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SS ORIENTAL PEARL

Last updated June 2009

SS Oriental Pearl
SS Oriental Pearl

The Oriental Pearl (9,644 grt, 473 ft. long) was one of a quartet of post-war identical sister ships placed into service by American Export Lines. These four sister ships, Excalibur, Excambion, Exeter and Exochorda, were replacments for pre-war ships of the same name.

The post war ships were originally built as US Navy attack transports, and all were converted and delivered to American Export Lines in 1948. They operated between New York and the Mediterranean. They all carried 125 passengers, and departed from Hoboken, New Jersey to Cadiz, Barcelona, Marseille, Naples, Beirut, Alexandria, Pireaus, Naples, Marseille, Genoa, Livorno and Barcelona according to Milton H. Watson's book US Passenger Liners.

Exochorda and Excambion were laid up in 1960, being sold in 1967 and 1965 respectively. The remaining two ships (Exeter/Shelby and Excalibur/Dutchess) were sold to C.Y. Tung's Oriental Overseas Line in 1965 and were renamed the Oriental Pearl and Oriental Jade respectively. The Oriental Pearl and the Oriental Jade were both scrapped in 1974.

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