Gross Tonnage:	5,686	Net:	3,450
Dimensions:	424' 2" x 56' 2" x 26' 5"	MC Type:
Builder:	Chickasaw Shipbuilding & Car Co. Chickasaw, AL	Hull # USMC Hull # Date of Build: Delivered:	9 1921
Engines:	2 Steam Turbines DR Geared to Single Screwed Shaft	Engine Builder:	Federal Shipbuilding Co. Kearny, NJ
Navigation:	GyC	Decks, etc.:	2 Decks 3tr B, Fitted for Oil Fuel

Began Isthmian Service:

1921

Ended Isthmian Service:

1942

----------------------------------- Vessel History -----------------------------------

Date	Vessel #	Vessel Name	Vessel Owner	Call Ltrs	Home Port	Flag
1921	221193	Selma City	U.S. Steel Products Co. New York	MCRF	New York	US
1930	221193	Selma City	October: Isthmian Lines, Inc. New York	MCRF	New York	US
1933	221193	Selma City	Isthmian Lines, Inc. New York	KDRJ	New York	US

Events:

Disposition Date

Comments

1942

4/6 - Japanese bombers attacked the vessel at 6:45 AM in the Bay of Bengal, position 17.40 N, 83.20 E, off Vizagapptam, India, on a voyage from Colombia to Calcutta via Vizagapatam, steaming at 10 knots with 311 tons general and 150 tons case oil and lube oil cargo, John Michael Griffin Master. About 25 miles off Vizagapatam, a single-engined amphibian Japanese plane approached and released 2 bombs, one missing to starboard the other hitting near the engine room uptake, piercing the deck and exploding over the engine room storeroom. Fire broke out and spread rapidly as the engine room slowly flooded. The plane made a second low-level pass and dropped a bomb that damaged the boiler room and other equipment. The crew of 8 officers and 21 crewmen fought the fire with a bucket brigade. At 11:30 AM the Master ordered the ship abandoned. As the men climbed into the 4 boats, 2 Japanese planes began circling the ship. One plane dropped 2 bombs, 1 hitting the wheelhouse, the other striking forward.The second plane dropped 4 bombs, all missing. Machine gun fire in the general direction of the loaded lifeboats signaled the survivors to leave. The motor lifeboat towed the 3 others the 20 miles to Vizagaptam where they landed at 6:50 PM. All hands survived, 2 reporting slight injuries from bomb fragments. When the crew left the vessel, she was ablaze and sinking, eventually sinking the following day, 4/7 at 10:45 PM.

The information on this web site is the kind contribution of our Historian, Skip Lewis, © 2003. Skip, whose dad sailed for Isthmian, is an avid collector and researcher of everything Isthmian and States Marine. In his quest, he has used many sources and publications including Lloyd's of London and Imperial Steel by John Atherton.