USN
Transport
Dimensions
522' 8" | 62'0" 32'3"
Gross Tons
10,508
Speed
13 knots
Range
6,000 miles
2 Engines
Cargo
150,000 (cu.ft.)
Passengers
1,873
Captain
Cpt. A.W. Aitken
Beached
February 14, 1942
1820 hrs off Canton
Ship History
Built by NY Shipbuilding Corp. in 1921.
Wartime History
In December, 1941 she was hastily outfitted as a Troop Carrier in San
Francisco, and departed on December 27 to Honolulu, arriving on
January 7, 1942. Returned to San Francisco on January 21, 1942 and left
January 31, 1942, en route to the Philippines
with one stop at Canton
on the way.
Beaching on Canton
The Taylor becoming beached at 18:20 on the February 14, 1942.Taylor
was enroute from SF to the Philippines, with one stop at Canton. The
beaching of Taylor resulted in staying too close to Canton because the
commander of its escort (USS Porter), CPT H.E. Overesch, did not want
the ship too far from shore with the threat of Japanese subs. Afterwards, they tried using
tugs but could not afloat it, but to no avail. The aproximately 1,000 troops aboard took
off most of the useful equipment.
Scrap Metal
In 1952 the ship was sold to North Coast Corporation for scrap
metal. In 1954 the scrapping began off Canton.
Recollections
About the wreck of the President Taylor
Charles Martin recalls:
"On numerous occasions I visited Canton Island while in the U.S.
Navy, between 1946 through 1948. There was a ship beached at
the end of the island. I often wondered what it's name was and what happen to
it apparently during the war."
Vincerica mentions:
"My dad was based there at the time as an orderly. one war story
he told me was the officer who ran the ship aground tried to
blow his brains out with a revolver rather than face court martial. But he failed
and my dad helped nurse him back to health."
Erik Andal mentions:
"My grandfather, Frank Dyer, served on Canton Island as a USN Seabee.
He went aboard the beached USS President Taylor. I recall him
telling me he didn't know why it was beached, but one day he walked/swam to it
and remembered that there was water inside the ship. He recovered the log book.
When he died a couple years ago the log book was given to me. I gave it to the Maritime
Museum in San Francisco"
References
"Troopships of WWII" Charles Roland, 1947 (page
238).
Thanks to Erik Andal for transcribing.
