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USS ''West Hobomac'' (ID-3335) was a steel–hulled cargo ship which saw service with the U.S. Navy as an auxiliary during World War I, and which later operated under the British flag during World War II before being lost to enemy action. Commissioned into the Navy just three months before the end of World War I, ''West Hobomac'' completed three voyages during the war, and made several more on the Navy's behalf in the immediate postwar period prior to decommission in 1919. Between the wars, the ship operated as the merchant vessel SS ''West Hobomac''. With the outbreak of World War II, ''West Hobomac'' was acquired by French interests and renamed SS ''Ile de Batz''. After the Fall of France in June 1940, ''Ile de Batz'' was seized by the British and placed into service under the British flag. ''Ile de Batz'' was torpedoed and sunk by ''U-68'' off the West African coast on 17 March 1942. ==Construction and design== ''West Hobomac'' was built in Seattle, Washington in 1918 at the No. 1 Plant of the Skinner & Eddy Corporation—the 13th in a series of 24 steel–hulled Design 1013 cargo ships built by Skinner & Eddy for the United States Shipping Board's emergency wartime shipbuilding program.〔("General Cargo Ships Built in Pacific Coast Shipyards" ), ''shipbuildinghistory.com''.〕 The ship was laid down on 29 May 1918 and launched just 49 working days (59 calendar days) later on 27 July—a new record for the company, eclipsing its previous best of 51 working days. Completed on 17 August after only 66 working (80 calendar) days under construction,〔''Pacific Ports Annual'', pp. 64–65.〕 ''West Hobomac'' would end the war as the fifth fastest-built ship in the world.〔Hurley, p. 93.〕 ''West Hobomac'' had a designed deadweight tonnage of 8,800 and gross register tonnage of 5,600. The ship had an overall length of 423 feet 9 inches, a beam of 54 feet and a draft of about 24 feet. The vessel was powered by a Curtis geared turbine driving a single screw propeller, delivering a service speed of 11 knots.〔("West Hobomac" ), ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'', Naval History and Heritage Command website.〕〔Silverstone, p. 169.〕 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「USS West Hobomac (ID-3335)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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