SS Antigua

SS Antigua was a United Fruit Company passenger and refrigerated cargo liner. Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy, Massachusetts, built her, completing her in 1932. She was owned by a United Fruit subsidiary, United Mail Steam Ship Company, which registered her in New York. She carried bananas from Central America to the USA and passengers in both directions.

Building
Antigua was one of a class of six sister ships built for United Fruit by Bethlehem Shipbuilding and Newport News Shipbuilding in 1931–33. Each ship had two turbo generators that fed current to the propulsion motors on her propeller shaft. General Electric built the turbo generators and propulsion motors. The turbo-generators also powered each ship's electric refrigeration equipment.

US Navy charter
On 27 December 1941 the US Navy designated the combined passenger and refrigerated reefer ship SS Antigua as the USS Antigua (AF-17), --a Mizar class stores ship. After the Maritime Commission acquired SS Antigua on indefinite time charter for the Navy the Maryland Drydock Company, of Baltimore, Maryland modified her for use as an armed merchant marine ship by adding a one single 5"/38 caliber gun, four 3"/50 caliber gun for anti-aircraft and anti submarine use and up to eight Oerlikon 20 mm cannon anti-aircraft guns in January 1942. With some modification the Antigua was able to carry a number of troops as well as her refrigerated stores. She was crewed by Merchant mariners plus a team of United States Navy Armed Guard sailors to help man her guns. The Guards were assisted by the "civilian" Merchant Marine crew and all took equal risk of being sunk or hurt by submarine or bombing and strafing aircraft; but after the war was over only the Armed Guard were judged eligible for G.I. Bill benefits.

She served in the Pacific carrying passengers and refrigerated cargo to the ships and troops there. Like other ships of her class with a 17 knot speed she may have avoided convoys and returned to the west coast of the U.S., Australia and/or New Zealand unescorted for repairs and new cargo several times. USS Antigua's Naval Acquisition directive was cancelled on 22 May 1944 for reasons unknown. She apparently continued to operate in the Pacific as a non-commissioned (U.S. Army Transport?) utility vessel till the end of the war and was returned to United Fruit in 1946.

Later career
In 1958 Antigua passed to new owners who renamed her SS Tortuga. She was scrapped in 1964.