View source for SS Hobbs Victory

{{short description|Victory ship of the United States}}

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|Ship image=File:RedOakVictory-2013-07-20.jpg
|Ship caption=Typical Victory ship
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{{Infobox ship career
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| Ship country=United States
| Ship flag= {{USN flag|1945}}
| Ship name= SS ''Hobbs Victory''
| Ship namesake= [[Hobbs, New Mexico]]
| Ship ordered=
| Ship builder=[[Permanente Metals]] [[Richmond Shipyards|Yard No. 1, Richmond]], California
| Ship laid down=November 10, 1944
| Ship launched= January 9, 1945
|Ship completed=  January 9, 1945
|Ship owner= War Shipping Administration
|Ship operator= [[Sudden & Christenson]]
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| Ship fate=  Sank in battle April 6, 1945 Kerama Islands, Okinawa
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Victory ship]]
|Ship tonnage={{GRT|7725}}
|Ship length={{convert|139|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|18.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|7|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=Westinghouse steam turbines, single shaft, 8500 horsepower (6.3&nbsp;MW)
|Ship speed={{convert|17.5|knot|km/h}} maximum sustained, {{convert|21|kn|kph|0}} emergency
|Ship range={{convert|12,500|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|12|kn}}
|Ship complement=* 62 merchant marine and 28 [[United States Navy Armed Guard]] as Victory ship. 
* 358 officers and men
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|Ship armament= * 1 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|5 inch (127&nbsp;mm)/38 caliber gun]] 
* 1 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|3 inch (76&nbsp;mm)/50 caliber gun]]
* 8 × [[Oerlikon 20&nbsp;mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikon]] 
|Ship notes=<ref>{{Cite journal |author=[[Babcock & Wilcox]] |date=April 1944 |title=Victory Ships |journal=Marine Engineering and Shipping Review}}</ref>
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[[File:4_6_1945_sinking_of_hobbs.jpg|thumb|right| SS Hobbs Victory on fire on April 6, 1945 off Kerama Islands, Okinawa]]
'''SS ''Hobbs Victory''''' was a cargo [[Victory ship]] built for [[World War II]] under the [[Emergency Shipbuilding program]]. ''Hobbs Victory'', was launched on January 9, 1945 by [[Permanente Metals Corporation]], [[Richmond, California]] and completed on January 9, 1945. She was built in just 87 days. She was operated by the [[Sudden & Christenson]] for the [[United States Maritime Commission]].<ref>[http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsH.html MARINERS THE WEBSITE OF THE MARINERS MAILING LIST]</ref><ref>[https://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/116liberty_victory_ships/116facts2.htm National Parks, Victory ships]</ref>

== Service history==

SS ''Hobbs Victory'' steamed from [[San Francisco]], [[California]] in 1945 to join the [[Pacific War]], stopping at [[Ulithi Atoll]] on her way to [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]]. ''Hobbs Victory'' had the job of delivering 6,000 pounds of [[ammunition]] for troops in the Pacific during World War II.

===Okinawa, kamikaze strike===
''Hobbs Victory'' loaded with 6,000 pounds of ammunition and steamed to Okinawa for the [[Battle of Okinawa]], from 1 to 6 April 1945. On April 6, 1945, she was anchored off Kuba Island, just off [[Tokashiki Island]] and [[Aka Island]] near Okinawa, part of [[Naval Base Okinawa]]. {{SS|Logan Victory}}, that was near ''Hobbs Victory'', also loaded with 6,000 pounds of ammunition, was hit and sunk by a [[kamikaze]] that struck her [[superstructure]]. ''Hobbs Victory'' steamed away from ''Logan Victory,'' at 15 knots. A second kamikaze  struck ''Hobbs Victory'' at 6:50 pm, port side near #4 lifeboat on the boat deck. It spread flames that exploded the port boiler, stopping the engine. Some [[lifeboat (shipboard)|lifeboats]] were lowered into the sea and the order to abandon ship was given. Due to the flames, some jumped [[Man overboard|overboard]] into the sea.

====Ammunition explodes in cargo hold====
A [[US Navy]] [[fireboat]] fought the flames, but the next morning there was a large ammunition explosion in her cargo and she sank at  {{coord|26|05|N|125|14|E|display=inline, title}}. In the plane attack and fire 12 of the crew were killed, 11 of the civilian crew and one armed guard.<ref>[http://www.usmm.org/sunk45.html Chronological List of U.S. Ships Sunk or Damaged during 1945, Ships sunk or damaged during 1945 -- 182 ships]</ref> The US Navy [[minesweeper]] {{USS|Success|AM-310|6}} rescued the survivors of ''Hobbs Victory'' and later transferred them to the attack transport {{USS|Gosper}}. In an earlier attack off Kuba Island the [[Landing Ship, Tank]] {{USS|LST-447}} also sank. {{SS|Pierre Victory}} was able to shoot down one plane and move away from the burning ships. All these [[ammunition ship]]s: ''Hobbs Victory'', ''Logan Victory'', ''Pierre Victory'' and ''LST-447'' were firing their [[deck gun]]s and were able to stop some of the kamikaze planes attacking. The Victory ships used their 3"/50 caliber guns, 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, and at longer range, 5 inch guns. The LST also had 20 mm Oerlikon cannons to use against the attackers. These ships with over 18,000 pounds of ammunition were anchored off Kuba Island, so they would not be anchored next to the other fleet ships at Okinawa. They were called in as needed to resupply the fleet and shore troops with ammunition. [[SS Canada Victory|SS ''Canada Victory'']] also sank at Okinawa on April 27, 1945.<ref>[http://www.railsoft.com/hobbs/t_officer.html SS Hobbs Victory]</ref><ref>Merchant Marine Survivors of World War II: Oral Histories of Cargo Carrying, By Michael Gillen, page 118</ref><ref>[http://www.usmm.org/battlepacific.html usmm.org, Battle Pacific]</ref><ref>[http://www.armed-guard.com/amvic.html The American Victory]</ref><ref>Braving the Wartime Seas, By The American Maritime History Project, page 218</ref><ref>[http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsK.html MARINERS, THE WEBSITE OF THE MARINERS MAILING LIST]</ref><ref>[http://www.hobbshistory.com/HobbsVictory.html www.hobbshistory.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?37264 Wreck site Hobbs]</ref><ref>[http://www.railsoft.com/hobbs/t_officer.html railsoft, Hobbs Victory]</ref><ref>[http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/stories/hobbsvictory/index.htm A Cargo Doomed to Boom, by John Laughton]{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The loss of the three Victory ships ''Logan Victory'', ''Hobbs Victory'' and ''Canada Victory'', each sunk by kamikaze attacks during the invasion of Okinawa, severely hurt the combat forces during the invasion of Okinawa. The Victory ships were carrying a total of 24,000 tons (54 million pounds) of ammunition. This including most of the [[M252 mortar|81 mm mortar shells]] needed for the invasion.

The ammunition ship {{SS|Saginaw Victory}} arrived April 12, 1945 at Okinawa to replace the ammunition lost on ''Hobbs Victory'', ''Logan Victory'' and ''Canada Victory''. More ammunition ships were not needed, as the war came to an end without the invasion of Japan, called [[Operation Downfall]]. The other ammunition ship at Okinawa was the [[SS Berea Victory|SS ''Berea Victory'']].<ref>[https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/n/naval-armed-guard-service-in-world-war-ii/action-at-okinawa.html US Navy, Armed Guard Service]</ref> ''Hobbs Victory'' was one of forty-seven ships sunk by kamikaze attack during World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/background/ships-sunk/index.htm|title=kamikaze Attackes|access-date=2017-01-09|archive-date=2010-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702024423/http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/background/ships-sunk/index.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="47sunk">{{cite web |url=http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/background/ships-sunk/index.htm |title=47 Ships Sunk by Kamikaze Aircraft |access-date=2017-01-09 |archive-date=2010-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702024423/http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/background/ships-sunk/index.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Honors==
Crew of naval armed guard on SS ''Hobbs Victory'' earned "[[Battle Stars]]" in World War II for war action during the assault occupation of Okinawa on 6 April 1945. She used her deck guns to defend herself and other ships.<ref>[http://www.usmm.org/battlepacific.html#anchor72541 "Battle Stars" in World War II.]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of Victory ships]]
* [[Liberty ship]]
* [[Type C1 ship]]
* [[Type C2 ship]]
* [[Type C3 ship]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* Sawyer, L.A. and W.H. Mitchell. ''Victory ships and tankers: The history of the ‘Victory’ type cargo ships and of the tankers built in the United States of America during World War II'', Cornell Maritime Press, 1974, 0-87033-182-5.
* United States Maritime Commission: [http://www.usmm.org/victoryships.html]
* Victory Cargo Ships [http://www.armed-guard.com/recbr2.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050922060615/http://www.armed-guard.com/recbr2.html |date=2005-09-22 }}

{{MARCOMships}}
{{WWII US ships}}
{{Victory ships}}
{{April 1945 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hobbs Victory, SS}}
[[Category:Victory ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Richmond, California]]
[[Category:1945 ships]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by kamikaze attack]]
[[Category:Ammunition ships of the United States Navy]]