SS Dakotan

SS "Dakotan" was a cargo ship built in 1912 for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company. During World War I she was taken over by the United States Army as USAT "Dakotan". Near the end of that war she was transferred to the United States Navy and commissioned as USS "Dakotan" (ID-3882). During World War II, the ship was transferred to the Soviet Union and renamed "Zyrianin" (or "Зырянин" in Cyrillic).

"Dakotan" was built by the Maryland Steel Company as one of eight sister ships for the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company, and was employed in inter-coastal service via the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Panama Canal after it opened. During World War I, as USAT "Dakotan", the ship carried cargo and animals to France. "Dakotan" was in the first American convoy to sail to France after the United States entered the war in April 1917. In Navy service, USS "Dakotan" carried cargo to France and returned over 8,800 American troops after the Armistice.

After her Navy service ended in 1919, she was returned to her original owners and resumed relatively uneventful cargo service over the next twenty years. "Dakotan" ran aground off the coast of Mexico in 1923 but was freed and towed to port for repairs. Early in World War II, the ship was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration and transferred to the Soviet Union under the terms of Lend-Lease in December 1942. Sailing as SS "Zyrianin", the ship remained a part of the Soviet merchant fleet into the late 1960s.

Design and construction

In September 1911, the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company placed an order with the Maryland Steel Company of Sparrows Point, Maryland, for four new cargo ships—.Maryland Steel had built three ships—, , and was , U.S. Navy transport , and cruiser , USS|Barry|DD-248|2, and USS|Williamson|DD-244|2] The destroyer unit's medical officer boarded "Dakotan" and performed an appendectomy on the man, who was too ill to be moved off the ship. [cite news | title = Destroyer doctor saves freighter officer at sea | work = The New York Times | date = 13 July 1933 | page = 39 The article does not state on which ship the doctor was stationed.]

World War II and later career

At some point after the United States entered World War II, "Dakotan" was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration (WSA), but continued to be operated by American-Hawaiian.cite news | last = Stone | first = Leon | title = U.S. awards $7,247,637 to Hawaiian ship firm | work = The Christian Science Monitor | date = 31 March 1945 | page = 4 ] In December 1942, "Dakotan" was transferred to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease, and renamed "Zyrianin" ("Зырянин" IPA-ru|zɨˈrʲænɪn). cite web | author = Naval Historical Center | title = Picture Data: Photo #NH 91246 | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/h91000/h91246c.htm | work = Online Library of Selected Images | publisher = Navy Department, Naval Historical Center | date = 17 April 2005 | accessdate = 2008-08-14 ] Except for being photographed in port at San Francisco in August 1943, "Zyrianin"'s movements throughout the rest of the war are not known. Near the end of World War II, the WSA offered a payment of $670,210 to American-Hawaiian for the former "Dakotan" as part of a $7.2 million settlement for eleven American-Hawaiian ships that had been requisitioned by the WSA. "Zyrianin" remained a part of the Soviet merchant fleet through the 1960s, and was listed in "Lloyd's Register" until the 1970–71 edition.

"Zyrianin" was operated by the Far East Shipping Company (FESCO) from 1943 to 1957. From 1957, she was operated by the Black Sea Shipping Company. The ship was written off and scrapped in 1969.

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