SS John H. Hammond

SS John H. Hammond was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after John Hays Hammond, a mining engineer, diplomat, and philanthropist.

History
United States
Name	John H. Hammond
Namesake	John Hays Hammond
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2385
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$892,998
Yard number	170
Way number	6
Laid down	13 October 1944
Launched	15 November 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. R. Gregg Cherry
Completed	27 November 1944
Identification	Call Signal: KYTU
Fate	Struck a mine off Elba, Italy, 17 July 1945 Declared constructive total loss (CTL) Sold for scrapping, 20 February 1948
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

John H. Hammond was laid down on 13 October 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2385, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. R. Gregg Cherry, wife of then governor elect R. Gregg Cherry, and launched on 15 November 1944.

History

She was allocated to William J. Rountree Company, on 27 November 1944. On 17 July 1945, she struck a mine off Elba, Italy, and was towed to Naples, Italy. She was declared a constructive total loss (CTL). On 20 February 1948, she was sold, along with 39 other vessels, including her sister ships SS Isaac Shelby and SS Niels Poulson, for $520,000, to Venturi Salvaggi Ricuperi Imprese Marittime Societa per Azioni, Genoa.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Brunswick GA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 15 November 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "John H. Hammond". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
• "SS John H. Hammond". Retrieved 15 November 2017.
• "LIBERTY SHIPS - Joaquin - Johns". Retrieved 20 December 2017.