La Paz
Ship Number
569
Vessel Type
Cargo Ship
Built
Govan Yard
Launch Date
May 6, 1920
Delivered
September 23, 1920
Owner
Pacific Steam Navigation Co.
Weight
6548 grt
BP Length
405 feet
Breadth
54 feet
No. of Screws
Twin
Speed (approx)
11.5 knots
Propulsion
Two 1,600 i.h.p. Harland and Wolff four-cycle engines running at 115 r.p.m. Oil engines 4 SA 12 cyl 810 NHP
Official No.
143671
Registered
Liverpool
Fate
Sank
La Paz

One of a class of three cargo ships (Lobos and Losada being the others) she entered service in 1920. On 1st May 1942 she was torpedoed by U Boat U-109 off Florida and subsequently beached. She was later sold, with her cargo of export whisky, to U.S. agents and eventually passed to the War Shipping Administration.
 
In 1945 she was sold to Construction Aggregates Corp. of Chicago, Illinois and no longer engaged in deep sea trading.
 
14th December 1946 bought by Armement "La Générale" SA (H. Vervliet as managers) and completely overhauled in the USA delivered at Mobile in May 1947
 
1947  Renamed  Rubens  for Armement H. Vervliet, Antwerp,  Belgium
 
1950 Laid up for a while
 
21st July 1951 stranded in Tokyo Bay, engine room afire, cargo of soya beans swelled, hull bursted. Refloated
 
23rd July 1951 sank East off Katsu Ura, while on voyage Los Angeles-Yokohama. Crew of 41 saved.