NORTHWEST STEEL

Portland OR

Most recent update: August 25, 2021.

Northwest Steel Co. was established in 1916 by Charles D. Bowles and his brother, J. R. Bowles, two Portland lawyers who were investors in J. F. Duthie & Co., in Seattle, and who also managed Columbia River Shipbuilding, in Portland.  The yard was next door to Columbia River Shipbuilding, on the west bank of the Willamette River, on SW Moody Avenue at the foot of SW Sheridan Street, which is just downstream of the Ross Island Bridge: see the site from the air on Google here.  The site was used by Schnitzer Steel for many years but is now an empty lot.  If anyone can add to the table below, please e-mail your info to timcolton@aol.com

Hull # USSB # O.N. Original Name Original Owner

Type

 GT Delivery Disposition
1   U.K. Vesterlide/War Baron Norway/UK MoWT Cargo Ship 5,500 Sep-17 Torpedoed and lost 1918
2   U.K. War Viceroy UK MoWT Cargo Ship 5,500 Oct-17 Later Volturno 1919, scrapped 1933
3   215948 Hallgrim/West Wind Norway/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Feb-18 Later Edwin Christenson 1926, Shapur 1946, San Miguel Bay 1947, Mira 1950, scrapped 1952
4   216158 War Archer/Westshore UK MoWT/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Apr-18 Scrapped 1930
5   215879 Landaas/Westland Norway/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Dec-17 Later Sea Thrush 1929, wrecked off the Columbia River 1932
6   216059 War Ally/Westchester UK MoWT/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Mar-18 Scrapped 1933
7   216309 War Pearl/Westhampton UK MoWT/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 May-18 Scrapped 1930
8   216373 Umpqua/Western Wave Norway/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jun-18 Scrapped 1936
9   216446 Joffre/Western Ocean France/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jun-18 Later Empire Opossum 194, Marianne Clunies 1949, Ansgaritor 1950, scrapped 1959
10   216525 Marne/Western Chief France/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jul-18 Torpedoed and lost 1941
11   216627 Verdun/Western Spirit France/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jul-18 Scrapped 1933
12   216631 Pershing/Western Light France/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jul-18 Scrapped 1938
13   216754 Aisne/Western Maid France/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Aug-18 Later Empire Cormorant 1940, scuttled 1945
14   215910 Argonne/Western Comet France/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Sep-18 Scrapped 1924
15   217032 Somme/Western Scout France/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Oct-18 Scrapped 1938
16   217223 Meuse/West View France/USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Nov-18 Scrapped 1938
17 1073 217224 West Kyska USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Nov-18 Scrapped 1947
18 1074 217225 West Zeda USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Dec-18 Torpedoed and lost 1942
19 1075 217441 West Wauna USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jan-19 Later Empire Grebe 1941, Inchmark 1946, wrecked 1949
20 1076 217524 West Compo USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jan-19 Scrapped 1936
21 1077 217525 West Modus USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Feb-19 Later Argun 1943, scrapped 1966
22 1078 217738 West Tacook USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Apr-19 Later Ile de Brehat 1940, captured 1940, mined and lost 1944
23 1079 217737 West Togus USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Apr-19 Later Golden Forest 1928, wrecked off Alaska 1929
24 1080 217936 West Nohno USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 May-19 Sunk as breakwater at Normandy 1944
25 1414 217919 West Cherow USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 May-19 Later Sage Brush 1929, Keystone 1941, torpedoed and lost 1943
26 1415 218096 West Celeron USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jun-19 Later Vostok 1943, scrapped 1962
27 1416 218097 West Celina USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jun-19 Torpedoed and lost 1942 
28 1417 218312 West Chaska/Deer Lodge USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jul-19 Torpedoed and lost 1943
29 1418 218311 West Chatala/Tripp USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Jul-19 Later Ile de Noirmoutier 1940, captured 1940, recaptured 1942, scrapped 1953
30 1419 218581 West Chatala USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Aug-19 Later Ile d'Ouessant 1940, captured 1940, shelled and sunk at Casablanca1942
31 1420 218582 West Segovia USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Aug-19 Later William R. Gibson 1941, Ourania Gounares 1947,  Gambler 1959, foundered 1960
32 1421 218797 West Cheswald USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Sep-19 Sunk as breakwater at Normandy 1944
33 2368 218798 West Raritan USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Sep-19 Later Empire Mavis 1940, Jan van Goyen 1942, Stad Maastricht 1946, Amaver 1950, scrapped 1957
34 2369 218963 West Pocasset USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Oct-19 Later Chepo 1941, torpedoed and lost 1942
35 2370 218964 West Saginaw USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Oct-19 Later Empire Cougar 1941, Cougar 1949, Favola 1951, scrapped 1960
36 2371 218965 West Jaffrey USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Nov-19 Wrecked off Nova Scotia 1942
37 2372 219221 West Joplin/J. R. Gordon USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Nov-19 Cancelled, completed privately, later Herman F. Whiton 1930, Tomsk 1945, scrapped 1966
38 2373 219283 West Minsi/Centaurus USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Dec-19 Cancelled, completed privately, later Portmar 1930, torpedoed and lost 1943  
39 2374 219284 West Matas/Clauseus USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Dec-19 Cancelled, completed privately, later Losmar 1930, torpedoed and lost 1942
40 2375   West Croswicks USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Cancelled
41 2376   West Paramas USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Cancelled
42 2377   West Bomoken USSB Cargo Ship 5,500 Cancelled
40 2865 220990 Swiftsure USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. Tanker 8,200 Jan-21 Cancelled, completed privately, later Bloomfield 1938, bombed and lost 1942
41 2866 221041 Swiftarrow USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. Tanker 8,200 Feb-21 Cancelled, completed privately, later Atlantic II 1948, Tavira 1951, Praca 1951, Ho Lan 1955, scrapped 1964
42 2867 221071 Swiftstar USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. Tanker 8,200 Feb-21 Cancelled, completed privately, missing, presumed foundered 1923 
43 2868 221134 Swiftscout USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. Tanker 8,200 Mar-21 Cancelled, completed privately, torpedoed and lost 1945
44 2869 221194 Swifteagle USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. Tanker 8,200 Apr-21 Cancelled, completed privately, wrecked off Baja California 1934 
45 2870 221268 Swiftlight USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. Tanker 8,200 May-21 Cancelled, completed privately, later Yung Hing 1946, scrapped 1955
46 2871 221304 Swiftwind USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. Tanker 8,200 Jun-21 Cancelled, completed privately, later Malay 1933, Loideste 1948, Astra 1950, Troy 1951, scrapped 1955