SS Sea Marlin


SS Sea Marlin was a Type C3-class ship Victory ship -based transport operated for the War Shipping Administration by Grace Lines during World War II.
She was launched as C3-S-A2 hull number 401 at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula Mississippi on Victory Fleet Day; September 27, 1943. Her sponsor was Mrs. D.G. Peattie, wife of Ingalls' Machinery Superintendent. Conversion to a 2,111 berth transport was completed in New Orleans on January 31, 1944.
USAT Sea Marlin was allocated to United States Army requirements, but contract operated. She sailed from her home port of New Orleans on February 9, 1944 bound for Australia and New Guinea via the Panama Canal, under the command of Merchant Marine Captain George Ekstrom.
The ship was returned to civilian service in 1947 when acquired by Isthmian Steamship Company as the SS Steel Director. In 1956 the ship was sold to States Marine Lines and operated under the same name until scrapped in 1971.

World War II

Sea Marlin served most of the war in the Pacific Ocean which included ports-of-call in Australia, Panama, New Guinea, New Zealand, Guam, Saipan, Eniwetok, Leyte Gulf, Tinian plus the Admiralty Island, Babelthaup, Caroline Island, Palau, Philippine, New Hebrides, and Mariana Islands. U.S. Pacific ports included Camp Stoneman, Honolulu, San Francisco, San Pedro, Seattle, Portland, and Port Hueneme.
While outbound from the states her passengers were destined for the Pacific War zones on return voyages Sea Marlin served as a hospital ship returning the wounded stateside.
At the Battle of Okinawa the Sea Marlins Naval Armed Guard crew received a Battle Stars for the service during the invasion. This action included the Japanese Kamikaze attack on the invasion fleet.

Ship's Complement

As a transport allocated to the U.S. Army Sea Marlin was crewed by United States Merchant Marines, protected by a contingent of the US Naval Armed Guards, and had a complement of the US Army Transportation Corps aboard for troop administration.
In September 1944 the ship's roster included:
Units transported include:
The following is a text of a newsletter provided to the passengers of the Sea Marlin:

Post War Service

On May 2, 1946 Sea Marlin was transferred to the U.S. Maritime Commission and laid up as part of the Reserve Fleet at Lee Hall, VA in the James River. In 1947 Isthmian Steamship Company purchased Sea Marlin and changed its name to SS Steel Director. The contract to convert Sea Marlin from a troopship to freighter was awarded to the J.K Welding Company, Yonkers, NY for a cost of $300,000. Isthmian Steamship Company was sold to States Marine Lines on March 6, 1956. Steel Director remained in service until it was sold for scrap to Taiwan Shipbreakers, Kaohsiung, Republic of China in 1971.
The following is a history of damage, salvage, repair, and refitting to Steel Director
• During the period of October to December 1950 heavy weather damaged the rudder, boats and fitting. These repairs were made in Houston TX.
• 7/11/50: On voyage Galveston, Texas, to Haifa, Israel, hit pier at Gulfport, MS with damage to propeller blades and shaft.
• 10-12/50: Heavy weather damage to rudder, boats and fittings; repaired at Houston, TX.
• 4/20 - 4/21/51: Heavy weather destroyed accommodation ladder on voyage Calcutta, India to Boston, MA.
• 8/2 - 8/3/51: Heavy weather damaged lifeboats. Repair #2 lifeboat davit arm, 7 hatch tarps and 4 lifeboat covers; repairs at Baltimore MD.
• 8/20/52: On voyage Houston, TX to Calcutta, India hit Congress Street Wharf, New Orleans, LA, damaging 6 pilings.
• 2/1/55: Hit submerged object damaging propeller. 7/12/55: Dry-docked in New York, NY for initial repairs with further work completed in Galveston, Texas, in October 1955.
• 8/9/57: While on voyage from Baltimore and Saigon, South Vietnam to Bangkok, Thailand struck a submerged obstruction. Again on 12/1/57 during voyage from Baltimore MD and Philippines to Surabaya, Indonesia and Singapore, propeller struck submerged object. All repairs done in Galveston, Texas, in March 1958.
• 5/18/58: Struck submerged object on passage from Mobile, AL to New Orleans, LA. Repairs completed in Baltimore, MD in April 1959.
• 12/24/59: At Chittagong, India collided with steamer Pyidawnyunt, with little or no damage and arrived in Calcutta, India on 12/27/59.
• 10/27/60: Grounded in the Houston Ship Channel while en route to Galveston, Texas. Repairs deferred until August 1961.
• 1/25/61: Suffered rudder damage from grounding in Suez Canal on voyage from Calcutta, India to Houston, TX. Towed to Port Said, Egypt by tug where temporary repairs were done. Towed by salvage ship Svitzer to Palermo, Italy where permanent repairs were made.
• 7/14/61: Struck the lock wall of Cote Ste. Catherine Lock while transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway en route from Montreal, QB to Kenosha, WS in ballast. Struck lock wall of Lower and Upper Beauharnois Locks while transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway.
• Arrived Baltimore, MD 9/6/61 from New York, NY for deferred repairs to bottom plates damage sustained 10/27/60 plus damage sustained in St Lawrence Seaway.
• 9/10/63: generator turbine damaged in consequence of alleged engineer's negligence while the vessel was on passage from Madras, India to Calcutta, India. Partial repairs made in New York in December 1963.
• 6/7/68: Struck submerged object in Pascagoula, Mississippi River while en route from Baton Rouge, LA to Houston, TX and Calcutta, India. Repairs completed in New York, NY July 2, 1968.
• 3/5 - 8/69: Damaged in heavy weather while en route from Porto Grande, Cape Verde Islands. to New York, NY and New Orleans, LA. Partial repair completed August 5, 1969 in New York, NY.
• 1/7/70: Grounded with no reported damage.
• 6/23/70: Collided with barge in Yokohama, Japan on voyage from Saigon, South Vietnam for Seattle, WA. Damage to propeller repaired at Todd Shipyards in Seattle, WA in August..
• 9/9/70: Arrived Sattahip, Thailand from Tacoma, WA with refrigeration failure following repairs proceeded to Qui Nhon, South Vietnam.
• 5/17/71 Final voyage of SS Sea Marlin/Steel Director from Saigon, South Vietnam arrived at Kaohsiung, Republic of China prior to 6/10/71 where she was scrapped.