SS Richard A. Van Pelt

SS Richard A. Van Pelt was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Richard A. Van Pelt.

History
United States
Name	Richard A. Van Pelt
Namesake	Richard A. Van Pelt
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2401
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$867,824
Yard number	186
Way number	4
Laid down	9 January 1945
Launched	17 February 1945
Sponsored by	Mrs. Duncan Morton
Completed	28 February 1945
Fate	Transferred to Belgium, 28 February 1945
Belgium
Name	Belgium Equity
Operator	American West African Line, Inc.
Acquired	28 February 1945
Fate	Sold to Belgium, 18 December 1946
Belgium
Name	Capitaine Heusers
Fate	Scrapped, 1969
General characteristics
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 General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (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

Richard A. Van Pelt was laid down on 9 January 1945, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2401, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. Duncan Morton, and launched on 17 February 1945.

History

She was transferred to Belgium, and renamed Belgium Equity on 28 February 1945. She was operated by the American West African Line, Inc. On 18 December 1946, she was sold to Belgium, for $579,770.03. She was scrapped in 1969.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Brunswick GA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 19 November 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "Richard A. Van Pelt". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
• "SS Richard A. Van Pelt". Retrieved 19 November 2017.