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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAT Borinquen

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Transport:
  • Built in 1931 as SS Borinquen at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, MA.
  • Launched, date unknown
  • Delivered, 20 February 1931, to New York and Porto Rico Steamship Co. a subsidiary of Agwilines Inc.
  • Allocated to the War Department, 31 December 1941 for transporting Corps of Engineers personnel
  • Bare bottom chartered to the Transportation Corps, 6 May 1944
  • Throughout her service USAT Borinquen operated in the Europe-Africa Middle East Theater of Operations
  • Redelivered to the War Shipping Administration (WSA), 5 February 1946, as surplus to the needs of the Army
  • Simultaneously redelivered by WSA to her owners, Agwilines, Inc.
  • Sold, 25 April 1949, to Bull Steamship Co., renamed SS Porto Rico
  • Temorarly laid up at New York in 1953
  • Sold in 1954 to unknown buyer, renamed SS Arosa Star reflagged Panama
  • Renamed SS Bahama Star in 1959
  • Sold, in 1969 to unknown buyer, renamed SS La Jenelle
  • Final Disposition, wrecked in 1970
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,114 gross tons
    Length 429'
    Beam 59'6"
    Draft 24'8"
    Speed 16 kts
    Complement
    Officers unknown
    Enlisted, unknown
    Troopship Passenger Capacity 1,289
    Cargo Capacity 35,700 cu. ft.
    Cruise Radius 7,000 nm
    Propulsion steam turbine
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    USAT Borinquen
    Borinquen 81k USAT Borinquen moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    US Army Signal Corps. photo     		Troopships of World War II
    Merchant Service
    Borinquen 23k Porto Rico Steamship Co. poster advertising their service to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic in 1947
    Photo from Maritime Timetable Images.com     		 
    Borinquen
    301300403    		 47k Eastern Steamship Lines SS Bahama Star at anchor, circa 1959-1969, location unknown. John Spivey
    Borinquen
    301300404    		 17k On 13 April 1970 a northwester stuck the Channel Island, Ventura, CA. coast. By 1:00 pm, the storm reached force 11, and the 60 mph winds and 35 ft high seas caused the ocean liner to drag her anchor. By 3:30 pm La Jenelle ran aground at her beam ends at Silver Strand beach. Two individuals were on board the ship at the time of the storm. the ship was considered a total lose and abandoned John Spivey
    USAT Borinquen history is from "Troopships of World War II", by Roland W. Charles, Published by The Army Transportation Association, Washington, D.C., 1947
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The US Army Ship Index Back To The US Army Transport Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 25 Auguat 2023