In a message dated 5/21/2006 2:04:09 P.M. Central Daylight Time, diamond6468@mindspring.com writes: _http://navysite.de/index.htm_ (http://navysite.de/index.htm) Delilah: I believe that my problem with the SS America is that more than one ship carried that name. One was the USS America, a carrier, and the one I'm searching for is a luxury liner that was converted to a troop transport during WW2. When my friend referred to it as the USS America I need to find out whether there was indeed a SS America or America or ... because it was a luxury liner converted to troop transport was it renamed the USS West Point. I found several references to West Point recently. I guess my question is how do I determine on which troop ship he traveled when leaving the port of Boston on Aug. 9, 1944. This is what I found re the SS America from the following site: _http://www.flare.net/users/e9ee52a/S.S.%20America.htm_ (http://www.flare.net/users/e9ee52a/S.S.%20America.htm) "The story of the America is unique. She was launched as a luxury liner on August 31 1939. The next day Hitler invaded Poland, and the world was at war. Sailing as a luxury liner to Europe was not an option. The Navy had her converted from 1,202 passengers to 5,400 ( latter to over 8000). She carried over 300,000 troops safely all over the world, sailing without protecting escort ships. Using the ship’s speed and maneuverability, her crew outwitted hostile craft at sea." Built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Launched 1939 Retired from US Lines 1965 Naval Architects Gibbs & Cox, New York Interior Architects Eggers & Higgins, New York Interior Design Smyth,Urquart,Marckwald, NY Full Displacement, tons 35440 Length 723 ft Breadth 93' 6" Number of Decks 10 Public Spaces 23 Maximum speed Over 25 knots First class passengers 519 Cabin class passengers 414 Tourist class passengers 116 Crew 675 There is another site that states the luxury liner America was renamed the USS West Point. _http://www.files.trailblazersww2.org/Docs/a275.pdf_ (http://www.files.trailblazersww2.org/Docs/a275.pdf) Under Military.com Content - The America, luxury liner, is again referred to as "transport ship West Point" & at _http://www.thedailystar.com/news/community/obits/2005/11/ob1118.html_ (http://www.thedailystar.com/news/community/obits/2005/11/ob1118.html) again referred to as former luxury liner America and now the West Point. I just don't understand why he referred to the ship as the USS America if she was really the West Point. Great information and I do hope that those records exist. Adrienne

Hello Adrienne, Found a bit more on the SS America : From http://members.tripod.com/~lch4/ssam.html (There is also a photo of the ship in neutral (pre Dec '41) colours on the page). "The SS America isn't mentioned very much anymore. She seems to be overshadowed by her baby sister United States America, though has had an exciting and eventful life. Launched the day before World War II started. America entered the James River from Newport News Shipbuilding on August 31, 1939. With Europe engulfed in war, the America turned to other neutral ports to call on (as the United States was a neutral nation until December 8, 1941). When Japan visited Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 America along with thousands of men where called to action. Under control of the United States Navy America now the USS Westpoint was a troop transport vessel. She sailed the world bringing the men from Australia and New Zealand to the European theatre of action. Westpoint/America survived several attacks by the Japanese and delivered all her troops safely to their destinations" You wondered about the confusion with the transport ship's names. In the process of boarding a ship it would be easy to accept whatever one was told. If the information came from a crew member the ship's old name could have been used, or maybe just a slip of the memory. It is only a week since I found out the names of the four troopships I sailed in during WW2. The only one I thought that I knew I had got wrong. Regards, from Sydney, Dave INZP@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 5/21/2006 2:04:09 P.M. Central Daylight Time, > diamond6468@mindspring.com writes: > > _http://navysite.de/index.htm_ (http://navysite.de/index.htm) > Delilah: > > I believe that my problem with the SS America is that more than one ship > carried that name.......... >