Casgliadau Arlein

Starboard broadside view of S.S. ESSO AVONMOUTH at Cardiff Docks.

T2-SE-A1 type tanker built 1945 as FORT MASSIAC by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, for the US War Shipping Administration. 1949 – Acquired by Standard Oil Company (Panama Transport Co.), under the Panama flag, and renamed ESSO VALPARAISO. 1955 – Transferred to Esso Petroleum Co., under British registry and flag, and renamed ESSO AVONMOUTH. 1960 – Sold to Cia. Athlos Nav., SA, Greece, and renamed ATHLON. She served as a power generation plant at Bergen for two years. 1962 – Lengthened by Navali di Taranto, involving removal of the central bridge area, replacing the stern section with a new one, and increasing the tonnage to 13570gt. In this new guise , but with no change of name, she worked as a bulk carrier. She was broken up at Bilbao in 1975.