History
United States
Name
  • Coastal Harbinger (1944–1945)
  • Midland (1945)
Namesake
Orderedas type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2126[1]
BuilderWalter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin
Yard number44[1]
Laid down29 July 1944
Launched23 December 1944
Sponsored byMrs. William G. Mitsch
Acquired17 August 1945
Commissioned27 September 1945
Decommissioned13 November 1945
Strickendate unknown
Identification
FateTransferred to the Maritime Commission, 13 November 1945
History
United States
NameCoastal Spartan
OwnerMaritime Commission
Operator
Acquired13 November 1945
In service13 November 1945
Out of service3 February 1948
FateSold, 1 June 1948
Notessold without cost
History
TaiwanRepublic of China
NameUnion Banker
Acquired1 June 1948
FateScrapped, 1970[1]
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeAlamosa-class cargo ship
TypeC1-M-AV1
Tonnage5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)[1]
Displacement
  • 2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard)
  • 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load)
Length388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam50 ft (15 m)
Draft21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power
Propulsion1 × propeller
Speed11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity
  • 3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT
  • 9,830 cu ft (278 m3) (refrigerated)
  • 227,730 cu ft (6,449 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Complement
  • 15 Officers
  • 70 Enlisted
Armament

USS Midland (AK-195) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship that was constructed by the US Navy during the closing period of World War II. She was declared excess-to-needs and returned to the US Maritime Commission shortly after being in commission for only a short period of time.

Construction

Midland was laid down under Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2126, by Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin, 29 July 1944; launched 23 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. William G. Mitsch; converted by the New Orleans Naval Station; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on loan-charter 17 August 1945; placed in service the same day to be ferried from Beaumont, Texas, to Galveston, Texas, and placed out of service upon arrival on 18 August; and commissioned 27 September 1945.[3]

Post-war decommissioning

Because of the reduced need for cargo ships following World War II, Midland decommissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana, 13 November 1945 and was returned to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) the same day for service under the Maritime Commission as Coastal Harbinger.[3]

Merchant service

Coastal Harbinger was used by several shipping companies from 1945 to 1948, when she was placed in the reserve fleet before being sold.[2]

On 1 June 1948, she was sold to The Republic of China for "no cost" and renamed Union Banker. She was scrapped in 1970.[4]

Notes

    Citations
    1. 1 2 3 4 C1 Cargo Ships 2009.
    2. 1 2 Navsource 2013.
    3. 1 2 DANFS.
    4. ↑ MARAD.

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "Midland". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 20 November 2016.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    • "C1 Cargo Ships". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
    • "USS Midland (AK-195)". Navsource.org. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
    • "Coastal Expounder". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
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