SS Samarkand

For other ships named Talthybius, see SS Talthybius.

SS Samarkand (Hull Number 1769, launched as the SS Peter Cooper) was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II.

History
Name	Peter Cooper (1943) Samarkand (1943-1947) Talthybius (1947-1954) Gleniffer (1954-1958) Dove (1958-1965) Patraic Sky (1965-1971)
Namesake	Peter Cooper
Owner	British Government (1943-47) Ocean Steamship Co Ltd (1947-54) Glen Line (1954-58) Colombine Shipping Co (1958-65) Patriarch Steamship Co (1965-71)
Port of registry	Baltimore (1943) London (1943-47) Liverpool (1947-58) Monrovia (1958-71)
Builder	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard
Yard number	2217
Laid down	24 July 1943
Launched	25 August 1943
Completed	September 1943
Fate	Broken up at Split from 30 March 1971
General characteristics
Tonnage	7,000 tons GRT
Length	441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam	56 ft 10.75 in (17.34 m)
Draught	27 ft 9.25 in (8.46 m)
Propulsion	Two oil-fired boilers, triple expansion steam engine, single screw, 2500 horsepower (1.9 MW)
Speed	11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h) - 11.5 knots (13.2 mph; 21.3 km/h)
Capacity	9,140 tons cargo
Complement	41
Armament	Stern-mounted 4 in (102 mm) deck gun for use against surfaced submarines, variety of anti-aircraft guns.

Originally named after Peter Cooper, an American industrialist, inventor and philanthropist, the ship was laid down by Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company on 24 July 1943, then launched on 25 August 1943. She was loaned to Great Britain as part of the Lend-Lease program where she was renamed the SS Samarkand. She was renamed after the Uzbek city of Samarkand. The ship survived the war and was sold into private ownership in 1947. She was scrapped in 1971.

External links

• U.S. Maritime Service Veterans Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine