SS California (1927)

	Artist's impression of the ship as SS Uruguay,; 1938–41 or 1948–54
History
United States
Name	SS California (1928–38); SS Uruguay (1938–1964);
Namesake	California; Uruguay;
Owner	American Line Steamship Corp (1928–38); US Maritime Commission (1938–64);
Operator	Panama Pacific Line (1928–38); American Republics Line (1938–42); War Shipping Administration agents (1942–46); Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc. (1947–54);
Port of registry	New York
Route	New York – Havana – Panama Canal – Los Angeles – San Francisco (1928–37); New York – Barbados (outbound)/Trinidad (return) – Rio de Janeiro – Santos – Montevideo – Buenos Aires (1939–41, 1948–54);
Builder	Newport News Shipbuilding
Yard number	315
Laid down	20 March 1926
Launched	1 October 1927
Sponsored by	Mrs. Roland Palmedo
Completed	January 1928
Maiden voyage	28 January 1928
In service	1928
Out of service	29 March 1954
Renamed	SS Uruguay in 1938
Refit	1938, 1942, 1947
Homeport	New York
Identification	official number 227115; Code letters MGRH (until 1933); ; Call sign WMCM (from 1934); ;
Fate	Scrapped 1964
General characteristics
Type	ocean liner (1928–38; 1946–54); troopship (1942–46);
Tonnage	as California:; 17,833 GRT, 9,511 NRT; as Uruguay:; 20,183 GRT, 11,743 NRT;
Displacement	as Uruguay: 32,450 tons
Length	574.4 ft (175.1 m) p/p
Beam	80.3 ft (24.5 m)
Depth	20.5 ft (6.2 m)
Installed power	2,833 NHP 17,000 shp
Propulsion	turbo-electric transmission,; twin screw;
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph);; record 19.95 knots (36.95 km/h) (1951);
Range	3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km)
Capacity	4,473 troops; 212,325 cubic feet (6,012 m3) cargo
Sensors and ; processing systems	direction finding equipment; gyrocompass (from 1934)
Notes	sister ships:; SS Pennsylvania, SS Virginia;

SS California was the World's first major ocean liner built with turbo-electric propulsion. When launched in 1927 she was also the largest merchant ship yet built in the US, although she was a modest size compared with the biggest European liners of her era.

In 1938 California was renamed SS Uruguay. From 1942 to 1946 she was operated through agents by the War Shipping Administration as the troopship Uruguay. She was returned to civilian service as SS Uruguay in 1948, laid up in 1954 and scrapped in 1964.

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