SS John Walker

SS John Walker was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after John Walker, a representative of the House of Burgesses. He was in the Continental Army, serving in 1777 as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington, holding the rank of colonel. In 1780, he was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress. He then studied law. When William Grayson died in 1790, Walker was appointed to the United States Senate to serve from March 31 to November 9.

History
United States
Name:	John Walker
Namesake:	John Walker
Owner:	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator:	United Fruit Co.
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 305
Awarded:	1 May 1941
Builder:	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[1]
Cost:	$1,088,696[2]
Yard number:	2055
Way number:	15
Laid down:	1 June 1942
Launched:	22 July 1942
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Arthur J. Williams
Completed:	30 July 1942
Identification:	Call sign: KFJH [2]
Fate:	Laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia, 11 March 1946
Status:	Sold for scrapping, 14 March 1961, withdrawn from fleet, 17 April 1961
General characteristics [3]
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

John Walker was laid down on 1 June 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 305, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; she was sponsored by Mrs. Arthur J. Williams, the wife of the assistant secretary for MARCOM, and was launched on 22 July 1942.[1][2]

History

She was allocated to United Fruit Co., on 30 July 1942. On 11 March 1946, she was laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia. On 14 March 1961, she was sold for scrapping to Schiavone Bonomo Corp., for $56,411. She was removed from the fleet on 17 April 1961.[4]

References

1. Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards 2008.
2. MARCOM.
3. Davies 2004, p. 23.
4. MARAD.

Bibliography

• "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "John Walker". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
• "SS John Walker". Retrieved 5 March 2020.