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Aurora - (1927-1942)
"Aurora" was built in 1920 as "Miller County", became in 1926 "Aurora".
Taken over ny the WSA in 1942. Torpedoed, shelled, but repaired in 1942.
Renamed as "Jamestown", in 1942. Later in 1945 her name was changed
again to "USS MARIVELES", and as a Navy oiler she served out and
survived the war.
( Photo thanks to John Curdy )
"Aurora" ex. "Miller County".( Photo John L. Lochhead )
"Aurora" ex. "Miller County" anchored, April 2nd, 1942.( Photo US Coast Guard )
"Aurora" ex. "Miller County" damaged after hit by three torpedoes and subjected to a severe shelling.( Photo US Coast Guard )
AURORA, ex MILLER COUNTY - 1926
LOA 450 ', Beam 59 ', Depth 33 ' 3 ", 10,829 DVVT, 82,956 bbIs Sun Doxford diesel 4-cylinder 2-cycle opposed piston.
Built 1920 at Baltimore Dry Dock Corporation, Maryland, and named MILLER COUNTY by her original owners.
Converted from steam to diesel by Sun Oil Company in 1926 and purchased by Socony in December 1926.
The name probably stems from the Standard Oil's Aurora Oil Works in Olean, New York.
The ship aurora led a varied life in both domestic and foreign trade, climaxed by four trips to Vladivostok, USSR, in 1940 and 1941. When the US was drawn into WWII Aurora was returned to the Beaumont-New York shuttle. In April 1942, she was requisitioned for war service by WSA. Just 16 days later, on 10 May, she was waylaid by two German U-boats, hit by three torpedoes and subjected to a severe shelling. At the time she was 40 miles off the mouth of the Mississippi River. The ship was badly damaged. Dut not sunk. She was towed into Algiers, Louisiana, surveyed, and declared a "constructive total loss". As in all such instances, AURORA was turned over to the underwriters for payment of insurance.
In August 1942, title and possession to the damaged AURORA passed to WSA, since all insurance on war-requisitioned vessels was carried by the government. She was repaired, renamed JAMESTOWN, and brought back into the war under the management of another oil company acting as agents for WSA. Later her name was changed again to USS MARIVELES, and as a Navy oiler she served out and survived the war.
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IX-197 Mariveles
Mobile Floating Storage Tanker:
Built in 1923 at Baltimore Drydock & Shipbuilding Co., Baltimore, MD.; as a merchant tanker operating at
various times under the names Miller County, Aurora, and Jamestown; Acquired by the US Navy and
commissioned, USS Mariveles, 17 April 1945, at Brisbane, Australia; Decommissioned, 8 June 1946, at
Subic Bay, P.I. and returned to the WSA the same day for disposal;
Struck from the Naval Register, 10 June 1947;
Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 3 March 1948 to the Asia Development Corp.
Specifications:
Displacement 15,450 t.;
Length 450';
Beam 59';
Draft 28' 1";
Speed 9 kts;
Complement 90;
Armament two 3"/50 guns, eight 20mm guns;
Propulsion, unknown.
View the Mariveles (IX-197)
DANFS history entry located at Navsource.
Additional Info by Starke & Schell Registers :
MILLER COUNTY - 1920 USA 1ST (aft) (10)
7,366 GRT for U. S. Shipping Board, Baltimore 1059 431.0 x 59.2
Tanker build by Baltimore DD. & SB. Co., Baltimore, Md. (5) #110, 219954
1923 - Sun SB. & DD. Co., Philadlephia - conv. to motor vessel
1927 - AURORA Standard Transportation Co., Inc., New York
1931 - Standard-Vacuum Transportation Co., Inc., New York
1935 - Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., Inc., New York
05/10/1942 Torpedoed, shelled, bur repaired
1942 - JAMESTOWN U. S. War Shipping Administration, New York
4/1945 - MARIVELES U. S. Navy (IX-197) - station tanker
6/1946 - JAMESTOWN U. S. War Shipping Administration, New York
Sold March 1948 to Asia Development Co., Shanghai for scrapping.
The Miramar Ship Index for "MILLER COUNTY"
IDNo:
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2219954
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Year:
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1920
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Name:
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MILLER COUNTY
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Keel:
|
|
Type:
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Tanker
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Launch Date:
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27.03.1920
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Flag:
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USA
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Date of completion:
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05.1920
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Tons:
|
7366
|
Link:
|
-
|
DWT:
|
|
Yard No:
|
110
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Length overall:
|
|
Ship Design:
|
1059
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LPP:
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131.4
|
Country of build:
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USA
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Beam:
|
18.0
|
Builder:
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Baltimore DD & SB Co.
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Material of build:
|
|
Location of yard:
|
Baltimore
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Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn):
|
1ST-10
|
|
|
Subsequent History:
[ 1923 re-engined, 1D ] - 1927 AURORA -
1942 JAMESTOWN - 1945 MARIVELES - 1946 JAMESTOWN
Disposal Data:
Scrapped at Shanghai 03.1948. [ By Asia development Co. ]
History:
ON
|
LR/IMO
|
ID
|
Year
|
Name
|
Tons
|
Change
|
Registered Owner
|
219954
|
|
2219954
|
1920
|
MILLER COUNTY
|
7366
|
|
U.S. Govt.
|
219954
|
|
2219954
|
1920
|
MILLER COUNTY
|
7366
|
1923
|
Sun SB & DD Co.
|
219954
|
|
2219954
|
1920
|
AURORA
|
7366
|
1927
|
Standard Tptn Co Inc.
|
219954
|
|
2219954
|
1920
|
AURORA
|
7366
|
1931
|
Standard-Vacuum Tptn Co Inc.
|
219954
|
|
2219954
|
1920
|
AURORA
|
7366
|
1935
|
Socony-Vacuum Oil Co Inc.
|
219954
|
|
2219954
|
1920
|
JAMESTOWN
|
7366
|
1942
|
U.S. Govt.
|
IX-197
|
|
2219954
|
1920
|
MARIVELES
|
7366
|
1945
|
U.S. Navy
|
219954
|
|
2219954
|
1920
|
JAMESTOWN
|
7366
|
1946
|
U.S. Govt
|
Additional information from Uboat.net :
Name: Aurora
Type: Motor tanker
Tonnage: 7.050 tons
Completed: 1920 - Baltimore Dry Docks & Shipbuilding Co, Baltimore MD
Owner: Socony-Vacuum Oil Co Inc, New York
Homeport: New York
Date of attack: 10 May, 1942
Nationality: American
Fate: Damaged by U-506 (Erich Würdemann)
Position: 28.35N, 90.00W - Grid DA 9288
- See location on a map -
Complement: 50 (1 dead and 49 survivors).
Convoy:
Route: New York - Beaumont, Texas
Cargo: Water ballast
History: Built as American steam merchant Miller County, 1923 converted to motor tanker, 1927 renamed Aurora
1942 transferred to US Maritime Commission, repaired and returned to service as Jamestown; 1945 taken over by US Navy
and renamed USS Mariveles (IX 197)
Notes on loss: At 09.31 hours on 10 May 1942, the unescorted Aurora (Master William H. Sheldon) was struck by a torpedo
from U-506 on the starboard side aft of the bridge in the #6 tank about 40 miles off Southwest Pass, Louisiana. She immediately
took a list to starboard, but by shifting ballast returned to an even keel. The master proceeded and kept most of the men on deck
near lifeboats. 90 minutes later a second torpedo hit just aft of the first, in tank #8 and a third torpedo atruck at the #4 tank. U-506
surfaced and began shelling the tanker, causing a fire in the paint locker. The armed guards did not return fire with the 5in gun on
the stern and the two .30cal guns. Shrapnel wounded the radio operator and the chief mate, who died later on one of the rafts. All
hands (nine officers, 29 men and 12 armed guards) abandoned ship in two boats and three rafts. Würdemann thought that the
tanker will sink and departed. Later the master reboarded the Aurora. At 17.00 hours, the diesel yacht USS Onyx (PYc 5) and
the USS YP-157 picked up the survivors. The US coast guard tug USS Tuckahoe (WYT 89) arrived and sent a rescue party
on board with fire hose and extinguishers. Together with the tug Robert W. Wilmot, the Aurora was towed to Algiers,
Louisiana, where she was repaired.