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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

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