Editing Reefer ship (section)

==United Fruit Company reefer ships==
The [[United Fruit Company]] has used some type of reefers, often combined with cruise ship passenger accommodations, since about 1889. Because of their cargo was mostly [[banana]]s, they were nicknamed the "Banana Fleet". Since bananas are relatively light and the normal shipping route was to Central America and then back to various US ports, these ships were often built as combination cargo ships and what are now called [[cruise ship]]s to pay for more of their operating expenses. After about 1910, they called these combination cruise and cargo ships the "Great White Fleet" based on their heat-reducing white paint. To avoid US shipping regulations and taxes they are registered in about six other countries, with very few now maintaining US registry. European associates with their own ships were often employed to ship fruit to Europe.  United Brands was taken over by [[Chiquita Brands]] International in the 1980s and owns the largest fleet of banana boats in the world, but none of them now sails under the US flag.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/ufruit.htm |last1=Swiggum |first1=S |last2=Kohli |first2=M |title=United Fruit Company |work=The Fleets |date=23 November 2006 |access-date=12 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102151629/http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/ufruit.htm |archive-date=2 January 2012 }}</ref> SS ''Pastores'' and SS ''Calamares'' were built in Ireland in 1912 and 1913 for the United Fruit Company as a combination [[cruise ship]] and refrigerated cargo ship. The United Fruit Company's fleet of about 85 ships was one of the largest civilian fleets in the world. These ships normally carried up to 95 cruise ship passengers and a crew to ports in [[Central America]] and then would return to the United States with passengers and a cargo of refrigerated bananas and miscellaneous cargo.

The renamed {{USS|Pastores|AF-16|6}} and {{USS|Calamares|AF-18|6}} were taken over by the [[United States Navy]] in World War I and used to take troops and refrigerated supplies to and from Europe. After hostilities ceased they were returned to United Fruit Company in 1919. They were requisitioned again on 2 June 1941 from United Fruit for use in [[World War II]]. After hostilities ceased they were then returned again to United Fruit Company in 1946.<ref>{{cite web |title=USS ''Pastores'' (AF-16) and USS ''Calamares'' (AF-18) |url= https://www.shipscribe.com/usnaux/AF/AF16.html |access-date=12 February 2012}}</ref>