S/S Park Victory
16.5.1945 – 24.12.1947 IV
S/S Park Victory’s voyages
When S/S Park Victory was delivered, it made its first voyage from San Fransisco to Los Angeles. There, in Port Hueneme, it took a full load of ”US Navy Cargo”.
S/S Park Victory set out for the Pacific Ocean:
16.5 – 21.5.1945 SF – LA, Port Hueneme
26.5 Marshall Islands – Eniwetok Atoll 12 days 7000 km (1)
Eniwetok – Mariana Islands 3000 km (2)
Marianas – Okinawa 2200 km (3)
Okinawa – Pearl Harbor 7800 km (4) end of August
Pearl Harbor – Panama Canal 7000 km 6.9.1945
Panama Canal – New York 14.9.1945
Figure 1
After the voyages with transport of cattle, S/S Park Victory was converted for dry cargo. After the war there was plenty of freight. Throughout the year the ship sailed the Atlantic Ocean, between USA and Europe.
”The Park” also made a visit to Seattle on the east coast of the United States. At the ship-wrecking the ship’s log book was lost. It therefore remains unclear whether S/S Park Victory visited its hometown San Fransisco during that voyage.
Figure 2
In December 1947, Thursday 11, S/S Park Victory was full loaded with pit coal on the east coast of USA, in the harbour area on Hampton Road, Newport News. The cargo was destined to Finland, either to Turku or Helsinki. As orderers are given the State of Finland and the Ovako ironworks. On the evening of the same day, at 7.15 pm, the ship set out to sea.
Figure 8
After eleven days at sea, on Monday 22 December, S/S Park Victory anchored by the Skagen lighthouse in the northernmost part of Denmark. A pilot was taken on board, to assure safe passing through the Danish straits to the Baltic Sea. The pilot went ashore in Trelleborg, and the ship continued its voyage ”in fine weather”. By Utö the ship was anchored on Wednesday 24 December, at 2 pm. The weather was bright and calm. Pilot Nestor Lindström came on board.
Figures 6 and 7 and 4
In Europe there was a small remote country called Finland. Steel was needed for the rebuilding after the war. Finland needed steel in order to pay the heavy war reparations to the Soviet Union. The production of steel requires pit coal. One ship load does not go far, but the cargo of S/S Park Victory was just one among many others.
Figures 3 and 4
text, material and editing Jouko Moisala / layout Maarit Nissilä