Overview
USAT Cuba was the passenger ship Cuba of the Peninsular & Occidental Steamship Company built by William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company, Philadelphia in 1920 and placed into operation in 1921 for scheduled passenger and freight service between Tampa, Key West and Havana. The ship maintained regular service over twenty years until delivered to the United States War Shipping Administration (WSA) on 19 February 1942. It was operated by the line under a standard WSA agreement until placed under bareboat charter to the Army for operation as USAT Cuba until returned to WSA and again briefly operated by Peninsular & Occidental for WSA 31 July 1946 through 20 December 1946 when returned to the company. The ship was sold to an Italian company in June 1947 to be renamed Pace and then Sassari until scrapped in 1962.
Commercial service
Cuba, official number 221220 with signal MCRW that was KDBT by 1941, was , length overall, registry length ship with breadth. The two engines were oil fueled reciprocating with total 3,600 indicated horsepower driving two screws. Registry crew was 54 and home port was New Haven, Connecticut. A seawater thermograph was provided by the U. S. Weather Bureau and after testing in Washington and shipping to the Weather Bureau in Key West installed by the ship's chief engineer. The first week of data collection was 12–19 July 1931 began routine collection on the ship's twice weekly Tampa—Key West—Havana runs with records filed with the Bureau in Washington. Cuba provided measurements at a slightly deeper draft than another vessel transiting on the same days.
World War II service
During World War II the ship was delivered to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) in New Orleans on 19 February 1942. Cuba was operated by Peninsular & Occidental under WSA agreement until delivered to the United States Army on 25 April 1943. The ship underwent conversion, increasing passenger capacity to 596 and added ventilation, for use as a troopship. For some time late in the war the ship was assigned to the Panama Canal for operations, leaving that assignment 1 January 1946 to resume operations out of New Orleans. One such trip in 1944 saw the transport of 540 German and Japanese internees.
Post war & sale
After the war Cuba was operated briefly by Peninsular & Occidental Steamship Company under WSA agreement from 31 July 1946 through 20 December 1946 when the ship was returned to the company. In June 1947 Cuba was sold to an Italian company and renamed Pace then sold 1960 renamed Sassari until scrapped in 1962.
External links
* * Five photographs of Cuba at Florida Memory * Cuba Photograph * Interior & exterior photos, description