The SS Baton Rouge was a cargo Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program.

The American Export Line and later the Isthmian Steamship Company operated her under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration.

In March, 1946 she docked at Newport, Rhode Island with 1,000,000 feet of Douglas fir and western hemlock lumber from Canada.

The Sea Centaur had damage to her bow above the water line from the ramming of the Isthmian Steamship Company's Baton Rouge Victory.

[5] After World War II, in 1947, she was laid up James River in the National Defense Reserve Fleet.

[12] The ship had departed the San Francisco Embarcadero on 28 July 1966 with a crew of 45, loaded with military trucks and tractors, automobiles, mail, and general cargo.

[13][14][15][16] On August 26, Baton Rouge Victory was attacked by two 2,400-pound limpet mines while proceeding along the Lòng Tàu River, about 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Saigon.

The attack on the SS Baton Rouge Victory was largest single loss of life due to enemy action for merchant mariners in the Vietnam War.