The SS Irish Willow was a notable cargo vessel that played a significant role in maintaining Irish trade during the challenging period of World War II. Originally constructed as a Standard World War I cargo ship, she was laid down with the yard number 143 at the Toledo Shipbuilding Company in Ohio and launched on 28 December 1917. Initially named Lake Sunapee, she was a single-deck vessel with a length of 252 feet, a beam of 43 feet 5 inches, and a depth of 18 feet 9 inches. Her grain capacity was 130,000 cubic feet, and she had a bunker capacity of 2,009 GRT. Powered by a triple-expansion steam engine built by Toledo Shipbuilding, she developed 260 NHP at a pressure of 180 psi. During her early years, she served as a U.S. Army transport and was commissioned into the U.S. Navy as USS Lake Sunapee, operating mainly as a coal transporter between British and French ports. She was later sold and renamed Frank Lynch, with a diesel engine replacing her original steam engine in 1923. Her engine was built by the Pacific Diesel Engine Company. In 1937, she was sold to Greek interests, renamed Nestor, and subsequently experienced a total engine failure in 1938, leading to her being refitted with a new triple-expansion steam engine from John Lewis & Son in Aberdeen. In 1939, she was sold to Estonia and renamed Otto. Following Ireland's declaration of neutrality in WWII, she was leased to Irish Shipping in October 1941 and renamed Irish Willow. She was vital in transporting wheat, coal, and other supplies, completing 18 voyages during the war. Irish Willow was distinguished for her rescue efforts, notably saving 47 survivors from the torpedoed Empire Breeze in August 1942, risking her own safety while navigating fog and U-boat threats. Her neutrality markings and the crew's resolve allowed her to operate with a degree of safety, and her actions exemplified Ireland’s maritime resilience. After the war, she was returned to her owner, Egon Jurgenson, and renamed Veraguas under Panamanian registry, continuing her service until she was scrapped in Belgium in 1960. Throughout her career, Irish Willow was recognized for her service, particularly for her wartime rescue missions, contributing to Ireland’s maritime history by maintaining essential trade and exemplifying maritime bravery.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.