USS Fortune (IX-146)

City Of Elwood on 18 September 1943, at New York, United States Coast Guard photo
History
United States
NameCity of Elwood
OwnerUnited States Shipping Board (USSB)
OperatorAmerican Pioneer Line
Orderedas USSB Design 1037 ship freighter
BuilderDoullet & Williams, New Orleans, Louisiana
Yard number1910
Laid down1921
Launched18 March 1921
In serviceApril 1921
Out of service4 December 1941
IdentificationO.N. 220962
FateTransferred to United States Lines, 5 December 1941
United States
NameCity of Elwood
OwnerUnited States Lines
In service5 December 1941
Out of service16 February 1944
FateTransferred to US Navy, 16 February 1944
USS Fortune (AVS-2), at anchor, photographed after the ship was reclassified as "AVS-2", in May 1945
United States
NameFortune
Acquired16 February 1944
Commissioned19 February 1944
Decommissioned18 October 1945
ReclassifiedAviation Stores Issue (AVS), 25 May 1945
Identification
FateSold for scrapping, 3 August 1946
General characteristics [1]
Class & typeDesign 1037 ship
Tonnage6,171 GT[2]
Displacement13,250 long tons (13,460 t)
Length411 ft 9 in (125.50 m)
Beam55 ft (17 m)
Draft27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed11.8 kn (21.9 km/h; 13.6 mph)
Complement
  • 13 officers
  • 150 enlisted
Armament

USS Fortune (IX-146/AVS-2) was a US Navy aviation stores issue ship of World War II. Originally built as City of Elwood, a United States Shipping Board (USSB), Design 1037 freighter, she acquired by the Navy 16 February 1944, and commissioned 19 February 1944. She was reclassified AVS-2, on 25 May 1945.

Construction

City of Elwood was laid down in 1921, by Doullet & Williams, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Shipping Board (USSB) hull #1910. She was launched on 18 March 1921, and delivered in April, to the USSB.[1][2][3]

Civilian history

City of Elwood was owned by the USSB between the wars and allocated to the American Pioneer Line for service between New York and Baltimore and Oriental ports. In 1929, her boilers were replace with diesel engines. On 5 December 1941, she was transferred to the United States Maritime Commission and operated by the United States Lines.[3]

Service history

Commissioned at Pearl Harbor, Fortune (IX-146) sailed 16 May 1944, for Kwajalein, her base for cargo operations to Eniwetok, Manus, and Ulithi, until 10 January 1945, when she became "aviation supply issue ship" "AVS-2", at Ulithi. She sailed from Ulithi 24 April, with passengers for Alameda, California, arriving 20 May, and lay in various California shipyards until decommissioned 18 October 1945, and transferred to the War Shipping Administration the same day.[4]

Fate

Fortune was laid up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, in Suisun Bay, on 18 October 1945. She was sold for $5,954, to the American Iron and Steel Company, for scrapping on 30 August 1946.[5]

References

Bibliography