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Bethlehem Steel Company, San Pedro CA

(formerly Southwestern Shipbuilding & Drydock Company)

Most recent update: April 27, 2011.


Southwestern Shipbuilding was organized in 1918 to build cargo ships for the U.S. Shipping Board.  Following the war effort, it was leased to Bethlehem Steel in 1921 as a repair yard and then sold in 1925.  It was reactivated as a shipbuilder for WWII.  Wartime employment peaked at about 6,000.  After the war it reverted to ship repair and was sold to Southwest Marine in 1981: see it from the air on Google here.  There is some history at the web site of the Port of Los Angeles - here.  If anyone can provide any more information about this shipyard's early days, please e-mail it to me at timcolton@aol.com 

Hull # Name Owner Type Navy Type Pennant # Tons Delivery Disposition

Built by Southwestern Shipbuilding

1 West Carnifax US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Jan-19 Later Exford 1928, Pan Royal 1930, in collision and lost 1943
2 West Caruth US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Feb-19 Later Exmoor 1923, Antonio Tripcovich 1924, Seisho Maru 1928, torpedoed and lost 1944
3 West Catance US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Mar-19 Later Atlantic 1923, Theodore 1947, Archon 1951, scrapped 1952
4 West Sequana US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Apr-19 Later Golden Cloud 1928, Waimea 1938, Marcar 1950, Carmar 1952, Triaina 1954, Madelaine 1955, scrapped 1958
5 West Cavanal US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Jun-19 Later Edgar Bowling 1923, Texmar 1927, Irkutsk 1945, scrapped 1966
6 West Cawthon US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Jul-19 Later Empire Bison 1940, torpedoed and lost 1940
7 West Cayote US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Aug-19 Later Washington 1928, bombed and lost 1942
8 West Chetac US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Jul-19 Torpedoed and lost 1942
9 West Inskip US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Sep-19 Later Charcas 1926, Carreta 1940, Parita Sun 1947, scrapped 1953
10 West Chicopee/West Bakersfield/Bakersfield US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Dec-19 Later Chagres 1941, Mirafjord 1947, San Salvatore 1950, scrapped 1953
11 West Neris US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Dec-19 Later Irish Oak 1941, torpedoed and lost 1943
12 West Niger US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Jan-20 Later Nevada 1938, wrecked 1932
13 West Nilus US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Mar-20 Sunk as breakwater at Normandy 1944
14 West Niveria US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Apr-20 Later Golden Coast 1928, Delawarean 1937, Empire Hawksbill 1940, torpedoed and lost 1942
15 West Nomentum US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 May-20 Later Pennsylvania 1928, Pan 1947, Tanar 1949, in collision and sank 1959
16 West Norranus US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Jun-20 Later Pacific Pine 1926, Maine 1937, Lvov 1945, Istra 1951, scrapped 1958
17 West Notus US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Jul-20 Shelled and scuttled 1942
18 West Numidia/Hollywood US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Aug-20 Wrecked and lost 1945
19 Mary Luckenbach US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     8,600 Dec-20 Later C. B. Watson 1936, Indiana 1947, Al Horreya 1954, Mansoura 1957, scrapped 1963
20   Union Oil of Cal. Barge       1920  
21 Montebello Union Oil of Cal. Tanker     8,272 Mar-21 Torpedoed and lost 1941
22 La Placentia Union Oil of Cal. Tanker     8,272 Apr-21 Scrapped 1948
23 La Purisima Union Oil of Cal. Tanker     8,272 Oct-21 Later Taganrog 1943, Octorara 1944, La Purisima 1946, scrapped 1947
24 Scopas N.I.T.M. Tanker     5,900 Jul-21 Scrapped 1939
25 Silvanus N.I.T.M. Tanker     5,900 Aug-21 Later Papoose 1926, torpedoed and lost 1942
26 Semiramis N.I.T.M. Tanker     5,900 Sep-21 Later Kyoko Maru 1943, torpedoed and lost 1943

Built by Bethlehem Steel

9001 Boyd US Navy Destroyer DD 544 2,050 8-May-43 To Turkey as Iskenderun (D 343) 1969, struck 1981
9002 Bradford US Navy Destroyer DD 545 2,050 12-Jun-43 To Greece as Thyella (D 28) 1962, struck 1981
9003 Brown US Navy Destroyer DD 546 2,050 10-Jul-43 To Greece as Navarinon (D 63) 1962, struck 1981
9004 Cowell US Navy Destroyer DD 547 2,050 23-Aug-43 To Argentina as Almirante Storni (D 24) 1971, struck 1982
9005   US Navy Destroyer DD 548 2,050   Cancelled 1940
9006   US Navy Destroyer DD 549 2,050   Cancelled 1940
9007 Kendrick US Navy Destroyer DD 612 1,620 12-Sep-42 Sunk as target 1968
9008 Laub US Navy Destroyer DD 613 1,620 24-Oct-42 Scrapped 1975
9009 MacKenzie US Navy Destroyer DD 614 1,620 21-Nov-42 Sunk as target 1974
9010 McLanahan US Navy Destroyer DD 615 1,620 19-Dec-42 Scrapped 1974
9011   US Navy Destroyer DD 616 1,620   Cancelled 1940
9012   US Navy Destroyer DD 617 1,620   Cancelled 1940
9013 Hopewell US Navy Destroyer DD 681 2,050 30-Sep-43 Sunk as target 1972
9014 Porterfield US Navy Destroyer DD 682 2,050 30-Oct-43 Target hulk 1976
9015 Callaghan US Navy Destroyer DD 792 2,050 27-Nov-43 Sunk by Japanese aircraft off Okinawa 1945
9016 Cassin Young US Navy Destroyer DD 793 2,050 31-Dec-43 Memorial in Charlestown MA 1981
9017 Irwin US Navy Destroyer DD 794 2,050 14-Feb-44 To Brazil as Santa Caterina (D 32) 1968, struck 1978
9018 Preston US Navy Destroyer DD 795 2,050 20-Mar-44 To Turkey as Icel (D 344) 1969, struck 1981
9019 Lowry US Navy Destroyer DD 770 2,200 23-Jul-44 To Brazil as Espirito Santo (D 38) 1973, struck 1995
9020 Lindsey US Navy Destroyer DD 771 2,200 20-Aug-44 DM 32, sunk as target 1972
9021 Gwin US Navy Destroyer DD 772 2,200 30-Sep-44 DM 33, to Turkey as Muavenet (DM 357) 1971, struck 1993
9022 Aaron Ward US Navy Destroyer DD 773 2,200 28-Oct-44 DM 34, scrapped 1946
9023 Hugh W. Hadley US Navy Destroyer DD 774 2,200 25-Nov-44 Scrapped 1947
9024 Willard Keith US Navy Destroyer DD 775 2,200 27-Dec-44 To Colombia as Caldas (D 02) 1972, struck 1977
9025 James C. Owens US Navy Destroyer DD 776 2,200 17-Feb-45 To Brazil as Sergipe (D 35) 1973, struck 1995
9026 Bristol US Navy Destroyer DD 857 2,200 17-Mar-45 To Taiwan as Hua Yang (D 988) 1969, struck 1993
9027 Fred T. Berry US Navy Destroyer DD 858 2,425 12-May-45 Scuttled 1972
9028 Norris US Navy Destroyer DD 859 2,425 9-Jun-45 To Turkey as Kocatepe (D 354) 1974, struck 1993
9029 McCaffery US Navy Destroyer DD 860 2,425 26=Jul-45 Scrapped 1974
9030 Harwood US Navy Destroyer DD 861 2,425 8-Sep-45 To Turkey as Kocatepe (D 354) 1971, sunk 1974
9031 Acoma US Navy

Yard Tug

YT 701 260 12-Mar-46 Struck 1985
9032 Arawak US Navy Yard Tug YT 702 260 12-Mar-46 Struck 1985
9033 Canarsee US Navy Yard Tug YT 703 260 16-Apr-46 Sold 1975
9034 Moratok US Navy Yard Tug YT 704 260 16-Apr-46 Sold 1985
9035 Pequawtek US Navy Yard Tug YT 705 260   Cancelled
9036 Wailaki US Navy Yard Tug YT 706 260   Cancelled
9037 Sanpoil US Navy Yard Tug YT 707 260   Cancelled
9038 Setauket US Navy Yard Tug YT 708 260   Cancelled
9039 Tocobaga US Navy Yard Tug YT 709 260   Cancelled
9040 Tonkawa US Navy Yard Tug YT 710 260   Cancelled