# SS Hobart Baker

SS Hobart Baker was a Liberty ship built for the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. The ship was named in honor of Hobart Baker. Hobart "Hobey" Baker (1892–1918) was an American amateur athlete and is considered the first American star in ice hockey. He was also an American football player. The ship was assigned by the War Shipping Administration to General Steamship Company of San Francisco who operated it throughout World War II. Hobart Baker was laid down on 16 April 1943, launched on 12 May 1943 and completed on 24 May 1943, with the hull No. 1114 as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding Program, built in 38 days.

## World war 2

SS Hobart Baker was loaded with supplies for the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II on 26 October 1944 by the 2486th Quartermaster Truck Company in San Francisco. Due to the need for supplies, she was loaded around the clock. Military vehicles were driven to the Hobart Baker from the 15th Aircraft Delivery Group (ADG) Motorpool. The vehicles were chained down in the cargo holds. Most of the vehicles were amphibious. She was also loaded with steel landing mats (Marston Mats), fuel and other supplies needed for an amphibious beach assault.
SS Hobart Baker joined a one hundred ship convoy, TG 77.11, that was under the command of Captain J. B. McLean. The convoy was screened and protected by nine destroyers. The convoy headed to Mindoro, an island in Luzon of the Philippines, to support the Battle of Mindoro. It arrived on December 28, and was immediately attacked. The PT tender USS Orestes was the first kamikaze hit. Liberty ship SS William Sharon was hit, resulting in a large fire on her superstructure and killing 11 crew, but stayed afloat and was repaired. LST-750 sank later in the day. On the morning of December 30, 1944, the convoy arrived Mangarin Bay with the goal unloading and departing in the same day. Unload progressed smoothly until 3:40 pm, when five Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Aichi D3As began suicide attacks. The destroyers USS Gansevoort (DD-608), USS Pringle (DD-477), and USS Porcupine were hit. The SS Francisco Morozan was damaged when a kamikaze plane exploded over the ship after it was shot down by US Navy plane. SS James H. Breasted sank with no lose of crew.
Hobart Baker was hit by two aerial bombs and sank at 12°17'55"N, 121°04'47"E. Wounded were two of the 26-man US Navy Armed Guard. Of the 38 man merchant crew one was killed and one was wounded.
The Battle of Mindoro was costly for the US Merchant Marines, with more Merchant Marines were killed in the Battle of Mindoro, than Army or Navy fighters. Two Liberty ships, the SS John Burke and SS Lewis L. Dyche were bombed and sank with all crew members killed. SS John Burke 68 merchant seamen were killed and the on the Lewis L. Dyche 71 killed. The Liberty ship SS Juan de Fuca was hit by Navy shells and a kamikaze plane, strafed by Zeros, and was ultimately beached by her Captain to prevent the ship from sinking. The ship was later repaired. The SS John M. Clayton was torpedoed and hit by a bomb, and she beached by her Captain to prevent the ship from sinking, as cargo was on fire and half her of the superstructure was gone.