SS Empire Chamois SS " Empire Chamois was a 5 , 864 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1918 by Ames Shipbuilding and Drydock Co , Seattle . She was ordered by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique but was requisitioned by the United States Navy and commissioned as USS " West Mount with the pennant number ID - 3202 in 1918 . She was decommissioned in May 1919 and passed to the United States Shipping Board ( USSB ) as SS " Westmount . In 1927 she was sold to the Dimon Steamship Corporation and renamed SS " Pacific Redwood . She returned to the USSB in 1932 and passed to the United States Maritime Commission ( USMC ) in 1937 . In 1940 , she was passed to the Ministry of Shipping , passing to the Ministry of War Transport in 1941 and being renamed SS " Empire Chamois " . She was sold to Astral Shipping Co Ltd in 1946 and renamed SS " Granview . In 1949 she was sold to the Compagnia Maritime del Este , Panama and renamed SS " Chamois , serving until 1958 when she was scrapped . She was the last Ames - built ship afloat . Description . The ship was built by Ames Shipbuilding and Drydock Co , Seattle , Washington , as yard number 6 . She was launched on 16 April 1918 , and complete in May 1918 . The ship was overall , and long between perpendiculars , with a beam of and a depth of . Her draught was She had a GRT of 5 , 683 and a NRT of 3 , 557 . USS " West Mount " displaced 12 , 175 tons . She was armed with a 3 " gun . The ship was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine , which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke . It could propel her at . History . She was originally ordered by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique , Saint Nazaire , France , but in 1917 she was requisitioned by the United States Navy while under construction . USS " West Mount " was commissioned on 21 May 1918 . Operated by the Naval Overseas Transportation Service , she sailed from Seattle on 23 May with a cargo of flour . She passed through the Panama Canal and arrived at New York on 2 July . After repairs , she departed New York on 13 July and arrived at Bordeaux , France on 19 July . She departed Bordeaux with a cargo of 1 , 000 tons of iron ore , arriving at New York on 9 October . On 24 October , she departed for Brest , arriving on 8 November . The armistice was signed on 11 November . " West Mount " departed Brest on 12 December and arrived at New York on 1 January 1919 . She loaded a cargo of flour and milk which was consigned to the Food Administration . She departed on 22 January bound for Constantinople ( then part of the Ottoman State ) , via Gibraltar . " West Mount " departed Constantinople with 2 , 875 tons of cargo for the USSB . She arrived at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania on 1 May and was decommissioned on 31 May . The ship was passed to the USSB and renamed " Westmount " . The United States Official Number 216333 was allocated . In 1927 , she was chartered by the Dimon Steamship Corporation , New York and renamed " Pacific Redwood " . Her Code Letters were LKRM . In 1932 , " Pacific Redwood " was returned to the USSB . In 1935 , her Code Letters were changed to KJUD . " Pacific Redwood " was passed to the United States Maritime Commission in 1937 . In 1940 , " Pacific Redwood " was transferred to the Ministry of Shipping , which became the Ministry of War Transport in 1941 . " Pacific Redwood " was then renamed " Empire Chamois " . Her port of registry was changed to London . The United Kingdom Official Number 169200 and Code Letters GPJL were allocated . She was placed under the management of the Booth Steamship Co Ltd . " Empire Chamois " was a member of a number of convoys during the Second World War . Convoy SC 76 departed Halifax , Nova Scotia on 24 March 1942 and arrived at Liverpool on 11 April . " Empire Chamois " was carrying a cargo of steel bound for Newport , Monmouthshire . Convoy ON 92 departed Liverpool on 6 May 1942 and arrived at Halifax on 21 May . " Empire Chamois " departed from Milford Haven , Pembrokeshire . Convoy SC 173 departed Halifax on 18 April 1945 and arrived at Liverpool on 4 May . " Empire Chamois " was in collision with as the convoy was forming up . " St . Bonfiface " suffered extensive damage to her bows and was out of action for three months . " Empire Chamois " returned to port and did not sail with the convoy . The MoWT became the Ministry of Transport in 1945 . In 1946 , " Empire Chamois ' s " port of registry was changed to Liverpool . On 5 April 1947 , " Empire Chamois " was disabled off Rame Head , Cornwall . She was assisted by until a tug arrived . " Empire Chamois " was sold in 1947 to the Astral Shipping Co Ltd . She was renamed " Granview " and placed under the management of Gouldandris Brothers Ltd , London . In 1949 , " Granview " was sold to the Compagnia Maritime del Este , Panama , remaining under Goulandris ' s management , but now under the Panamanian Flag and renamed " Chamois " . She served until 1958 when she was scrapped at Antwerp , Belgium . At the time , she was the last Ames - built ship afloat .