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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive
Lost to enemy action, 16 June 1943

USAT Portmar

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Cargo Ship :
  • Laid down in 1919, as the cargo ship SS West Minisi for the United State Shipping Board (USSB) at Northwest Steel, Portland, OR.
  • Construction contract cancelled, date unknown
  • Purchased by Green Star Line, renamed Centaurus
  • Launched, 17 November 1919
  • Delivered in December 1919 to the Green Star Line
  • Sold in 1920 to Nafra Co. an affiliate of Green Star Line
  • Sold in 1923 to Planet Steamship Co.
  • Sold in 1929 to Calmar Steamship Co., renamed SS Portmar
  • Acquired by the War Shipping Administration, 20 November 1941, at Portland, OR. as a time charter from Calmar Steamship Co.
  • Operated by Calmar Steamship Co. as a time charter from 20 November 1941 to 17 November 1942
  • Reacquired by the War Shipping Administration, 18 December 1942, from Calmar Steamship Co. as a bare bottom charter
  • Purchased, 17 November 1942, by the War Department at Brisbane, Australia
  • Allocated, 18 December 1942, to the War Department Transportation Corp. as a sub bare bottom charter
  • Final Disposition, torpedoed and sunk by IJN I-174, 16 June 1943, while enroute from Sydney to Brisbane in Convoy GP 55, southeast of Coff's Harbor off Smoky Cape, New South Wales, Australia with the loss of two crew members
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,550 gross tons
    Length 410'
    Beam 54'
    Draft 30'
    Speed unknown
    Armament unknown
    Complement unknown
    Troopship Passenger Capacity unknown
    Cargo Capacity unknown
    Cruise Radius unknown
    Propulsion
    one triple expansion reciprocating steam engine
    single shaft, 2,800shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Portmar
    302205102    		 66k USAT Portmar underway, date and location unknown. John Spivey
    Portmar
    302205101    		 63k USAT Portmar beached at Darwin, N.T., Australia after being damaged in the first Japanese air raid on the Australian mainland, 19 February 1942. Portmar was used as a troopship in the unsuccessful attempt to reinforce the Australian garrison at Timor.
    Australian War Museum    		 John Spivey
    Portmar
    302205103    		 169k USAT Portmar memorial plaque posted at Rainbow Bay, City, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
    Photo from www.flickr.com by cheryl’s pix    		 John Spivey
    There is no history available for USAT Portmar at NavSource
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last updated 27 September 2024