Interocean Shipping Company
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping |
| Founded | late 1930s |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (including wartime operations) |
| Products | Merchant shipping, cargo transport, tanker services |
| Owner | Bethlehem Steel Company |
| Parent | Bethlehem Steel Company |
Interocean Shipping Company, also referred to as Interocean Steamship Company, was a San Francisco-based subsidiary of Bethlehem Steel Company. Established in the late 1930s, the company ceased operations in 1986. Throughout World War II, Interocean managed Merchant navy vessels under agreements with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration, overseeing the operation of Liberty ships and Victory ships for the U.S. Merchant Navy. While company personnel handled the ships' navigation and operations, US Navy Armed Guards were assigned to man deck weaponry and communication systems.
Ships
- This is a partial inventory since most vessels were chartered rather than owned outright:
- Oswego Reliance, a tanker
- James E. Davidson, a cargo vessel
- SS Cosmic, a 745-foot cargo ship (under charter)
Charters during the 1930s included:
- Hanley (United States)
- Several Norwegian ships: Brimanger, Taranger, Heranger, Villanger, Trondanger, Berganger, Moldanger, and Hindanger
- Victory ships operated during World War II:
- Chartered vessels included SS Augustana Victory, Denison Victory, Bowdoin Victory, SS Notre Dame Victory, and Wabash Victory
- Liberty ships under operation consisted of SS Elwood Mead, Ben B. Lindsey, Edward P. Alexander, Alfred C. True, Anna H. Branch, Keith Vawter, James A. Drain, James L. Ackerson, Isaac I. Stevens, SS Lewis L. Dyche, and Mello Franco