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SS ''West Gotomska'' was a steel–hulled cargo ship built in 1918 as part of the World War I emergency wartime shipbuilding program organized by the United States Shipping Board. ''West Gotomska'' was commissioned straight into the U.S. Navy on completion in August 1918 as the auxiliary ship USS ''West Gotomska'' (ID-3322), and subsequently completed several supply missions on the Navy's behalf before decommissioning in June 1919. Between the wars, she was placed into commercial service as SS ''West Gotomska''. With America's entry into World War II in December 1941, ''West Gotomska'' participated in the convoy system that kept open the vital supply lines to Britain and the Soviet Union during the Battle of the Atlantic. In 1942, ''West Gotomska'' became one of the few survivors of the disastrous Convoy PQ-17 to Russia. In 1943, the ageing vessel was sold to Chilean interests, who renamed her SS ''Andalien''. ''Andalien'' was scrapped in Philadelphia in 1948. ==Construction and design== ''West Gotomska'' was built in Seattle, Washington in 1918 at the No. 1 Plant of the Skinner & Eddy Corporation〔—the 12th in a series of 24 Design 1013 cargo ships built by Skinner & Eddy for the USSBs emergency wartime shipbuilding program.〔("General Cargo Ships Built in Pacific Coast Shipyards" ), ''shipbuildinghistory.com''.〕 The ship was laid down on May 16, launched 51 working (62 calendar) days later on 17 July, and completed on 7 August—a total time under construction of 68 working (83 calendar) days,〔''Pacific Ports Annual'', pp. 64-65.〕 putting ''West Gotomska'' amongst the fastest-built ships of her time.〔Hurley, p. 93. Note that Hurley does not specifically mention ''West Gotomska'' in his list of fastest-built ships, but at 83 calendar days the vessel would, according to Hurley's list, have been the sixth fastest-built ship of the war.〕 ''West Gotomska'' had a design deadweight tonnage of 8,800 tons and gross register tonnage of 5,600. She had an overall length of 423 feet 9 inches, a beam of 54 feet and a draft of 24 feet 2 inches.〔("West Gotomska" ), ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'', Naval History and Heritage Command website.〕 The ship was powered by a Curtis geared turbine,〔Silverstone, p. 169.〕 driving a single screw propeller and delivering a speed of 11 knots.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「SS West Gotomska」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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