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From: "Ted Finch" <>
Subject: Re: [Mar] WWII Merchant Ships
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 11:46:02 -0000


John,

The following were all Standard wartime built Liberty ships with a
nominal tonnage of 7176 gross tons, length 441.5ft x beam 57ft, single
screw, speed 10.5 knots.
For photos, try -
Steamship Historical Society of America,
Langsdale Library, University of Baltimore, 1420 Maryland Avenue,
Baltimore MD, 21201.
www.ubalt.edu/archives/ship/ship.htm

These ships all looked very similar, so one photo will look much the
same as the others!

MORTON M. McCARVER built Feb.1943 by Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland.
Scrapped Aug.1967 at Portland, Ore.
FRANZ SIGEL built Feb.1944 by Permanente Metals, Richmond, Calif. 1947
renamed GOVERNOR O'NEAL, 1948 renamed SEAFAIR, 1962 renamed SMITH
CRUSADER, Sep.1964 scrapped at Ferrol.
JOSEPH N. TEAL built Sep.1942 by Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland.
Scrapped 1963 at Panama City.
BERT WILLIAMS built Nov.1944 by New England Shipbuilding Corp. 10th
Apr.1948 went ashore 8 miles off Al Ashrafi lighthouse, Gulf of Suez
while on voyage Fremantle - Cobh, Ireland with a cargo of wheat.
Refloated and towed to Suez. July 1948 broke loose from tug while
being towed to Venice, broke in two and drifted ashore near Mersa
Matruh, constructive total loss. Forepart later salvaged and towed to
Genoa where it was joined in 1951 to the afterpart of the Liberty ship
NATHANIEL BACON which had struck a mine. Renamed BOCCADASSE and
eventually scrapped at Spezia in 1963.
WILLIAM F. JERMAN built Dec.1944 by J.A.Jones Constuction Co,
Brunswick, Ga. Scrapped June 1960 at Baltimore.
SAMUEL GOMPERS (2) built Jul.1944 by Permanente Metals, Richmond,
Calif. Scrapped Jun.1960 at Baltimore.
HOWARD T. RICKETTS built Jul.1943 by California Shipbuilding Corp, Los
Angeles. 1951 renamed AMPAC IDAHO, 1956 renamed MODOC, 1956 renamed
WORLD LEGION, 1963 renamed ELEANOR, 1964 renamed CHEE LEE, 1964
reverted to ELEANOR, 1968 scrapped at Taiwan.
JOHN DICKINSON built Apr.1942 by Oregon Shipbuilding, Portland. Later
mothballed in reserve fleet at James River, Newport News. No later
info.
[Info from The Liberty Ships by L.Mitchell & W.Sawyer]

Victory Ships were also wartime built standard type ships but were
bigger and faster than Liberty Ships. They were 7612 gross tons,
length 455ft x beam 62ft, single screw and a speed of 15 knots.

CATAWBA VICTORY built Jul.1945 by Permanente Metals, Richmond, Cal.
Later mothballed in Reserve Fleet at James River, Va.
BOULDER VICTORY built Oct.1944 by Permanente Metals, Richmond, Cal.
Completed as AK227 for US Navy, 1946 returned to US Maritime
Commission, later mothballed in Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, San
Francisco.
[Info from Victory Ships & Tankers by L.Mitchell & W.Sawyer]

Sorry but I have no info on the others.
regards
Ted

----- Original Message -----
From: John Steiger <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2000 11:23 PM
Subject: [Mar] WWII Merchant Ships


> Does anybody know where I can get information, logs and photos of
the
> following WWII era Merchant Marine ships. My dad served on them. I
have
> gotten some information off of
http://www.usmm.org/index.html#anchor25 but
> it did not have what I needed.
>
> Thanks
> John Steiger
>
> S.S. Morton M McCaver
> S.S. Franz Sigel
> S.S. Joseph N. Teal
> S.S. Bert Williams
> S.S. William F. Jerman
> Post WWII
> S.S. Samuel Gompers II
> S.S. Howard T. Ricketts
> S.S. John Dickinson
> S.S. President Polk
> S.S. Scott E. Land
> S.S. Catawba Victory
> S.S. Hawaiian Merchant
> S.S. Boulder Victory
> S.S. California
>
>
>
> ----------
> John Steiger
> email:
> Surnames: Steiger, Saxton, Dusch, Johnson, Lee, McDonald
> Brailly, Dempsey, Elmore, Hansen, Holmes
> Web sites:
> http://www.egroups.com/group/ClearfieldPA (Clearfield Co., PA)
> Generations Not Forgotten
> http://www.seventhfair.com/
>
>
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