Philippine Mail

Nave da carico generale General cargo ship

INFORMAZIONI STORICHE

Questa nave iera una nave da carico di tipo C4-S-1s linea postale americana, fu costruita nel 1962, da Todd Pacific Cantiere San Pedro a San Pedro in California. Il design della nave era una modifica del tipo C4-s-1a "Mariner", la progettazione delle navi più semplice break-bulk del dopoguerra. Essa fu impegnata nel commercio del Pacifico e le rotte dell 'Estremo Oriente.
Il 29 marzo 1963 la nave era in rotta da Naha, Okinawa a Keelung, Taiwan, alle 04:30 il radioallarme automatico suonò senza però nessun segnale di allarme.
Alle 07:00, fu avvistata la MS Hai Ziang sbandata di 45° con un'altra nave nave cinese, SS Haou, pronta a dare assistenza . Il tempo stava peggiorando, con venti di burrasca, mare grosso e onde alte.
Il Capitano W. Dinsmore di Philippine manovrò la sua nave al lato sopravvento di Hai Ziang e pompando del combustibile in acqua per calmare i frangenti.Poi fece amainare una scialuppa di salvataggio per tentare di salvare gli uomini dell 'equipaggio. Alcuni furono salvati dalla Hai Ziang. Mentre la scialuppa stava tornando però, furono avvistati altri sopravvisuti tra le onde e il comandante ordinò di attuare tutte le procedure per salvarli.
Non sapendo se ci fossero più i membri dell'equipaggio da essere salvati dalla nave che affondava, il capitano Dinsmore si posizionò accanto alla Hai Zaing.per assicurarsi che non vi fossero altri naufraghi in mare. Alle 06:15, USS Weiss è arrivò sulla scena con una barca a motore e recuperò restanti membri dell'equipaggio in totale, furono salvati otto membri dell'equipaggio e un passeggero della Hai Ziang.
In seguito nel 1972 la nave fu allungata e convertita in porta -container (tipo C6-S-1x). Meno di un anno dopo, La società fu assorbita dalla American President Lines.
Nel 1975 fu rinominata PRESIDENT EISENHOWER. Nel 1983,fu venduta alla società Delta Steamship Lines e rinominata SANTA PAULA . Tale società, nel 1985 la rivendette alla UNITED STATES LINES e rinominata AMERICAN BANKER.
La nave fu gestita fino al fallimento della società nel 1987 . In seguito fu acquisita da Marad e riposta nel James River Reserve Fleet per essere convertita a nave gru T-ACS. Nel 1988 fu trasferita inj cantiere per le modifiche, fu rimossa la gru ma non fu convertita e rimase in disarmo nel James River fino al 2005, quando fu venduto a Marine Metals, Inc. per essere smontata e demolita.

Denominazioni
fino al 1985 SANTA PAULA
fino al 1983 PRESIDENT EISENHOWER
fino al 1975 PHILIPPINE MAIL

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HISTORYCAL INFO

This ship was an American Mail Lines-owned C4-S-1s type break -bulk cargo ship, constructed in 1962. It was built by Todd Pacific Shipyard San Pedro in San Pedro California. The vessel's design was a modification of the C4-s-1a "Mariner" type, the most basic post-war break-bulk ship design. American Mail Line engaged in Pacific trade and the company used Philippine Mail for its Far East routes.
On March 29, 1963, the vessel was underway from Naha, Okinawa to Keelung, Taiwan, steaming in heavy weather. At 4:30 am the automatic radio alarm sounded. The radio operator responded, but after an extended period, no other distress calls were heard.
At 7:00 am, Philippine Mail sighted MS Hai Ziang dead in the water and listing 45 degrees to port, with another ship Chinese ship, SS Haou, standing ready to assist nearby. The weather was worsening, with gale force winds, heavy seas and high waves.
Captain W. Dinsmore of Philippine Mail maneuvered his ship to the windward side of Hai Ziang and pumped fuel into the water to calm the rough seas. After it arrived on station, Philippine Mail launched a lifeboat to attempt a rescue. Lead by the vessel's Chief Mate, the lifeboat crew rescued three men who had jumped from Hai Ziang. As the lifeboat was returning however, two more survivors were seen floating in the water. Consequently, Captain Dinsmore ordered the crew to throw out lines and rescue the additional floaters.
Knowing that there were more crew members to be rescued from the sinking vessel, Captain Dinsmore positioned his ship next to Hai Zaing. He observed four more crew members of Hai Ziang jumping overboard and immediately told several of the survivors already onboard his ship, to tell the crewman of Hai Ziang to stay onboard their vessel and wait for the lifeboat already underway. At 6:15PM, USS Weiss arrived on scene with a power whale boat and rescued the remaining crewmen from MS Hai Ziang. In total, Philippine Mail assisted in rescuing eight crew members and one passenger from Hai Ziang.
American Mail Lines lengthened and converted Philippine Mail to a containership (type C6-S-1x) in 1972. Less than a year later, American Mail Lines was absorbed into American President Lines; Philippine Mail was renamed President Eisenhower in 1975. In 1983, President Eisenhower was sold to Delta Steamship Lines and renamed Santa Paula. That company, in turn, was sold to U.S. Lines in 1985; U.S. Lines changed the vessel's name from Santa Paula to American Banker.
U.S. Lines operated American Banker until the company's bankruptcy in 1987, when it was acquired by MARAD and laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet as a candidate for conversion to a T-ACS crane ship. Although AMERICAN BANKER went into shipyard in 1988 to have its crane removed, it was never converted into a T-ACS ship; instead, it remained at James River until 2005, when it was sold to Marine Metals, Inc. to be dismantled and recycled.

Former names
until 1985 SANTA PAULA
until 1983 PRESIDENT EISENHOWER
until 1975 PHILIPPINE MAIL

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	Nave da carico generale General cargo ship
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