SS Thomas B. King

SS Thomas B. King was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Thomas B. King, a United States Representative from Georgia.

History
United States
Name:	Thomas B. King
Namesake:	Thomas B. King
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2369
Builder:	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost:	$1,036,617[1]
Yard number:	154
Way number:	2
Laid down:	23 June 1944
Launched:	7 August 1944
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Franklin D. Aikens
Completed:	19 August 1944
Identification:	Call Signal: WSKL [1]
Fate:	Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina, 19 March 1948 Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River Group, 29 June 1953
Status:	Sold for scrapping, 15 May 1970
General characteristics [2]
Class and type:	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage:	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement:	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length:	441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam:	57 feet (17 m)
Draft:	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power:	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion:	1 × triple-expansion steam engine,  (manufactured by Joshua Hendy Iron Works, Sunnyvale, California) 1 × screw propeller
Speed:	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity:	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m^3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m^3) (bale)
Complement:	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament:	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3 inches (76 mm)/50 caliber gun Stern-mounted 4 inches (102 mm)/50 caliber gun 2–8 × single 20 millimeters (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37 millimeters (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

Construction

Thomas B. King was laid down on 23 June 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2369, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. Franklin D. Aikens, and launched on 7 August 1944.[3][1]

History

She was allocated to Wessel Duval & Company, on 19 August 1944. On 8 June 1950, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Wilmington, North Carolina. On 19 June 1953, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1953", she relocated to the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, loaded with grain on 29 June 1953. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 11 April 1956, to have the grain unloaded and returned empty on 18 April 1956. On 8 August 1956, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1956", she returned loaded with grain on 23 August 1956. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 18 March 1961, to have the grain unloaded and returned empty on 26 March 1961. On 5 August 1961, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1961", she returned loaded with grain on 17 August 1961. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 7 August 1963, to have the grain unloaded and returned empty on 12 August 1963. On 15 May 1970, she was sold for scrapping to Union Minerals & Alloys Co.. She was removed from the fleet on 9 July 1970.[4][5]

References

1. MARCOM.
2. Davies 2004, p. 23.
3. J.A. Brunswick 2010.
4. Liberty Ships.
5. MARAD.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Brunswick GA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 8 November 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "Thomas B. King". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 9 November 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• "SS Thomas B. King". Retrieved 9 November 2017.