View source for SS West Humhaw

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= [[File:SS West Humhaw after launch.jpg|300px|SS West Humhaw after launch]]
|Ship caption= SS ''West Humhaw'' shortly after launch on 28 August 1918 and before the completion of her superstructure.
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=
|Ship flag=
|Ship name= '''SS ''West Humhaw'''''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=*[[U.S. Navy]] 18
*[[U.S. Shipping Board]] 19
*[[American-West African Line]] 24
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder= [[Skinner & Eddy]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number= 30 (USSB #1183)
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down= 27 June 1918
|Ship launched= 28 August 1918
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired= 14 September 1918
|Ship commissioned= 16 September 1918–27 January 1919
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship maiden voyage=
|Ship in service= 16 September 1918–8 November 1942
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship identification=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship honors=
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate= Torpedoed and sunk by {{GS|U-161|1941|2}} off [[Takoradi]], [[Ghana]], 8 November 1942
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type= [[Design 1013 ship|Design 1013]] [[cargo ship]]
|Ship tonnage= 5,600 [[gross register tons|gross]], 8,800 [[deadweight tonnage|dwt]]
|Ship displacement= 12,225 tons
|Ship length=*{{convert|423|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
*{{convert|410|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on}} [[length between perpendiculars|bp]]
|Ship beam= {{convert|54|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft= {{convert|24|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth= {{convert|29|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power= 1 × Curtis geared [[steam turbine|turbine]]
|Ship propulsion= Single screw
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed= {{convert|11.5|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship boats=
|Ship capacity=
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=*World War I ([[USN]]): 94
*Peacetime: about 30
*World War II: 54 (38 crew, 16 armed guards)
|Ship crew=
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*World War I: 1 × [[5"/51 caliber gun|5"/51 cal]], 1 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|3"/50 cal]]
*World War II: 1 × 4", 2 × 20mm AA, 2 × .30 cal. [[machine gun|MG]]
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''SS ''West Humhaw''''' was a [[steel]]&ndash;[[hull (watercraft)|hulled]] [[cargo ship]] built in 1918 as part of the [[United States Shipping Board]]{{'}}s emergency World War I shipbuilding program.

The ship was delivered just weeks before the end of the war and immediately commissioned into the [[U.S. Navy]] as '''USS ''West Humhaw'' (ID-3718)''', but completed only one relief mission on the Navy's behalf before decommissioning in January 1919. ''West Humhaw'' subsequently operated as a [[merchant ship]], firstly in [[transatlantic crossing|transatlantic]] service and later on the trade routes between the U.S. and Africa.

With the outbreak of World War II, ''West Humhaw'' participated in a small number of [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] convoys before being sunk by {{GS|U-161|1941|2}} off [[Takoradi]], [[Ghana]] on 8 November 1942.

==Construction and design==
''West Humhaw'' was built in [[Seattle, Washington]] in 1918 at the No. 1 Plant of the [[Skinner & Eddy Corporation]]—the 15th in a series of 24 [[steel]]&ndash;[[hull (watercraft)|hulled]] [[Design 1013 ship|Design 1013]] [[cargo ship]]s built by Skinner & Eddy for the USSB{{'}}s emergency wartime shipbuilding program.<ref name=sbh2>[http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/merchantships/wwi/pacific.htm "General Cargo Ships Built in Pacific Coast Shipyards"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422125305/http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/merchantships/wwi/pacific.htm |date=22 April 2009 }}, ''shipbuildinghistory.com''.</ref> The ship was laid down on 27 June, launched just 51 working (62 calendar) days later on 28 August, and completed on 14 September—a total time under construction of 64 working (79 calendar) days,<ref name=ppa64-65>''Pacific Ports Annual'', pp. 64-65.</ref> making ''West Humhaw'' one of the fastest-built ships of the war.<ref name=hurley93>Hurley, p. 93. Note that Hurley does not specifically mention ''West Humhaw'' in his list of fastest-built ships, but at 79 calendar days the vessel would, according to Hurley's list, have been the equal fourth fastest-built ship of the war.</ref>

''West Humhaw'' had a design [[deadweight tonnage]] of 8,800 tons and [[gross register tonnage]] of 5,600. The ship had an overall length of 423 feet 9&nbsp;inches, a beam of 54 feet and a draft of 24 feet 2&nbsp;inches.<ref name=danfs>[http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w5/west_humhaw.htm West Humhaw] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103184400/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w5/west_humhaw.htm |date=3 November 2012 }}, ''[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]'', Naval History and Heritage Command website.</ref> She was powered by a Curtis geared [[steam turbine|turbine]]<ref name=silverstone>Silverstone, p. 169.</ref> driving a single screw propeller, delivering a service speed of 11.5 [[knot (unit)|knots]].<ref name=danfs/> For wartime service, ''West Humhaw'' was armed with one [[5"/51 caliber gun|5"/51 caliber]] and one [[3"/50 caliber gun|3"/50 caliber]] gun.<ref name=silverstone/>

==Service history==
===U.S. Navy service, 1918-1919===
Immediately on completion, ''West Humhaw'' was turned over to the U.S. Navy on 13 September,<ref>Note: DANFS says the vessel was handed over to the Navy on 13 September but Skinner & Eddy stated that the date of delivery was 14 September (see ''Pacific Ports Annual'' pp. 64-65). The reason for this apparent discrepancy is not known but the DANFS date on which "the ship was taken over by the Navy" has been given here.</ref> and commissioned as '''USS ''West Humhaw'' (ID-3718)''' at the [[Puget Sound Navy Yard]] on 16 September for operation with the [[Naval Overseas Transportation Service]] (NOTS).<ref name=danfs/>

Loading a full cargo of [[flour]] for delivery to Europe, ''West Humhaw'' departed Seattle on 5 October, bound for the [[east coast of the United States|east coast]] of the United States, transiting the [[Panama Canal]] and arriving at New York on the 31st. On 12 November—the day after [[Armistice Day]]—''West Humhaw'' departed for [[La Pallice]], France, arriving two weeks later. From La Pallice, the ship sailed on to [[Bordeaux]], where she unloaded her cargo and departed once more for New York on 21 December, arriving on 12 January 1919.<ref name=danfs/>

On 27 January, a few days after her return to the U.S., ''West Humhaw'' was decommissioned, struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register|Navy List]], and returned the same day to the United States Shipping Board.<ref name=danfs/>

===Interwar years===
Following her decommissioning, ''West Humhaw'' was quickly placed into merchant service by the USSB as '''SS ''West Humhaw'''''. The vessel's movements in the interwar period are poorly documented, but it appears that the ship was initially placed into [[transatlantic crossing|transatlantic]] service. The [[Ellis Island]] ship database records that ''West Humhaw'' made a number of voyages from 1919 through the early 1920s from various ports in Europe, such as [[Danzig]], Poland; [[Hamburg]], Germany; [[Plymouth]] and London, England; and [[Pauillac]], France, to New York.<ref name=ellisrecords>[http://www.ellisislandrecords.org/search/ship_year.asp?letter=w&half=1&sname=West*Humhaw Ellis Island Ship Database - West Humhaw]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''ellisislandrecords.org''.</ref>

''West Humhaw'' was eventually turned over to the [[American-West African Line]] for operation between the U.S. and Africa. The date of the turnover is not available, but by 1924 ''West Humhaw'' was already operating between New York and African destinations such as [[Nigeria]], [[Liberia]], the [[Cape Verde Islands|Cape Verde]] and [[Canary Islands]], and [[Côte d'Ivoire]].<ref name=ellisrecords/> After her turnover to the American-West African Line, the ship would remain under the control of this company for the rest of her career.<ref name=danfs/>

===World War II===
Following the outbreak of World War II, ''West Humhaw'' like most other U.S. merchant ships was fitted with some defensive armament, which in ''West Humhaw''{{'}}s case included a 4-inch gun, two 20mm [[antiaircraft gun]]s, and two .30 caliber [[machine gun]]s. To man the weapons, a group of 16 U.S. Navy [[United States Navy Armed Guard|armed guards]] was provided.<ref name=uboatnet>[http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/2393.html Allied Ships hit by U-boats - West Humhaw], ''uboat.net''.</ref>

With America's entry into the war in December 1941, ''West Humhaw'' soon found herself part of the Allied convoy system. In July–August 1942, ''West Humhaw'' participated in convoys sailing from [[Trinidad]] to New York via [[Key West]], [[Florida]]. In September, the ship returned in convoy to [[Trinidad]] via [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base|Guantanamo Bay]], [[Cuba]]. From this point the ship appears to have proceeded independently to [[Freetown]], [[Sierra Leone]], on her way to [[Lagos]], Nigeria.<ref name=haguedb>[http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hague/index.html?search3.php~haguemain Arnold Hague Convoy Database], ''convoyweb.org.uk''. Click on the "Ship Search" link and enter '''Humhaw''' which should bring up a list of wartime convoys in which ''West Humhaw'' is known to have participated.</ref>

On her way to Freetown, ''West Humhaw'' came across a lifeboat on 13 October, containing 18 survivors from another ship of the American-West African Line,<ref name=uboatnet_jcrose>[http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/2248.html Allied Ships hit by U-boats - John Carter Rose], ''uboat.net''.</ref> {{SS|John Carter Rose||2}}, which had been sunk by {{GS|U-201||2}} about a week earlier. Eight of the ship's crew had been killed in the attack. ''West Humhaw'' rescued the men and took them on to Freetown. The remaining survivors from ''John Carter Rose'' were picked up by the [[Argentine|Argentinian]] [[Tanker (ship)|tanker]] ''Santa Cruz'' and taken to [[Recife, Brazil]].<ref name=bunker2006>Bunker 2006, p. 137.</ref><ref name=bunker1972>Bunker 1972 ([http://www.armed-guard.com/ag77.html extract]).</ref>

====Loss====
On 4 November 1942, ''West Humhaw'', laden with a cargo of 2000 tons of lubricating oil and 3,915 tons of general cargo, including cable drums and trucks as deck cargo, departed Freetown with a small escorted convoy of three ships, bound for [[Takoradi]], [[Ghana]]. At 23:47 hours on 8 November, the convoy was attacked by {{GS|U-161|1941|2}}.<ref>Note: DANFS states that the attacking sub was ''U-163'' but ''uboat.net'' and other sources affirm that the attacker was ''U-161''.</ref> ''U-161'' fired four torpedoes, one of which hit and damaged the merchant ship ''Benalder'' and another of which struck ''West Humhaw''. Once it became clear the vessel could not be saved, ''West Humhaw''{{'}}s crew abandoned ship, which sank by the bows in about thirty minutes. Fortunately, there were no deaths in the attack, and the survivors were rescued after about 45 minutes by the [[Motor launch (naval)|Motor Launch]] HMS ''ML-281'', which transferred them to Takoradi.<ref name=danfs/><ref name=uboatnet/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Bunker, John (2006): ''Heroes in Dungarees: The Story of the American Merchant Marine in World War II'', p.&nbsp;137, Naval Institute Press, {{ISBN|978-1-59114-099-3}}.
* Bunker, John (1972): ''Liberty ships,: The ugly ducklings of World War II'', Naval Institute Press.
* Hurley, Edward N. (1920): ''The New Merchant Marine'', p.&nbsp;93, The Century Co., New York.
* Pacific Ports Inc. (1919): ''Pacific Ports Annual'', Fifth Edition, 1919, pp.&nbsp;64–65, 402–405, Pacific Ports Inc.
* Silverstone, Paul H. (2006): ''The New Navy, 1883-1922'', Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0-415-97871-2}}.

{{Design 1013 ships}}
{{November 1942 shipwrecks}}
{{coord missing|Atlantic Ocean}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:West Humhaw, Ss}}
[[Category:1918 ships]]
[[Category:Design 1013 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built by Skinner & Eddy]]
[[Category:World War I auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of the United States]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in November 1942]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II]]