SS Harold O. Wilson

SS Harold O. Wilson was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Harold O. Wilson, who was lost at sea while he was an oiler on SS Flora MacDonald, that was torpedoed by German submarine U-126, 30 May 1943, off Sierra Leone.

History
United States
Name:	Harold O. Wilson
Namesake:	Harold O. Wilson
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2396
Builder:	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost:	$803,647[1]
Yard number:	181
Way number:	5
Laid down:	12 December 1944
Launched:	12 January 1945
Sponsored by:	Mrs. J.S. Bragdon
Completed:	24 January 1945
Identification:	Call Signal: ANHY [1]
Fate:	Sold for commercial use, 20 June 1947
United States
Name:	North Beacon
Operator:	Northeastern Steamship Corp.
Acquired:	20 June 1947
Fate:	Sold, April 1955
United States
Name:	Texmar
Operator:	Bethlehem Steel
Acquired:	April 1955
Fate:	Wrecked and sold for scrapping, January 1961
General characteristics [2]
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 General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed:	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity:	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m^3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m^3) (bale)
Complement:	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament:	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3 inches (76 mm)/50 caliber gun Stern-mounted 4 inches (102 mm)/50 caliber gun 2–8 × single 20 millimeters (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37 millimeters (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

Construction

Harold O. Wilson was laid down on 12 December 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2396, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. J.S. Bragdon, and launched on 12 January 1945.[3][1]

History

She was allocated to the United States Navigation Company, on 24 January 1945. On 20 June 1947, she was sold to Northeastern Steamship Corp., and renamed North Beacon. In April 1955, she was sold to Bethlehem Steel, and renamed Texmar. In January 1961, she was wrecked and sold for scrapping.[4][5]

References

1. MARCOM.
2. Davies 2004, p. 23.
3. J.A. Brunswick 2010.
4. Liberty Ships.
5. MARAD.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Brunswick GA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 18 November 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "Harold O. Wilson". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 18 November 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• "SS Harold O. Wilson". Retrieved 18 November 2017.