The Virginia was built for the Panama Pacific Line at Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., in Virginia for passage from New York via the Panama Canal to San Francisco.
Length 613ft breadth 80ft, Displacement 32,816 tons.
Turbine-electric, twin screw, speed 17 to 18.5knots.
First class passengers 365, crew 350.
The ship was launched and operated by Panama Pacific Line and travelled regularly from New York to Havana, then through the Panama Canal, to San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. One way water one way rail.
She sailed on her maiden voyage on 8th December 1928.
During 1929 to 1937, the Virginia along with her sister ships California and Pennsylvania, were initially successful but, with the advent of the depression, it became difficult for the company to maintain the three ships.
In 1937 Virginia was sold to U.S. Maritime Commission and refurbished, including the removal of one funnel, and she was renamed S.S. Brazil under the American Republic Line. Cargo space 450,000 cu ft Bale Capacity, 95,000 cu ft refrigerated space. Pre-War capacity 470, crew compliment 380.
Moore-McCormack formally took over the S.S. Brazil on 4th October 1938.
September 28th 1941, the S.S. Brazil hit a 14,187 ton Spanish ship, the Cabo de Buena Esperanza. No damage occurred and no one was hurt.
The S.S. Brazil was the last ship to leave the US before Pearl Harbour was bombed.
In 1942 S.S. Brazil became a United States Army Transport ship (“USAT”) for the War Shipping Administration.
Until 1944 Brazil convoyed troops and on Jan 1st to 15th 1945 she left New York as flagship of the 57th Ship Convoy, arriving Le Havre, France. She was the first ship to sail directly into Le Havre following the Normandy landings, docking in the middle of the Bay because all of the piers were bombed out.
In August 1946 the Government allowed Moore-McCormack to take over the ship and she was sent to the shipyards to be converted from a troop carrier to a luxury liner. Reconversion took place at the Atlantic Basin Ironworks, Brooklyn, and was considered to be the largest peacetime conversion ever done there.
Post war capacity 359 First Class, 160 Cabin Class.
1957 The Federal Maritime Board approved the withdrawal of the S.S. Brazil, leased by the Government to Moore-McCormack Lines. William T Moore, president of Moore-McCormack Lines, said that maintenance work was not economically feasible.
December 9th 1957, the S.S. Brazil was replaced by the Excambion.
1958-1963 S.S. Brazil and S.S. Argentina joined the already laid up S.S. Uruguay in the James River Reserve Fleet. The US retained many of her older liners in vast “mothball defense fleets”, supposedly awaiting some military emergency.
In late 1963 the S.S. Brazil was offered for sale by the US Department of Commerce.
In January 1964 initial bids were rejected, but the vessel was sold to Portsmouth Salvage, Inc. for $133,333. She was broken up by First Steel & Ship Corp., New York.
Extracted from http://www.moore-mccormack.com/SS-Brazi ... meline.htm
Mozambique 2009 SG?