SS Phillips Victory

The SS Phillips Victory (MCV-758), was a type VC2-S-AP2 victory ship built by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard 2, of Richmond, California. It was one of 150 victory ships named after educational institutions. The Phillips Victory was named after Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma. The ship was christened on May 26, 1945 at Richmond Yard 2 by Mrs. Edward Stettinius in the presence of United Nations delegates and Native Americans. Shipyard manager C.P. Bedford spoke of the history of the university, and Captain H.G. Gatlin, the Treasure Island Navy chaplain gave the invocation.

The ship, originally named Phillips, was not so named for long. It set out for London on May 26, 1945, and arrived on June 20, 1945. The Ocean Steam Ship Company purchased the boat on January 2, 1946, then renaming it Memnon and in 1957, Glaucus. The Iranian Lloyd Company, Limited of Khorramsshar in 1962, renamed the ship the Persian Ferdowsi. In 1965, the company, then called the Iranian Shipping Lines renamed the boat the Kashan. In 1966, it was sold to Paul J Frangoulis & A & I Cliafas of Piraeus who renamed the boat the Eleni K. The Iranian Navy arrested the boat and its crew for unpaid debt in October of that year, and again a month later for setting out to sea without permission. The Navy fired on the boat, after pursuing it with a destroyer, 5 frigates, 3 launches and a helicopter. The boat remained in Bandar Shapur and in 1968 was again sold and renamed Pirouzi. In May 1969 the ship was towed to Hong Kong and demolished in June.