Sixaola ID-2777

Sixaola

(ID-2777: t. 5,017; 1. 394'; b. 50'4"; dr. 25'; s. 14 k.;
cpl. 70)

Sixaola (ID-2777), a refrigerated cargo ship built in 1911 by Workman Clark and Co., Belfast, Ireland was acquired by the Navy on 19 September 1918 from the United Fruit Co., and was commissioned as a unit of the Naval Overseas Transportation Service the same day.

Upon completion of refitting, Sixaola loaded a cargo of general Army supplies and sailed on 26 September 1918 for La Pallice, France, where she arrived on 13 October. There she discharged her cargo of 1,751 tons of beef and 37 tons of motor vehicles and then sailed in convoy from Verdon, France, on 29 October. She arrived in New York on 10 November and underwent minor repairs, loaded a cargo of general Army supplies, and sailed on 19 November for France, arriving on 2 December. After discharging her cargo, she took on 1,000 tons of water ballast and sailed on 16 December for New York, arriving on 28 December. At New York, she again loaded a cargo of frozen beef and sailed for France on 9 January 1919, arriving at Verdon on the 21st. There she discharged her cargo, loaded 668 tons of Army return cargo, and sailed on 2 February 1919 for New York, arriving on the 17th. Sixaola had loaded most of her cargo for her next voyage when she caught fire on the 23rd and partially sank. Her cargo was a total loss; and two men, including her executive officer, were killed while investigating the fire. Sixaola was pumped out during May and June and was towed to a nearby shipyard in Hoboken N.J., where she was placed out of commission and deilvered to the War Department on 12 June 1919. She was subsequently reconditioned and returned to the United Fruit Co. which she served until she was sunk by U-159 off Colon, C. Z., on 12 June 1942.