The Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) was established by the United States Shipping Board, sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board, on 16 April 1917 pursuant to the Shipping Act to acquire, maintain, and operate merchant ships to meet national defense, foreign and domestic commerce during World War I.
The Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation was an American corporation established in 1917 by railroad heir W. Averell Harriman to build merchant ships for the Allied war effort in World War I. The MSC operated two shipyards: the former shipyard of John Roach & Sons at Chester, Pennsylvania, and a second, newly established emergency yard at Bristol, Pennsylvania, operated by the MSC on behalf of the U.S. Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC).
The Design 1023 ship was a steel-hulled cargo ship design approved for mass production by the United States Shipping Board's (USSB) Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) in World War I. Like many of the early designs approved by the EFC, the Design 1023 did not originate with the EFC itself but was based on an existing cargo ship designed by Theodore E. Ferris for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). The ships, to be built by the Submarine Boat Corporation of Newark, New Jersey, were the first to be constructed under a standardized production system worked out by Ferris and approved by the USSB.
The Design 1020 ship was a steel-hulled cargo ship design approved for mass production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I.
The Design 1021 ship was a steel-hulled cargo ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. They were referred to as the "Long Beach-type" as they were built by Long Beach Shipbuilding Company in Long Beach, California. Three ships were completed for the USSB in 1918 and 1919.
The Design 1012 ship was a steel-hulled cargo ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. They were referred to as the "Munrio"-type which was the name of the SS Munrio, a similar pre-EFT ship built at the Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard.
The Design 1014 ship was a steel-hulled cargo ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. They were referred to as the "Cascade"-type. They were all built by Todd Drydock and Construction Company, at their Tacoma, Washington shipyard. 20 ships were completed for the USSB in 1919 and 1920; and additional 2 were completed in 1920 for private companies. 12 ships were cancelled.
The Design 1027 ship was a steel-hulled cargo ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. They were referred to as the Oscar Daniels-type as all the ships were built at the Oscar Daniels Shipbuilding Company, Tampa, Florida. A total of 10 ships were ordered and built from 1919–1921.
SSCambridge was a Design 1023 cargo ship built for the United States Shipping Board immediately after World War I.
The Design 1029 ship was a steel-hulled passenger/cargo ship designed to be converted in times of war to a troopship. design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. They were referred to as the 535-type as all the ships were 535 feet overall length. A total of 10 ships were ordered and built from 1921 to 1922. An additional six ships, originally contracted as Design 1095 ships, were changed during building so they were identical to the Design 1029 ships. Three shipyards built the ships: Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard of Baltimore, Maryland ; Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia ; and New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden, New Jersey.
The Design 1031 ship was a steel-hulled tanker ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. A total of 16 ships were ordered; 5 were cancelled and 11 were built from 1919 to 1920. Two shipyards were used in their construction: Bethlehem Wilmington Shipyard of Wilmington, Delaware ; and Terry Shipbuilding Company of Savannah, Georgia.
The Design 1032 ship was a steel-hulled tanker ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. A total of 5 ships were ordered and completed from 1919 to 1920. All ships were constructed by Bethlehem San Francisco, but sources disagree whether all were built in Alameda or some were also built in the Union Iron Works yard.
SSComol Cuba was a Design 1022 cargo ship built for the United States Shipping Board immediately after World War I. Converted to a tanker, she spent most of her career transporting molasses, a byproduct of sugar refining, to the United States. During World War II, she transported petroleum before returning to the private sector.
The Design 1037 ship was a steel-hulled cargo ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. A total of 48 ships were ordered and completed from 1918 to 1920. The ships were constructed at three yards: Doullut & Williams Shipbuilding Company of New Orleans, Louisiana, Federal Shipbuilding Company of Kearney, New Jersey, and George A. Fuller & Company of Wilmington, North Carolina.
The Design 1038 ship was a steel-hulled tanker ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. A total of 16 ships were ordered of which 8 were cancelled and 8 completed from 1919 to 1920. The ships were constructed at the Mobile, Alabama shipyard of the Mobile Shipbuilding Company.
The Design 1041 ship was a steel-hulled tanker ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. A total of 13 ships were ordered and completed for the USSB from 1919 to 1920. The ships were constructed at the Oakland, California shipyard of Moore Shipbuilding Company. An additional 5 ships were completed separately by the shipyard.
The Design 1065 ship was a wooden-hulled cargo ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. A total of 7 ships were ordered and completed for the USSB from 1918 to 1919. The ships were constructed at the Bellingham, Washington shipyard of Pacific American Fisheries. The USSB originally wanted Pacific American Fisheries to follow its standard "Ferris-type" design used by other shipyards but PAF was successful in convincing them to use their own design which they felt was more seaworthy. The cost was $50,000 per ship.
USAT Arcata, was built in 1919 as the SS Glymont for the United States Shipping Board as a merchant ship by the Albina Engine & Machine Works in Portland, Oregon. The 2,722-ton cargo ship Glymont was operated by the Matson Navigation till 1923 in post World War I work. In 1923 she was sold to Cook C. W. of San Francisco. In 1925 she was sold to Nelson Charles Company of San Francisco. In 1937 she was sold to Hammond Lumber Company of Fairhaven, California. For World War II, in 1941, she was converted to a US Army Troopship, USAT Arcata. She took supplies and troops to Guam. On July 14, 1942, she was attacked by Japanese submarine I-7 and sank. She was operating as a coastal resupply in the Gulf of Alaska, south of the Aleutian Islands at, approximately 165 nautical miles southeast of Sand Point, when she sank. She was returning after taking supplies to Army troops fighting in the Aleutian Islands campaign.
The Design 1004 ship was a wood-hulled cargo ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. They were referred to as the "Peninsula"-type as all were built by the Peninsula Shipbuilding Company in Portland, Oregon. All ships were completed in 1918 or 1919. Ten ships were completed. The "Peninsula"-type were the only wooden-hull ships built with a turbine engine which was common on steel ships built at the same time.
The Design 1005 ship was a wood-hulled cargo ship design approved for production by the United States Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFT) in World War I. The ships were referred to as the "Grays Harbor"-type as all were built by the Grays Harbor Motorship Company in Aberdeen, Washington or the "Ward"-type after their designer M. R. Ward. The first ship of the class, the SS Wishkah, was listed at 2,924 gross tons with dimensions of 272.1 x 48.4 x 25.7, 1400 indicated horsepower, and carried a crew of 47. The class does not include the four Design 1116 cargo ships also designed by Ward and completed at the shipyard as they were a modified design at 3,132 gross tons and 5,000 tons deadweight. All ships were completed in 1918 or 1919.
