SS Richard V. Oulahan

SS Richard V. Oulahan was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Richard V. Oulahan, a Washington, D.C., correspondent for the New York Times.

History
United States
Name	Richard V. Oulahan
Namesake	Richard V. Oulahan
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	Black Diamond Steamship Co.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2297
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost	$970,129
Yard number	38
Way number	4
Laid down	26 February 1944
Launched	11 April 1944
Completed	11 May 1944
Identification	Call Signal: KWWA
Fate	Grounded during typhoon, 17 September 1945 Declared constructive total loss (CTL), 17 September 1945 Abandoned, 5 November 1945 Sold for scrapping, 19 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 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

Richard V. Oulahan was laid down on 26 February 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2297, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was launched on 11 April 1944.

History

She was allocated to Black Diamond Steamship Co., on 11 May 1944. On 16 September 1945, she ran aground in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, during typhoon Ida. She was declared a constructive total loss (CTL) the same day and abandoned 5 November 1945. On 6 February 1948, she was sold for $100 to China Merchants and Engineers, Inc., for scrapping.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Panama City FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 9 December 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "Richard V. Oulahan". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
• "SS Richard V. Oulahan". Retrieved 9 December 2017.