SS Walter M. Christiansen

SS Walter M. Christiansen was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Walter M. Christiansen, the Chief Engineer of SS W. L. Steed, which was sunk 2 February 1942, by German submarine U-103.

History
United States
Name:	Walter M. Christiansen
Namesake:	Walter M. Christiansen
Owner:	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator:	American Range Liberty Line
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2511
Awarded:	23 April 1943
Builder:	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida[1]
Cost:	$920,654[2]
Yard number:	75
Way number:	3
Laid down:	15 November 1944
Launched:	16 December 1944
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Russell Knapp
Completed:	27 December 1944
Identification:	Call sign: ANDI [2]
Fate:	Sold for commercial use, 17 January 1951, withdrawn from fleet, 21 February 1951
United States
Name:	Sea Comet
Owner:	Zenith Steamship Co.
Operator:	D.J. Negroponte Inc.
Fate:	Sold, 1951
United States
Name:	Ocean Ulla
Owner:	Ocean Transportation Co.
Operator:	Maritime Overseas Corp.
Fate:	Sold, February 1959
United States
Name:	Valiant Hope
Owner:	Hope Steamship Corp.
Operator:	Ocean Carriers Corp.
Fate:	Sold, March 1960
Liberia
Name:	Ocean Rover
Owner:	Pacific Ocean Shipping Co.
Operator:	Amerind Steamship Co.
Fate:	Sold, 1960
Liberia
Name:	Pacific Venture
Owner:	Interocean Navigation Co.
Operator:	Associated Maritime Industries
Fate:	Scrapped, 1967
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

Walter M. Christiansen was laid down on 15 November 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2511, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Mrs. Russell Knapp, the widow of the namesake, and launched on 16 December 1944.[1][2]

History

She was allocated to American Range Liberty Line, on 27 December 1944. On 25 March 1948, she was placed in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York. She was sold for commercial use, 17 January 1951, to Zenith Steamship Co.. She was withdrawn from the fleet, 21 February 1951.[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 10 February 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "Walter M. Christiansen". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 10 February 2020.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• "SS Walter M. Christiansen". Retrieved 10 February 2020.