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.
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USSB # | O/N | Name | Customer | Type | GT | Delivered | Notes | |
1 | U.K. | Vesterlide/War Baron | Norway/UK MoWT | freighter | 5,500 | Sep 1917 | torpedoed and lost 1918 | |
2 | U.K. | War Viceroy | UK MoWT | freighter | 5,500 | Oct 1917 | later Volturno 1919, scrapped 1933 | |
3 | 215948 | Hallgrim/West Wind | Norway/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Feb 1918 | later Edwin Christenson 1926, Shapur 1946, San Miguel Bay 1947, Mira 1950, scrapped 1952 | |
4 | 216158 | War Archer/Westshore | UK MoWT/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Apr 1918 | scrapped 1930 | |
5 | 215879 | Landaas/Westland | Norway/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Dec 1917 | later Sea Thrush 1929, wrecked off the Columbia River 1932 | |
6 | 216059 | War Ally/Westchester | UK MoWT/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Mar 1918 | scrapped 1933 | |
7 | 216309 | War Pearl/Westhampton | UK MoWT/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | May 1918 | scrapped 1930 | |
8 | 216373 | Umpqua/Western Wave | Norway/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | June 1918 | scrapped 1936 | |
9 | 216446 | Joffre/Western Ocean | France/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | June 1918 | later Empire Opossum 194, Marianne Clunies 1949, Ansgaritor 1950, scrapped 1959 | |
10 | 216525 | Marne/Western Chief | France/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | July 1918 | torpedoed and lost 1941 | |
11 | 216627 | Verdun/Western Spirit | France/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | July 1918 | scrapped 1933 | |
12 | 216631 | Pershing/Western Light | France/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | July 1918 | scrapped 1938 | |
13 | 216754 | Aisne/Western Maid | France/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Aug 1918 | later Empire Cormorant 1940, scuttled 1945 | |
14 | 215910 | Argonne/Western Comet | France/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Sep 1918 | scrapped 1924 | |
15 | 217032 | Somme/Western Scout | France/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Oct 1918 | scrapped 1938 | |
16 | 217223 | Meuse/West View | France/USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Nov 1918 | scrapped 1938 | |
17 | 1073 | 217224 | West Kyska | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Nov 1918 | scrapped 1947 |
18 | 1074 | 217225 | West Zeda | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Dec 1918 | torpedoed and lost 1942 |
19 | 1075 | 217441 | West Wauna | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Jan 1919 | later Empire Grebe 1941, Inchmark 1946, wrecked 1949 |
20 | 1076 | 217524 | West Compo | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Jan 1919 | scrapped 1936 |
21 | 1077 | 217525 | West Modus | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Feb 1919 | later Argun 1943, scrapped 1966 |
22 | 1078 | 217738 | West Tacook | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Apr 1919 | later Ile de Brehat 1940, captured 1940, mined and lost 1944 |
23 | 1079 | 217737 | West Togus | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Apr 1919 | later Golden Forest 1928, wrecked off Alaska 1929 |
24 | 1080 | 217936 | West Nohno | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | May 1919 | sunk as breakwater at Normandy 1944 |
25 | 1414 | 217919 | West Cherow | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | May 1919 | later Sage Brush 1929, Keystone 1941, torpedoed and lost 1943 |
26 | 1415 | 218096 | West Celeron | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | June 1919 | later Vostok 1943, scrapped 1962 |
27 | 1416 | 218097 | West Celina | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | June 1919 | torpedoed and lost 1942 |
28 | 1417 | 218312 | West Chaska/Deer Lodge | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | July 1919 | torpedoed and lost 1943 |
29 | 1418 | 218311 | West Chatala/Tripp | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | July 1919 | later Ile de Noirmoutier 1940, captured 1940, recaptured 1942, scrapped 1953 |
30 | 1419 | 218581 | West Chatala | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Aug 1919 | later Ile d'Ouessant 1940, captured 1940, shelled and sunk at Casablanca1942 |
31 | 1420 | 218582 | West Segovia | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Aug 1919 | later William R. Gibson 1941, Ourania Gounares 1947, Gambler 1959, foundered 1960 |
32 | 1421 | 218797 | West Cheswald | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Sep 1919 | sunk as breakwater at Normandy 1944 |
33 | 2368 | 218798 | West Raritan | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Sep 1919 | later Empire Mavis 1940, Jan van Goyen 1942, Stad Maastricht 1946, Amaver 1950, scrapped 1957 |
34 | 2369 | 218963 | West Pocasset | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Oct 1919 | later Chepo 1941, torpedoed and lost 1942 |
35 | 2370 | 218964 | West Saginaw | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Oct 1919 | later Empire Cougar 1941, Cougar 1949, Favola 1951, scrapped 1960 |
36 | 2371 | 218965 | West Jaffrey | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Nov 1919 | wrecked off Nova Scotia 1942 |
37 | 2372 | 219221 | West Joplin/J. R. Gordon | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Nov 1919 | cancelled, completed privately, Herman F. Whiton 1930, Tomsk 1945, scrapped 1966 |
38 | 2373 | 219283 | West Minsi/Centaurus | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Dec 1919 | cancelled, completed privately, Portmar 1930, torpedoed and lost 1943 |
39 | 2374 | 219284 | West Matas/Clauseus | USSB | freighter | 5,500 | Dec 1919 | cancelled, completed privately, Losmar 1930, torpedoed and lost 1942 |
40 | 2865 | 220990 | Swiftsure | USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. | tanker | 8,200 | Jan 1921 | cancelled, completed privately, Bloomfield 1938, bombed and lost 1942 |
41 | 2866 | 221041 | Swiftarrow | USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. | tanker | 8,200 | Feb 1921 | cancelled, completed privately, Atlantic II 1948, Tavira 1951, Praca 1951, Ho Lan 1955, scrapped 1964 |
42 | 2867 | 221071 | Swiftstar | USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. | tanker | 8,200 | Feb 1921 | cancelled, completed privately, missing, presumed foundered 1923 |
43 | 2868 | 221134 | Swiftscout | USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. | tanker | 8,200 | Mar 1921 | cancelled, completed privately, torpedoed and lost 1945 |
44 | 2869 | 221194 | Swifteagle | USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. | tanker | 8,200 | Apr 1921 | cancelled, completed privately, wrecked off Baja California 1934 |
45 | 2870 | 221268 | Swiftlight | USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. | tanker | 8,200 | May 1921 | cancelled, completed privately, Yung Hing 1946, scrapped 1955 |
46 | 2871 | 221304 | Swiftwind | USSB/Swiftsure Oil Tpt. | tanker | 8,200 | June 1921 | cancelled, completed privately, Malay 1933, Loideste 1948, Astra 1950, Troy 1951, scrapped 1955 |