SS James H. Kimball

SS James H. Kimball was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after James H. Kimball, the chief meteorologist in the New York Weather Bureau.

History
United States
Name	James H. Kimball
Namesake	James H. Kimball
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	American Export Lines, Inc.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2298
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost	$998,294
Yard number	39
Way number	6
Laid down	7 March 1944
Launched	22 April 1944
Completed	16 May 1944
Identification	call sign KWAY
Fate	Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Astoria, Oregon, 26 November 1946 Sold for commercial use, 11 April 1947
Panama
Name	Azuero
Namesake	Azuero
Owner	Azuero Cia. Nav., Panama
Operator	Embiricos Ltd., London
Acquired	11 April 1947
Fate	Ran aground and broke in two, 24 December 1968
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 Iron Fireman Manufacturing Co., Portland, Oregon) 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

James H. Kimball was laid down on 7 March 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2298, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was launched on 22 April 1944.

History

She was allocated to American Export Lines, Inc., on 16 May 1944. On 26 November 1946, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in Astoria, Oregon. On 11 April 1947, she was sold to Azuero Cia. Nav., for commercial service. On 24 December 1968, she ran aground in River Gironde, after she had engine trouble. She later broke in two and was declared a total loss.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Panama City FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 12 December 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "James H. Kimball". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
• "SS James H. Kimball". Retrieved 12 December 2017.