SS Thomas McKean was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Founding Father Thomas McKean, an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware and Philadelphia. During the American Revolution, he was a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association, United States Declaration of Independence, and Articles of Confederation. McKean served as a President of Congress. He was at various times a member of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties. McKean served as President of Delaware, Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, and Governor of Pennsylvania. He is also known for holding many public positions.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Thomas McKean |
| Namesake | Thomas McKean |
| Owner | War Shipping Administration (WSA) |
| Operator | Calmar Steamship Corp. |
| Ordered | as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 301 |
| Awarded | 1 May 1941 |
| Builder | Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[1] |
| Cost | $1,110,199[2] |
| Yard number | 2051 |
| Way number | 14 |
| Laid down | 5 November 1941 |
| Launched | 30 April 1942 |
| Completed | 29 May 1942 |
| Identification | |
| Fate | Sunk by German submarine U-505, 29 June 1942 |
| General characteristics [3] | |
| Class and type |
|
| Tonnage | |
| Displacement | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 57 feet (17 m) |
| Draft | 27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
| Complement | |
| Armament |
|
Construction
editThomas McKean was laid down on 5 November 1941, under a Maritime Commission contract, MCE hull 301, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; and was launched on 30 April 1942.[1][2]
History
editShe was allocated to Calmar Steamship Corp., on 29 May 1942.[4]
Sinking
editThomas McKean had set out on her maiden voyage from Philadelphia, in June 1942, for Bandar Shapur, Iran, with 9,000 LT (9,100 t) of Lend-Lease war supplies, that included tanks, food, and 11 aircraft. At 13:55, on the afternoon of 29 June 1942, while steaming unescorted in a zigzag course at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph), Thomas McKean was struck by two torpedoes fired from the German submarine U-505, at 22°00′N 60°0′W / 22.000°N 60.000°W, about 350 nmi (650 km; 400 mi) northeast of Puerto Rico. One of the torpedoes struck aft of hold #5, destroying the stern 4-inch (100 mm)/50 caliber gun and killing three armed guards. The captain, Mellin Edwin Respess, ordered the crew of eight officers, 31 crewmen, 17 armed guards, and four passengers to abandon ship in the four lifeboats.[5]
U-505 surfaced about 20 minutes later and fired 72 rounds into Thomas McKean with her 10.5 cm (4.1 in) deck gun, setting her on fire and sinking her at 15:22. U-505 then questioned the survivors and administered first aid before leaving.[5]
The four lifeboats became separated over the next few days. Two lifeboats, with 29 survivors, made landfall at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on 4 July. One lifeboat made land at Antigua, 12 July, with 12 survivors. The last lifeboat, with 14 survivors and one dead, made landfall at Miches, Dominican Republic, on 14 July. The captain of Thomas McKean died 23 July 1942, during repatriation when the cargo ship SS Onondaga was sunk by U-129.[5]
U-505 was famously captured on 4 June 1944, and is now a museum ship at the Museum of Science and Industry, in Chicago, Illinois.
References
editFurther reading
edit- "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- Maritime Administration. "Thomas McKean". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- "SS Thomas McKean". Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- "Thomas McKean". Retrieved 4 March 2020.