTN. In 1915 the United States Steel Products Co. acquired Howick Hall and registered her in New York . Her US official number

SECTION 60

#1733084903906
#905094