View source for Sword Line Inc.

{{Short description|Former US Shipping Company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Sword Line Inc. 	
| logo = 
| type =
| foundation = {{start date|1933}} in [[New York City]]
|fate         =
|defunct      =  
| area_served = 
| industry = Transportation and shipping
| products = 
| revenue =
| key_people     =  
*Charilaos "Charles" G. Poulacos 
*Abbott Abercrombie
| parent =
| subsid = 
| homepage =
| footnotes=
| successor = 
}}
'''Sword Line Inc.''' was a steamship company founded by Charilaos "Charles" G. Poulacos and Abbott Abercrombie in [[New York City]] in 1933. Sword Line Inc. had shipping routes from Atlantic ports to and [[Gulf of Mexico]] ports. Charilaos "Charles" G. Poulacos and Abbott Abercrombie purchased the ship ''[[Eastern Sword]]'' in 1932. The ''Eastern Sword'' was a 3,785-ton cargo ship built in 1920 at the Uraga Dry Dock Co. Ltd, at [[Uraga, Kanagawa|Uraga]], Japan. The ship sank after being hit by a [[torpedo]] from {{GS|U-162|1941|6}} on May 4, 1942 {{convert|12|mi|km|spell=in}} off the coast of [[Georgetown, Guyana]]. The ''Eastern Sword'' had a crew of 38 and only 13 survived the attack. Sword Line Inc. was active in supporting the [[World War II]] effort.<ref>The Liberty Ships of World War II: By Greg H. Williams</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/1597.html|title=Eastern Sword (American Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net|website=uboat.net}}</ref>

==History==
At the time Sword Line, Inc. was purchased, in 1932, Captain Charles G. Poulacos and Abbott Abercrombie were working as assistant director at steamship company.  Poulacos was president of Sword Line, Inc. Poulacos and Abercrombie purchased the ''[[Eastern Sword]]'' from the [[United States Shipping Board]] for $54,000. Sword Line, Inc. headquarters was at 76 Beaver St., New York, [[New York (state)|New York]]. Poulacos was born in Greece in 1884 and came to America in 1915. Sword Line, Inc. was successful and purchased three more ships. In 1939 Poulacos purchased share of Abercrombie Sword Line, Inc. Poulacos then worked for an electrical distributing company. ''[[Eastern Sword]]'' had one sister ship, the ''Ugo Maru'', it was not purchased by the  United States Shipping Board. The ''Ugo Maru'' became an Auxiliary Transport ship in the [[Empire of Japan]]. On October 20, 1944, the ''Ugo Maru'' was also sunk. ''Ugo Maru'' was hit by a torpedo from an American submarine [[USS Hammerhead (SS-364)]] off [[Miri, Borneo]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/EasternSword_c.htm|title=Japanese Army Auxiliary Transports|website=www.combinedfleet.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?275282|title=WRECKSITE - UGO MARU CARGO SHIP 1941-1944}}</ref>

==World War II==
Sword Line, Inc. ships were used to help the World War II effort. During World War II Sword Line, Inc. operated [[Merchant navy]] ships for the [[United States Shipping Board]]. During World War II Sword Line, Inc. was active with [[Chartering (shipping)|charter shipping]] with the [[Maritime Commission]] and [[War Shipping Administration]]. Sword Line, Inc. operated [[Liberty ship]]s and [[Victory ship]]s for the [[World War II United States Merchant Navy|merchant navy]]. The ship was run by its Sword Line, Inc. crew and the [[US Navy]] supplied [[United States Navy Armed Guard]]s to man the deck guns and radio.<ref name="NAG1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.armed-guard.com/item07.html|title=Sea Lane Vigilantes|website=www.armed-guard.com}}</ref><ref name="NAG">World War II U.S. Navy Armed Guard and World War II U.S. Merchant Marine,  2007-2014 Project Liberty Ship, Project Liberty Ship, P.O. Box 25846 Highlandtown Station, Baltimore, MD [https://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html#:~:text=There%20were%20three%20basic%20training,California%3B%20and%20Gulfport%2C%20Mississippi.]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usmm.org/wsa/operators.html|title=Steamship Company Operators of American Flag Ships during World War II|website=www.usmm.org}}</ref>

==Ships==
*Sword Line Inc ships owned:
*''[[Eastern Sword]]'' built in 1920 at the Uraga Dry Dock Co. Ltd, at Uraga, Kanagawa, Japan. The ship sank after being hit by a [[torpedo]] from {{GS|U-162|1941|6}} on May 4, 1942.
*[[List of Empire ships (L)#Empire Lune|''Alabama Sword'']] built in 1944 was seized by Allies at Flensburg in 1945, became Empire Lune sold to Sword Line in 1947, in 1951 renamed Texas Sword, sold in 1956.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireK.html|title=EmpireK|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref>
*[[List of Empire ships (R)#Empire Roden|''Florida Sword'']] built in 1943 as Halsnaes, taken over by Germany renamed Kronenfels for [[Hansa Line]], in 1945 seized by Allies at Copenhagen. Became Empire Roden, sold to Sword Line Inc in 1947. Sold in 1956.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EmpireR.html|title=EmpireR|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref>
*[[List of shipwrecks in September 1942#20 September|''Silver Sword'']], built in 1919 by Downey Shipbuilding Company. Sank after a torpedo attack by [[German submarine U-255]]  while in [[Convoy QP 14]] coming home to New York City from [[Archangel, Russia]], one crew member was killed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/10955|title=SILVER SWORD|website=vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov}}</ref>
*''Western Sword'', built in 1944, ship # V-2651, ID 219567, operated during World War 2 <ref>[http://www.armed-guard.com/l.htm armed-guard.com, Western Sword]</ref><ref>[http://www.armed-guard.com/allnames.html armed-guard.com, Yankee Sword]</ref><ref>Hearings Before the US Subcommittee, By United States Congress, House. Merchant Marine and Fisheries page 615, Sword Lines Inc.: Yankee Sword, Victory Sword and Western Sword, March 1, 1944</ref>
*''Yankee Sword'', built in 1921 at [[New York Shipbuilding Corporation]], operated during World War 2. On March 22, 1945, pick up the survivors of the SS Corinth a Keystone Shipping Company Oil Tanker, sunk by Japanese Submarine on March 18.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/11773|title=YANKEE SWORD|website=vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov}}</ref>
*''Victory Sword'', a tanker built in 1910 by [[Fore River Shipbuilding]], operated during World War 2, was deliberately sunk on June 18, 1944, due to its poor condition, to make a  [[Breakwater (structure)|breakwater]] for [[Normandy landings]] making [[Mulberry harbour]] at [[Utah Beach]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.armed-guard.com/sunk.html|title=Ships|website=www.armed-guard.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?11138|title=WRECKSITE - VICTORY SWORD TANKER 1910-1944}}</ref>
*MV ''Oregon Sword'', a [[Type C1 ship]], C1-MT-BU1 Cargo, built as Oregon Fir at [[Albina Engine & Machine Works]] in Portland OR in 1946. Operated during post World War 2 work and [[Korean War]]. Wrecked and a total loss in 1967.<ref>[http://www.armed-guard.com/d.htm armed-guard.com Oregon Sword]</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/merchantships/2c1cargoships.htm|title=C1 Cargo Ships}}</ref>
*MV ''Arizona Sword'', Type C1 ship, C1-MT-BU1 Cargo, built at Albina E. & M. in 1945. Sank after collision with Berwindvale on May 4, 1951, in a [[Cape Cod Canal]], she was raised and converted to a barge in 1954. The barge foundered on January 13, 1961.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?149261|title=WRECKSITE - ARIZONA SWORD CARGO SHIP 1946-1951}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/docs/boards/arizonasword.pdf|title=dco.uscg.mil, Arizona Sword}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>
*MV ''California Sword'', Type C1 ship, C1-MT-BU1 Cargo, built at Albina E. & M. in 1946 as California Redwood, ship Number V-5349, Official Number 248911.<ref>Decline of Coastwise and Intercoastal Shipping Industry: Hearings, page 488, 1960</ref><ref name="auto"/>
* [[List of Type T2 tankers#G|''Coalinga Hills'']], a [[T2 tanker]], acquired in 1948, sold in 1962, built in 1943 by [[Marinship]], [[Sausalito, California]]   <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/T2C.html|title=T2C|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref>
[[File:USS Antares (AK-258).jpg|thumb|[[Victory ship|A Victory ship of World War II]]]]
[[File:Liberty ship at sea.jpg|thumb|[[Liberty ship]] of World War II]]

**World War II operated ships:
**Liberty Ships:
*{{ship|SS |Pedro Menendez||6}}
* {{ship |SS |Cardinal Gibbons ||6}} built in 1942 at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsC.html|title=LibShipsC|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref><ref>[https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/813 Dot.govr Cardinal Gibbons]</ref>
* ''Milton J. Foreman'', built in 1944 <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsM.html|title=LibShipsM|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref>
* ''George A. Lawson'', sank in 1964 as SS Union Atlantic <ref>[https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?237231 wrecksite George A. Lawson]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsG.html|title=LibShipsG|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref>
* ''Cecil G. Sellers'', built in 1944, post war work in 1946, burnt and scrapped 1948 <ref>[https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/0916443b-8c53-410c-8a75-76750d2b0020.pdf marad.dot.gov, Cecil G. Sellers]</ref>
* ''Daniel Hiester'', built in 1942, post war work in 1946.<ref>[https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/51d89336-4500-40a8-a936-d576969ee05f.pdf marad.dot.gov, Daniel Hiester]</ref>  
* ''Benjamin H. Bristow'', built in 1942, post war work in 1946.<ref>[https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/d2573280-59aa-45df-b864-9027290fc201.pdf marad.dot.gov, Benjamin H. Bristow]</ref>
* {{ship|SS |Abner Doubleday||6}}, built in 1942 at the Oregon SB Corp.<ref>[https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/5f629ee4-fa64-42dc-ba94-bce710f7eb1e.pdf marad.dot.gov, Abner Doubleday]</ref>
* ''Renald Fernald'',  built in 1943, post war work in 1946, wrecked and scrapped 1963 <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsR.html|title=LibShipsR|website=www.mariners-l.co.uk}}</ref>
**Victory ship:
* {{ship|SS |Carroll Victory||6}}, operated post war work in 1948, in 1949 transferred to [[US Coast Guard]].<ref>[https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/abdc85d7-8ae5-44ce-a03d-67664c14f117.pdf marad.dot.gov Carroll Victory]</ref>


** Other
*[[USS Arcturus (AF-52)|SS ''Golden Eagle'']], [[Type R ship]] R2-S-BV1, refrigerated cargo ship.
*MV ''Arizona Pine'', post war work in 1946 to 1948, a Type C1 ship, C1-MT-BU1 Cargo, became MV Arizona Sword in 1948.<ref>[https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/documents/eb191ff9-9fd7-411a-850a-e082f4f1098f.pdf marad.dot.gov, Arizona  Pine]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/6777|title=ARIZONA PINE|website=vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Liberty ships}}
{{Commons category|Victory ships}}
*[[World War II United States Merchant Navy]]

==References ==
{{reflist}}

{{MARCOMships}}
{{WWII US ships}}
{{Liberty ships}}
{{Victory ships}}
{{Alstede class stores ship}}
{{Type C1-M ships}}

[[Category:Defunct shipping companies of the United States]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1933]]