SS Henry S. Sanford

SS Henry S. Sanford was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Henry S. Sanford, a wealthy American diplomat and businessman from Connecticut who served as United States Minister to Belgium from 1861 to 1869. Sanford is also known for founding the city of Sanford, Florida, and for successfully lobbying the United States into recognizing King Leopold II's claim to the Congo region in central Africa.

History
United States
Name	Henry S. Sanford
Namesake	Henry S. Sanford
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	Overlakes Freight Corp.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2467
Awarded	23 April 1943
Builder	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida
Cost	$1,387,330
Yard number	31
Way number	1
Laid down	22 December 1943
Launched	19 February 1944
Sponsored by	Miss Eleanor G. Huff
Completed	4 March 1944
Identification	Call sign: KWBZ
Fate	Laid up in the, National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, Washington, 28 May 1946 Sold for scrapping, 7 August 1970, removed from fleet, 21 September 1970
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-inch (76 mm)/50-caliber gun Stern-mounted 4-inch (102 mm)/50-caliber gun 2–8 × single 20-millimeter (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37-millimeter (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

Construction

Henry S. Sanford was laid down on 22 December 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2467, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Miss Eleanor G. Huff, the daughter of Colonel P. Huff, US Army, and was launched on 19 February 1944.

History

She was allocated to the Overlakes Freight Corp., on 4 March 1944. On 28 May 1946, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, Washington. On 22 April 1954, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1954", she returned loaded on 29 May 1954. On 27 January 1957, she was withdrawn to be unload, she returned on empty 5 February 1957. She was sold for scrapping, 7 August 1970, to Zidell Explorations, Inc. She was removed from the fleet on 21 September 1970.

Bibliography

• "St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 16 October 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "Henry S. Sanford". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
• "SS Henry S. Sanford". Retrieved 14 January 2020.