View source for SS Charles F. Amidon

{{Short description|Liberty ship of World War II}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
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{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = File:SS Charles F Amidon.png
| Ship caption = ''Charles F. Amidon'' on 27 December 1943
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{{Infobox ship career
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| Ship country = United States
| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1947}}
| Ship name = ''Charles F. Amidon''
| Ship namesake = [[Charles F. Amidon]]
| Ship owner =
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| Ship builder = [[Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation]]
| Ship original cost = 
| Ship yard number = 781
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| Ship laid down = 24 September 1943
| Ship launched = 11 October 1943
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| Ship completed = 19 October 1943
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| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship in service = 
| Ship out of service = March 1961
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| Ship homeport = [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]]
| Ship identification = *[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: KUBH
*{{ICS|Kilo}}{{ICS|Uniform}}{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Hotel}}
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| Ship fate = [[Ship breaking|Scrapped]], 1961
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}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Header caption = <ref name="davies"/>
| Ship class = {{Liberty ship class}}
| Ship type = 
| Ship tonnage = {{Liberty ship tonnage}}
| Ship displacement = {{Liberty ship displacement}}
| Ship length = {{Liberty ship length}}
| Ship beam = {{Liberty ship beam}}
| Ship draft = {{Liberty ship draft}}
| Ship capacity = {{Liberty ship cargo capacity}}
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| Ship power = {{Liberty ship power}}
| Ship propulsion = {{Liberty ship propulsion|8}}
| Ship complement = {{Liberty ship complement}}
| Ship armament = {{Liberty ship armament}}
| Ship speed = {{Liberty ship speed}}
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}
'''SS ''Charles F. Amidon''''' was an American [[Liberty ship]] built in 1943 for service in [[World War II]].  Her namesake was [[Charles F. Amidon]], an American [[Judge]] from 1896 to 1928.

== Description ==
{{main|Liberty ship}}
The ship was {{Convert|442|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}} long overall ({{Convert|417|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]], {{Convert|427|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on}} [[Length at the waterline|waterline]]), with a beam of {{Convert|57|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on}}. She had a depth of {{convert|34|ft|8|in|m|2|abbr=on}} and a draught of {{Convert|27|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on}}. She was assessed at  {{GRT|7,210}}, {{NRT|4,880}}, {{DWT|10,856}}.<ref name="davies">{{cite web|last=Davies|first=James|year=2012|title=Liberty Cargo Ships|url=http://ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf|work=ww2ships.com|page=23|accessdate=7 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="BHM43">{{cite journal|year=1943|title=Lloyd's Register, Steamers and Motorships|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/shipdata/pdfs/44/44b0113.pdf|journal=Lloyd's Register|publisher=Lloyd's|accessdate=21 June 2021}}</ref>

She was powered by a [[triple expansion steam engine]], which had cylinders of {{convert|24.5|in|cm}}, {{convert|37|in|cm}} and {{convert|70|in|cm}} diameter by {{convert|70|in|cm}} stroke. The engine was built by the Worthington Pump & Machinery Corporation, [[Harrison, New Jersey]]. It drove a single screw [[propeller]],<ref name="BHM43" /> which could propel the ship at {{convert|11|kn|km/h}}.<ref name="davies" />

== Construction and career ==
This ship was built by [[Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation]] in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]].  She was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 24 September 1943 and [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 11 October 1943, later completed on 19 October 1943. She was operated by the [[Grace Lines]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 2004|title=Oregon Shipbuilding Corp. Liberty Ships|url=http://ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf|access-date=12 January 2022|website=WW2Ships|page=108 of 164}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=CHARLES F. AMIDON|url=https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/882|access-date=2022-01-11|website=vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov}}</ref>

She departed [[Colombo]] together with Convoy JC 54B on 4 July 1944 for [[Calcutta]] while carrying army stores, she arrived six days later.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Convoy JC.54B|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=BEN%20H%20MILLER~armain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}}</ref> The ship returned to Colombo with Convoy CJ 37 on 2 August.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Convoy CJ.37|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/misc/index.html?yy.php?convoy=CJ.37!~miscmain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}}</ref> ''Carlos Carrillo'' together with Convoy GUS 50 departed from [[Port Said]], on 23 August, for [[Hampton Roads]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Convoy GUS.50|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/gus/index.html?gus.php?convoy=50!~gusmain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}}</ref> She again departed from Hampton Roads for Port Said with Convoy UGS 57 from 12 October until 18 September.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Convoy UGS.57|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ugs/index.html?ugs.php?convoy=57!~ugsmain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}}</ref>  The ship then left with Convoy GUS 57, for [[Cristóbal, Colón|Cristóbal]], from 15 November until 2 December.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Convoy GUS.57|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/gus/index.html?gus.php?convoy=57!~gusmain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}}</ref>

Throughout 1945, ''Charles F. Amidon'' made independent trips to [[Enewetak Atoll|Eniwetok]], [[Port Townsend, Washington|Port Townsend]], [[Hagushi]], [[Kossol Roads]], [[Tacloban]], [[Pearl Harbor]], [[San Francisco]], [[Ulithi]], [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]], [[Takuu Atoll|Takuu]] and [[Balboa, Panama|Balboa]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Charles F. Amidon's Convoys|url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=BEN%20H%20MILLER~armain|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.convoyweb.org.uk}}</ref> On 15 February 1945, she was in the Pacific Ocean at position {{coord|36|55|N|126|05|W}} when she mistook the U.S. Navy [[submarine]] {{USS|Crevalle|SS-291}} for a Japanese submarine and opened gunfire on her at a range of {{convert|2,800|yd|sigfig=3}}, firing eight rounds and claiming two hits. All rounds actually missed, and ''Crevalle'' — which reported her own position as {{coord|36|54|N|126|02|W}} — suffered no damage or casualties.<ref>Hinman & Campbell, pp. 40–41.</ref>

In 1946, ''Charles F. Amidon'' was transferred to the [[United States Department of Commerce]] in Portland, Oregon.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=D/S Charles F. Amidon - Sjøhistorie|url=https://www.sjohistorie.no/en/skip/620557/https:/www.sjohistorie.no/en/skip/620557/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=www.sjohistorie.no}}</ref> In March 1961, she was then sold to [[Zidell Companies|Zidell Explorations Inc.]], [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] for opphogging.<ref name=":0" />

''Charles F. Amidon'' was scrapped in 1961 after being sold to Ankom on 16 March 1961.<ref>Miramar Ship Index</ref><ref name=":0" />

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}
===Bibliography===
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=hkupDwAAQBAJ&dq=LApon+raton&pg=PA181 Hinman, Charles R., and Douglas E. Campbell. ''The Submarine Has No Friends: Friendly Fire Incidents Involving U.S. Submarines During World War II''. Syneca Research Group, Inc., 2019.] {{ISBN|978-0-359-76906-3}}.

{{February 1945 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles F. Amidon}}

[[Category:Liberty ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in February 1945]]
[[Category:Friendly fire incidents of World War II]]


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