SS W. S. Jennings

SS W. S. Jennings was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after W. S. Jennings, an American politician. He served as the 18th Governor of Florida after being a lawyer, county judge, and state representative.

History
United States
Name:	W. S. Jennings
Namesake:	W. S. Jennings
Owner:	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator:	Stockard Steamship Corp.
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2487
Awarded:	23 April 1943
Builder:	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida[1]
Cost:	$992,949[2]
Yard number:	51
Way number:	3
Laid down:	9 June 1944
Launched:	25 July 1944
Completed:	9 August 1944
Identification:	Call sign: WRRK [2]
Fate:	Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama, 15 December 1949 Laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia, 28 April 1952
Status:	Sold for scrapping, 27 February 1970, withdrawn from fleet, 1 May 1970
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

W. S. Jennings was laid down on 9 June 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2487, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; and was launched on 25 July 1944.[1][2]

History

She was allocated to the Stockard Steamship Corp., on 9 August 1944. On 15 December 1949, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama. On 28 April 1952, she was laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia. On 1 July 1953, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1953", she returned loaded on 17 July 1953. On 17 June 1957, she was withdrawn to be unload, she returned on empty 27 June 1957. On 30 June 1958, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1958", she returned loaded on 8 July 1958. On 17 December 1959, she was withdrawn to be unload, she returned on empty 30 December 1959. On 17 July 1961, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1961", she returned loaded on 31 July 1961. On 17 January 1964, she was withdrawn to be unload, she returned on empty 30 January 1964. She was sold for scrapping, 27 February 1970, to S.P.A. Cantieri Navali, for $117,625. She was removed from the fleet, 1 May 1970.[4]

References

1. St. John's River SBC 2010.
2. MARCOM.
3. Davies 2004, p. 23.
4. MARAD.

Bibliography

• "St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 16 October 2010. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "W. S. Jennings". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 28 January 2020.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• "SS W. S. Jennings". Retrieved 28 January 2020.