SSFlying Lark

History
Name	SSHonduras(1915–34) SSTuxpam(1934–39) SSDenny(1939) SSTrakai(1939–46) SSPhoenix(1946–48) SSVille de Genève(1948–55) SSIonion(1955–57) SSFlying Lark(1957–58)
Owner	Dampskibsselskab Globe (1915–18) C.H.F. Jensen (1918–34) Weinberger Banana Co (1934–38) Weinberger Steam Ship Co (1938–39) Leituvos Baltijos Lloydas (1939–42) US Maritime Commission(1942–46) Cia. de Nav. Insular (1946–48) SM Auxiliare de Transports (1948–55) D.S. Zampazas (1955–57) Chiap Huah Shipping Co (1957–58)
Operator	P. Johannessen, Tønsberg (1915–20) S. Dreyer (1920–34) Agwilines Inc(1942–43) United Fruit Co(1943–44) Lykes Bros SS Co(1944–45) United Fruit Co (1945) Hadjilias Interests (1946–48)
Port of registry	Kristiania(1915–25) Oslo(1925–34) Bluefields(1934–39) ?(1939–42) (1942–46) (1946–48) Rouen(1948–55) (1955–57) (1957–58)
Builder	Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted,Fredrikstad,Norway
Yard number	195
Launched	1915
Out of service	30 April 1958
Identification	Code Letters MLRD (1915–33) HPVV (1939–46)
Fate	Bombed byCIAaircraft 28 Apriland 30 April 1958;sank 30 April
General characteristics
Type	banana boat
Tonnage	1,255GRT;704NRT 1,086 tonnage under deck 1,750DWT
Length	235.0 ft (71.6 m)
Beam	33.6 ft (10.2 m)
Draught	19.9 ft (6.1 m)
Installed power	188NHP
Propulsion	1 Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted 3-cylindertriple-expansion steam engine
Speed	12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)

SSFlying Larkwas a ship built inFredrikstad, Norwayin 1915 as thebanana boatSS Honduras.Over a 43 year career that spanned oceans and seas the world over she had 10 owners, eight names and a succession of different managers.

She is best known today as theFlying Lark,given to her by her final owners in 1957. That is the name she bore in theMoluccasin easternIndonesiain April 1958 when aCIAaircraft involved in acovert missionagainst theSukarnogovernment attacked and sank her, killing at least nine of her crew.

Construction

Fredrikstad Mekaniske VerkstedofFredrikstad,Norway built the ship as thebanana boatSSHonduras.She had twofire tube boilerswith a combined heating surface of 3,943 square feet (366 m²)that supplied steam at 180lb_f/in²to a three-cylindertriple-expansion steam engine.There is some discrepancy over hernominal horsepower:a Norwegian source claims that her engine produced 258 NHPbutLloyd's Registerrecords it as 188 NHP.

Service history

Honduraswas built for Peder Johannesen'sDampskibsselskab Globe( "Globe Steamship Co" ) ofTønsberg,which registered her inKristiania,Norway.In 1918 P. Johannesen soldHondurasto C.H.F. Jensen, and in 1920 her management was transferred to S. Dreyer.Both Jensen and Dreyer were based in Kristiania, which from 1925 was renamedOslo.

In 1934Honduraswas sold to Weinberger Banana Co, who renamed herTuxpamand registered her inBluefields,Nicaragua.In 1938 she was transferred to Weinberger Steam Ship Co, and in 1939 she was renamedDenny.In the same year she was sold toAkc. Bve. Leituvos Baltijos Lloydas( "Lithuanian Baltic Lloyd" ) ofŠventoji, Lithuania,who renamed herTrakai.In June 1942 theUnited States Maritime Commissiontook her over, registered her inPanama City,and placed her in the management ofAgwilines Incof Panama.Management was transferred to theUnited Fruit Companyin September 1943, then toLykes Brothers Steamship Companyin October 1944, and back to United Fruit Co in July 1945.In October 1945Trakaiwas laid up.

In 1946Trakaiwas sold to Hadjilias Interests'Compañía de Navegación Insular S.A.of Panama, who registered her in Greece and renamed herPhoenix.In 1948 she was sold toSociété Maritime Auxiliare de TransportsofBasel,Switzerland,who renamed herVille de Genèveand registered her inRouen,France.In 1955 she was sold to D.S. Zampazas and others ofBeirut,Lebanon, who registered her in Greece and renamed herIonion.

By the late 1950s the vessel was trading as a generalcargo shiprather than a banana boat. In 1957 she was sold to Chiap Huah Shipping Co of Panama (the shipping subsidiary of Chiap Huah Manufactory of Hong Kong), who renamed herFlying Larkand registered her in Panama.

Sinking

At the end of April 1958Flying Larkwas inAmboina Harbourin Indonesia loading a cargo ofcopra.On 28 April aDouglas B-26 Invaderbomber aircraft, operated by theCIAand painted black and with no markings,bombed and damaged her.The attack killed nine of the crew and another six were reported missing.The damagedFlying Larkstayed afloat for at least two days, but sank onor after30 April.

In the same attack, the same aircraft hit and sank the merchant shipsSSAquilaandSSArmonia.One source asserts that all three ships were off the port of Donggala nearPaluinCentral Sulawesi(at least 500 miles (800 km) west of Ambon) when they were hit.This now appears doubtful, asAquila's wreck seems to have been identified in Ambon Bay.Another source states thatFlying Larkwas attacked on 1 or 2 May.This may result partly from confusion between the date she was bombed and the date she sank.

The attack was part of a CIAcovert operationto support right-wingPermestarebels inNorth Sulawesito destabilise PresidentSukarno's government of Indonesia. The CIA pilots had orders to target foreign merchant ships to drive foreign trade away from Indonesian waters, thereby weakening the Indonesian economy in the belief that this would undermineSukarno.

The pilot was the CIA and formerUSAFpilotAllen Pope.On 18 May theIndonesian NavyandAir Forceshot down Pope's aircraft and captured him,after which the USA rapidly aborted the CIA mission and reversed its policy towards Indonesia.

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Amboinain Indonesia, where a CIA aircraft bombedFlying Lark.

Sources

• Conboy, Kenneth; Morrison, James (1999).Feet to the Fire CIA Covert Operations in Indonesia, 1957–1958.Annapolis:Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-193-9.
• Kahin, Audrey R;Kahin, George McT(1997) [1995].Subversion as Foreign Policy The Secret Eisenhower and Dulles Debacle in Indonesia.Seattle and London:University of Washington Press.ISBN0-295-97618-7.