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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAT West Texas

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

Dry Bulk Cargo Ship:

Laid down in April 1920 as SS Lake Flag for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) at Globe Shipbuilding Co. Superior, WI.

Launched in 1920

Delivered in 1920 to the United States Shipping Board

Acquired in early 1920 by the Cuba Mail Steamship Co. (Ward Line) for their New York to Havana Cuba route

Acquired later in the same year by the Cummins Line for their Philadelphia to Antwerp and Rotterdam route

Laid up in New York Harbor from 1921-1926

Purchased from the USSB for $25,000.00 in 1926 by the Southern Steamship Co. for their Houston to Philadelphia route

Renamed SS West Texas, 6 November 1926, at Houston, TX., Christened with a bottle of “crazy water” from Mineral Wells, TX.

From November 1926-1942 West Texas made weekly trips from Houston to Philadelphia transporting West Texas cotton and other goods from Texas and the newest gadgets and other much-needed merchandise on the return trip from Philadelphia

Acquired, 17 May 1942, by the War Shipping Administration at Lake Charles, LA., from Southern Steamship Co. under General Agency Agreement time charter

Acquired, 20 May 1943, by the War Shipping Administration at New York, N.Y., from Agwilines (agents for Souther Steamship Co. as a bare bottom charter

Allocated, 20 May 1943, as a sub bare bottom charter at New York, N.Y. to the War Department, Transportation Corps

West Texas was fitted with 4” guns and two 30 caliber machine guns at the US Naval Drydock and Repair Facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico in March 1943

USAT West Texas was a documented ship in General MacArthur’s “Small Ship Section” of the United States Army Services of Supply (USASOS), homeported at Hollandia, New Guinea

Following World War II West Texas participated in transporting Japanese POWs from the the Pacific islands back to Japan

Decommissioned, date unknown, and laid up in the US Naval Base at Manus Island, Admiralty Islands

Re-delivered, 6 February 1946, to Agwilines Inc. (agents for Southern Steamship Co. at Shanghai, China

Sold to China Merchants Steam Navigation Co., Ltd. , name changed SS Hai Chuen, reflagged Republic of China, homeported at Shanghai, China

Resold in 1951 from the Peoples Republic of China to the Taiwan Navigation Co., Ltd. and renamed SS Hsin Chu.

Final Disposition, scrapped in Taiwan 1955

Specifications:
Displacement 2,686 gross tons
Length 253'
Beam 44'
Draft 28'
Speed unknown

Armament

two 4" deck guns

two 30 cal. machine guns

Complement unknown

Troopship Passenger Capacity unknown

Cargo Capacity unknown

Cruise Radius unknown

Propulsion

on triple expansion reciprocating steam engine

single shaft 1,500shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
Pre World War II Merchant Service
302206605	148k	SS Lake Flag was a USSB Emergency Fleet Corp Design 1074 4050 ton Great Lakes freighter	Courtesy Shipscribe.com
302206601	10k	SS West Texas moored pierside, date and location unknown.	Michael Goldsby, PhD.
302206602	124k	SS West Texas being towed into the Port of Rotterdam, in 1920	Michael Goldsby, PhD.
302206606	78k	1926 Newspaper photo "Miss West Texas to be Christened at Houston Nov. 6." Caption - "Here is the steamer 'Miss West Texas' which will be christened at Houston November 6 in the presence of a large delegation of West Texans. It will be operationed by the Southern Steamship Company."	Michael Goldsby, PhD.
USAT West Texas
302206603	64k	Wartime modifications to USAT West Texas included protection for the wheelhouse using concrete, the slits that replaced the portholes made it a difficult place to work for bridge personnel who's vision was severely limited by the added protection.	Michael Goldsby, PhD.
Post World War II Merchant Service
302206607	53k	Artist Steve Mayo painting of ex-USAT West Texas arriving in the port of Shanghai, China for delivery to the China Merchants Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.	Michael Goldsby, PhD.
302206604	89k	Ex-USAT West Texas as the China Merchants Steam Navigation Co., Ltd. , freighter SS Hai Chuen in a Chinese port, date and location unknown.	Michael Goldsby, PhD.

There is no history record for USAT West Texas available 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

Last Updated 30 April 2021