page_title: SS Antigua
section_title: War Shipping Administration service
hierarchical_section_title: SS Antigua / War Shipping Administration service
caption_attribution_description: Photo #: 80-G-22246 - USS Shaw (DD-373) - Crewmen exercising with the ship's # three 5"/38 gun mount, while Shaw was tied up alongside a pier at Naval Air Station, Alameda, California, 8 July 1942.
context_page_description: SS Antigua was a United Fruit Company passenger and refrigerated cargo liner built at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy, Massachusetts completed in 1932. She was owned by a United Fruit subsidiary, United Mail Steam Ship Company, which registered her in New York. She carried bananas from Central America to the US and passengers in both directions.
context_section_description: Antigua was delivered by United Fruit Company to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) on 26 December 1941 at New York and assigned to United Fruit for operation under WSA agreement as agent. On 27 December 1941 the US Navy designated the ship as the Mizar-class stores ship Antigua (AF-17). Navy records indicate the ship was allocated to Navy and perhaps considered for acquisition and commissioning; however, Antigua never got a naval crew or formally taken over by the Navy. Navy cancelled the name "Antigua" on 22 May 1944.
  The ship underwent a limited modification at Maryland Drydock Company, of Baltimore, Maryland. Armament included a single 5"/38 caliber gun and four 3"/50 caliber guns for anti-aircraft and anti submarine use and up to eight Oerlikon 20 mm cannon anti-aircraft guns. With some modification Antigua was able to carry a number of troops as well as refrigerated stores.
  The ship operated under WSA with United Fruit Company acting as its agent and providing the civilian crew. The ship apparently continued to operate in the Pacific with mentions at Eniwetok late September 1944 and being aground and pulled off a reef in Hawaiian waters during 14–21 October 1944 by USS Jicarilla (ATF-104). Antigua continued to operate  under WSA until returned to United Fruit 17 March 1947.
caption: 5"/38 caliber gun with crew of 12–20 men
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