SS Argentina (1929)

One of a trio of American-built passenger liners on the US-South America route, the "Argentina" was owned and operated by Moore-McCormack Steamship Lines and sailed this route until she was laid up in 1958.

The "Pennsylvania"

Originally built as the "Pennsylvania" for Panama Pacific Line, she was built for the New York-Panama-Los Angeles-San Francisco route with her sisters "California" and "Virginia". "Pennsylvania" was 613 feet long, 80 feet wide and measured 20,526 gross tons. She carried 750 passengers in first and tourist class; her crew number 350. Turbo-electric engines drove her at a service speed of 17 knots. The ships proved too large for this route and their government subsidies were halted in 1938. The three sister ships were then laid up, awaiting a buyer

The "Argentina"

The U.S. Maritime Commission took the ships, which they then gave to the American Republics Line, a subsidiary of Moore-McCormack Lines. The "Pennsylvania" was renamed "Argentina" and she was extensively rebuilt for the US-Caribbean-South America service, established as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy. Her sisters were renamed (the former "California") and "Brazil" (the former "Virginia"). Her passenger load was revised to 500 and one large funnel replaced her smaller two. She was also outfitted to carry 450,000 pounds of cargo, including 95,000 refrigerated. She served on the route until the United States' entry into the Second World War.

World War Two and post-war career

From 1941 to 1946, the Argentina and her sisters operated as troopships. They were restored for passenger service in 1947. Argentina resumed her US-South America route until 1958, when Moore-McCormack commissioned a brand-new Argentina. She was sent to the U.S. Maritime Commission's "Reserve Fleet" on the James River in New York. She remained there until 1964, when she was sold for scrap.

References

*"A Picture History of American Passenger Ships, William H. Miller"
*"Passenger Liners, American Style, William H. Miller"

External links

* [http://moore-mccormack.com/SS-Argentina-1938/SS-Argentina-1938-Timeline.htm SS Argentina: Queen of the Good Neighbor Fleet]