The SS Papoose was originally built as the steam tanker Silvanus between 1920 and 1921 by the Southwestern Shipbuilding & Drydock Company in San Pedro, California. Constructed for the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, she was designed to transport oil and petroleum products between the Dutch East Indies and various destinations in Europe and the Far East. The vessel measured approximately 412 feet in length between perpendiculars, with a beam of 53.3 feet and a depth of 31.2 feet. She had a gross register tonnage (GRT) of 5,789 and a net register tonnage (NRT) of 3,378, with a deadweight tonnage of around 8,400 tons. Her steel hull was built on the Isherwood principle of longitudinal framing, offering extra durability, and she was equipped with two decks and a three-island arrangement. The ship's machinery was located aft, featuring a single 556 nhp triple-expansion steam engine powered by three Scotch marine boilers, allowing her to reach speeds of up to 11 knots. Silvanus was launched on June 30, 1921, with Mrs. Earl L. Miller as the sponsor, and after sea trials, was delivered to Dutch Shell in August. She initially operated in the Far East, making voyages from San Francisco to China, Singapore, and Australia, and later transported oil from the Dutch East Indies to Europe and India. Her service included key ports such as Tianjin, Shanghai, Singapore, Balikpapan, and Bombay, reflecting her role in global oil transportation during the early 1920s. In April 1926, Silvanus was involved in a collision with the tanker Thomas H. Wheeler on the Mississippi River, which resulted in an explosion and the loss of 26 crew members, rendering her a total loss. She was subsequently sold at auction to the Petroleum Navigation Company of Texas, rebuilt, and renamed Papoose. As Papoose, the vessel resumed service until her sinking in 1942 after being attacked by German U-boat U-124 off North Carolina. The ship drifted for several days before sinking in 200 feet of water off Oregon Inlet. Her operational history highlights her significance as a part of the early 20th-century maritime oil trade and her ultimate loss during World War II underscores the perils faced by merchant vessels during wartime.

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