SS Stephen Smith

SS Stephen Smith was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Stephen Smith.

History
United States
Name	Stephen Smith
Namesake	Stephen Smith
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	American West African Line Inc.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2326
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost	$928,380
Yard number	67
Way number	6
Laid down	26 September 1944
Launched	31 October 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. Edward Overcash
Completed	13 November 1944
Identification	Call sign: KYUH
Fate	Laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia, 7 May 1946 Placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina, 26 February 1948 Sold for scrapping, 19 February 1960, withdrawn from the fleet, 28 March 1960
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 Filer and Stowell, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) 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

Stephen Smith was laid down on 26 September 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2326, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; sponsored by Mrs. Edward Overcash, wife of superintendent marine and electrical facilities, and launched on 31 October 1944.

History

She was allocated to American West African Line Inc., 13 November 1944. On 7 May 1946, she was laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia. On 26 February 1948, she was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

She was sold for scrapping, 19 February 1960, to Bethlehem Steel, for $70,161. She was withdrawn from the fleet, 28 March 1960.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Panama City FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
• Maritime Administration. "Stephen Smith". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 10 December 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
• "SS Stephen Smith". Retrieved 10 December 2019.