Albina Engine & Machine Works
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Fate | Acquired by Dillingham Corporation circa 1971 |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon , United States |
| Products | Ships, ship repair services |
Albina Engine & Machine Works was a shipyard situated on the banks of the Willamette River within Portland, Oregon’s Albina neighborhood, United States. Established in 1904, the firm initially focused on constructing freighters during World War I but predominantly functioned as a repair facility throughout the 1920s and 1930s. With the surge in shipbuilding activity in Portland during World War II, Albina significantly increased its labor force and production capacity, concentrating on manufacturing subchasers intended to counter German U-boat threats. The shipyard also produced Landing Craft Support vessels and cargo ships, playing a vital role in the naval war effort.
Following the conclusion of the war, business activity diminished, culminating in Albina Engine & Machine Works being acquired by the Dillingham Corporation around 1971. The company’s wartime emphasis on military ship construction provided it with a competitive edge and strengthened its market position during that era.
Submarine chaser
During World War II, Albina constructed 21 of the 343 vessels commissioned by the US Navy in this category, including prominent ships such as:
- PC-569 launched 8 May 1942
- PC-570 18 April 1942
- PC-571 22 May 1942
- PC-572 17 June 1942
- PC-578 13 July 1942
- PC-579 24 August 1942
- PC-580 26 September 1942
- PC-581 9 October 1942
- PC-582 22 October 1942
- PC-1077 9 December 1942
- PC-1078 5 February 1943
- PC-1079 7 March 1943
- PC-1080 29 March 1943
- PC-1081 16 April 1943
- PC-1082 8 May 1943
- delivered on 8 January 1943; lost after collision near San Diego on 11 September 1945
- PC-816 completed on 9 June 1943
- launched on 13 July 1943
- PC-818 delivered on 3 August 1943
- PC-819 built on 2 August 1943
- PC-820 finished on 30 September 1943
These submarine chasers formed a crucial part of Albina’s wartime manufacturing lineup, bolstering its standing in naval shipbuilding and positively impacting its financial results during the conflict.
PCE-842-class patrol craft
Albina was responsible for constructing twenty out of sixty-eight PCE-842-class patrol craft, which were submarine chasers measuring approximately 184 feet with a 794 DWT displacement for the US Navy during World War II:
- PCE-867, delivered on 20 June 1943
- PCE-868, completed by 31 August 1943
- PCE-869, finished on 19 September 1943
- PCE-870, launched on 5 October 1943
- PCE-871, delivered by late October (29th) of ’43
- PCE-872, completed on November 29, ’43; later renamed BRP Cebu
- PCE-873, finished mid-December (15th) ’43
- PCE-874, delivered at year-end (31 December) ’43
- PCE-875, launched early January (19th) ’44
- PCE-876, completed June ’44; later USS Lodestone
- PCE-877, finished February ’44; renamed USS Havre
- PCE-878, delivered March ’44
- PCE-879, completed July ’44
- PCE-880, finished April ’44
- PCE-881, launched July ’44
- PCE-882, delivered February ’45
- PCE-883, finished November ’44
- PCE-884, completed March ’45
- PCE-885, delivered April ’45
- PCE-886, completed May ’45
Landing Craft
- LCI (L)
In the year 1944, Albina constructed LCI(L) vessels numbered between 1013 and 1033. These Landing Craft Infantry Large vessels displaced from roughly 216 to nearly 389 tons, spanned about 158 feet in length, and could achieve speeds reaching up to sixteen knots. Equipped with four to five Oerlikon-type twenty-millimeter cannons, they served as essential troop transporters. One notable example is LCI(L)-1022, which was later converted into USS Rail.
- LCC (1)
Between the years of '43 and '44, Albina built twenty-seven LCC (Landing Craft Control) Mark I units ranging from LCC numbers 25470 to 25496. These vessels weighed approximately thirty tons and measured close to fifty-six feet. Powered by two diesel engines enabling speeds up to thirteen and a half knots, they were armed with two ninety-millimeter guns. Their primary role involved directing landing crafts during critical missions such as the Normandy invasion.
- LCC(2)
In addition, fifteen LCC(2) vessels were constructed in '44 by Albina with hull numbers from LCC(2)39044 to LCC(2)39058. These boats shared similar dimensions and displacement with the Mark I models and continued to support amphibious naval operations.
- LCS(L)
The shipyard also produced Landing Craft Support (Large), or LCS(L) Mark III series vessels identified by hull numbers from LCS(L)48 through LCS(L)78. Built upon standard LCI hulls but upgraded with enhanced firepower and improved crew facilities, these crafts featured armaments including one single-barrelled three-inch/50 caliber gun, twin forty-millimeter cannons, and multiple twenty-millimeter guns. They played an integral role in late-stage amphibious assaults across the Pacific Theater during World War II.
Concrete Barge
Constructed as part of the Type B category, these concrete vessels emerged in response to steel shortages during wartime. They had a displacement of 245 long tons and could carry up to 1,360 tons at full load. With dimensions of 165 feet in length, a beam spanning 42 feet, and a draft of 8 feet, their operation required a crew of three personnel. The YOGN series consisted of non-self-propelled gasoline barges fulfilling diverse naval support functions, including involvement in cooling operations at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. Significant examples include:
- Vessels YOGN-114 through YOGN-125, some of which were renamed or sunk as targets between 1973 and 2000.
- Manufactured by Manitowoc Shipbuilding in Wisconsin, these barges measured 174 feet in length and had a tonnage of 440.
C1-MT-BU1
The C1-MT-BU1 variant represented a lumber-carrying modification of the Type C1 cargo ship, boasting a deadweight tonnage of 5,032 DWT. Four ships were launched during late 1945 and early 1946:
- Oregon Fir (dismantled in 1967)
- California Redwood
- Washington Cedar
- Arizona Pine
Coastal Freighter - FS
Between 1944 and 1945, Albina produced twenty Coastal Freighters (Type FS), which were primarily allocated to the Dutch Government for inter-island transport within the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). These vessels featured a deadweight tonnage of 555 DWT and measured 176 feet in length. Following the war, most units were sold in 1948 to Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij.
Light Vessel
Albina delivered three self-propelled lightvessels to the U.S. Coast Guard, each approximately 133 feet long with a beam of 33 feet and a draft close to 12 feet. Engineered to maintain station for nine months annually, these ships included onboard living quarters and specialized lighting apparatus. Noteworthy vessels comprised:
- LV 100 Blunts Reef (finished in 1930), transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1971 and deployed during the Vietnam conflict.
- LV 113 Swiftsure Banks (completed in 1930), handed over to Sea Scouts in 1969, later converted into a floating restaurant before sinking while being towed in 1988.
- Lightship No. 114 Fire Island (WAL-536), operational from 1930 until 1971; acquired by New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1975 but sank due to hull degradation in 2006 and subsequently scrapped.
These lightvessels highlight Albina’s proficiency in crafting specialized maritime support craft within its manufacturing range.
World War I
During the period of World War I (1918–1919), Albina Engine & Machine Works initiated its shipbuilding operations by constructing seventeen cargo vessels (Hulls #1–17). These ships were commissioned by the United States Shipping Board (USSB), illustrating the company’s strategic collaboration with government efforts to sustain wartime logistics. Prominent examples include:
- Hull #1: initially named Point Loma/Margit, later renamed SS Dorothy Phillips
- Hull #3: Point Bonita, which subsequently served as USS Point Bonita
- Hull #5: originally Point Judith, converted into USS Charles L. Wheeler Jr.
- Hull #8: Caddopeak, renamed USS Besboro
- Hull #16: Meriden, later USS Majaba
Several of these vessels experienced loss or reassignment during later conflicts, reflecting Albina’s enduring influence on maritime operations through its wartime production legacy.