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Altair - (1931-1943)
"Altair" during W2, inbound August 24th, 1943.(Photo US Coast Guard)
"Altair" during W2, inbound December 14th, 1942.(Photo US Coast Guard)
"Altair" during W2, inbound April 18th, 1942.(Photo US Coast Guard)
"Altair" just during W2, anchored, date unknown.(Photo US Coast Guard)
Altair, ex Agwimoon 1927
LOA 445 ', Beam 59 ', Depth 33 '3 ", 11,305 DWT, 79,729 bbls Triple expansion engine 51 " stroke
Built 1920 at Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, as Agwimoon, for the Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship Line who named her Agwimoon. She was purchased by Socony in March 1927.
Altair entered the fleet at a time when the Far East trade for US-flag ships was dwindling. Thus she had only a year or so of it before being withdrawn to the domestic east coast shuttle.
She was requisitioned in April 1942 by WSA for war service, hauling fuel oil to naval bases of Guantanamo, Cuba, and Melville, Rhode Island, with an occasional delivery to Rio de Janeiro. She escaped all enemy war hazards only to fall victim to one set up by the strict wartime rules under which merchant vessels were obliged to proceed in utter darkness and to show no lights, even for navigational purposes.
In the misty, early hours of 21 November 1943, while altair was looking for the channel buoy at the entrance to Delaware Bay, another ship - Bostonian - surged out of the darkness and crashed into the Altair's starboard side just aft of the bridge. Altair caught fire, and 10 men lost their lives. She did not sink, however, and was later towed to an anchorage inside Delaware Capes. Surveyors declared her a constructive total loss and she was later sold to Northern Metals Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Additional information Starke & Schell registers :
AGWIMOON - 1920 USA 1T (aft) (10½)
6,784 GRT for Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steamship Lines, Inc., New York 429.3 x 59.2
Tanker build by Sun SB. Co., Chester, Pa. (7) #27 220366
1927 - ALTAIR Standard Transportation Co., Inc., New York
1931 - Standard-Vacuum Transportation Co., Inc., New York
1935 - Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., Inc., New York
In collision with Panamanian s/tank. BOSTONIAN, 21 Nov 1943, 58 miles SE of Overfalls L.V. (37.17N-74.08W),
voy. Puerto La Cruz - Paulsboro', N.J., crude oil, caught fire and heavily damaged, CTL, sold for scrapping.
The Miramar Ship Index for "AGWIMOON"
IDNo:
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2220366
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Year:
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1920
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Name:
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AGWIMOON
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Keel:
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Type:
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Tanker
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Launch Date:
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19.06.1920
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Flag:
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USA
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Date of completion:
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07.1920
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Tons:
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6784
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Link:
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-
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DWT:
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Yard No:
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27
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Length overall:
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Ship Design:
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LPP:
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130.8
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Country of build:
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USA
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Beam:
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18.0
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Builder:
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Sun
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Material of build:
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Location of yard:
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Chester, Pa
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Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn):
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1T-10.5
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Subsequent History:
1927 ALTAIR
Disposal Data:
In collision (BOSTONIAN) 37.17 N / 74.08 W on 21.11.1943 [ Voyage Puerto La Cruz-Paulsboro NJ, crude oil ] & Scrapped.
History:
ON
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LR/IMO
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ID
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Year
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Name
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Tons
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Change
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Registered Owner
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220366
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2220366
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1920
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AGWIMOON
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6784
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Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies SS Lines Inc.
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220366
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2220366
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1920
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ALTAIR
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6784
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1927
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Standard Tptn Co Inc.
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220366
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2220366
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1920
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ALTAIR
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6784
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1931
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Standard-Vacuum Tptn Co Inc.
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220366
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2220366
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1920
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ALTAIR
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6784
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1935
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Socony-Vacuum Oil Co Inc.
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