SS Harriet Tubman

Last updated
The launching party for the SS Harriet Tubman, 06-03-1944 - NARA - 535828.jpg
The launching party for SS Harriet Tubman, 3 June 1944
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameHarriet Tubman
Namesake Harriet Tubman
Builder South Portland Shipbuilding Corporation, South Portland, Maine
Yard number3032
Way number6
Laid down19 April 1944
Launched3 June 1944
FateScrapped, 1972
General characteristics
Type Liberty ship
Tonnage7,000 long tons deadweight (DWT)
Length441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam56 ft 11 in (17.35 m)
Draft27 ft 9 in (8.46 m)
Propulsion
  • Two oil-fired boilers
  • Triple expansion steam engine
  • Single screw
  • 2,500 hp (1,864 kW)
Speed11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Capacity9,140 tons cargo
Complement41
Armament

SS Harriet Tubman (MC contract 3032) was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Harriet Tubman, an African-American abolitionist and spy during the American Civil War, and was the first Liberty ship to be named for an African-American woman. [1]

The ship was laid down by the South Portland Shipbuilding Corporation, South Portland, Maine, on 19 April 1944, then launched on 3 June 1944. Twenty-two members of Tubman's extended family attended the launch. Eva Stuart Northrup, Tubman's great-niece, christened the ship. [1] The ship survived the war only to suffer the same fate as nearly all other Liberty ships that survived did; she was scrapped in 1972. [2]

Related Research Articles

Liberty ship US cargo ship class of WWII

Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass-produced on an unprecedented scale, the Liberty ship came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output.

SS <i>Jeremiah OBrien</i> US cargo ship from World War II, now a museum ship

SS Jeremiah O'Brien is a Liberty ship built during World War II and named after the American Revolutionary War ship captain Jeremiah O'Brien (1744–1818).

SS <i>Martin Behrman</i> World War II Liberty ship of the United States

SS Martin Behrman was an American Liberty ship built in 1944 for service in World War II. Her namesake was Martin Behrman, long-time mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana. For the was she was operated by the Isbrandtsen Line under charter with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration.

SS Abraham Clark was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Jersey.

SS Daniel Webster was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II.

USS <i>Luna</i> Liberty ship of WWII

USS Luna (AKS-7) was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was originally named for Harriet Hosmer, a neoclassical sculptor, considered the first female professional sculptor. She was converted shortly after completion to an Acubens-class general stores issue ship and renamed Luna, the latin name for the Moon. She was responsible for delivering and disbursing goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

USS <i>Belmont</i> (AGTR-4)

USS Belmont (AGTR-4/AG-167) was the first of two Belmont-class technical research ships,, acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1963 and converted for the task of conducting "research in the reception of electromagnetic propagations". She was originally built during World War II as a Victory cargo ship named SS Iran Victory by the War Shipping Administration's Emergency Shipbuilding program under cognizance of the U.S. Maritime Commission.

USS <i>Alcor</i> (AK-259) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Alcor, AK-259, was a Greenville Victory-class cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1952 to 1968. She was originally built in 1944 as SS Rockland Victory, a World War II era Victory ship. She was sold for scrap in 1970.

Ocean ship

The Ocean ships were a class of sixty cargo ships built in the United States by Todd Shipyards Corporation during the Second World War for the British Ministry of War Transport under contracts let by the British Purchasing Commission. Eighteen were lost to enemy action and eight to accidents; survivors were sold postwar into merchant service.

SS <i>Carroll Victory</i> United States Merchant Marine ship

The SS Carroll Victory was the twenty-seventh Victory ship built during the World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. It was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on June 13, 1944, and completed on August 31, 1944. The ship was named after Carroll, Iowa. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3 with a hull number 27 (V-27). It was operated by the Lykes Brothers Steamship Company and it served in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. The Carroll was one of the new 10,500-ton class ship known as Victory ships that were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Unlike Liberty ships, Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ships differed from Liberty ships in that they were faster, longer and wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure, and had a long raised forecastle.

SS <i>Luxembourg Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

SS Luxembourg Victory was a Victory ship built for the United States during World War II. She was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on February 28, 1944, and was completed on April 5, 1944. The ship's US Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 90 (V-90). She was built in 101 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor, the Lykes Brothers SS Company, for operation until the end of World War II hostilities. She was operated under the US Merchant Marine Act for the War Shipping Administration.

The SS Elwood Mead was a Liberty ship built for service during World War II.

SS <i>New Bern Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

SS New Bern Victory was a cargo Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The New Bern Victory (MCV-639) was a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory ship built by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards. The Maritime Administration cargo ship was the 639 ship built. Her keel was laid on January 15, 1945. She was launched on March 8, 1945 and completed on March 31, 1945. The 10,600-ton ship was constructed for the Maritime Commission. The American Export Line and later the Isthmian Steamship Company operated her under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration. Named for the city of New Bern, North Carolina.

SS <i>Bozeman Victory</i> Victory ship of the United States

SS Bozeman Victory was a Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. It was built and launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on December 9, 1944 and completed on February 17, 1945. The ship's United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3 and hull number 151 (1205). She was built in just 106 days. The Maritime Commission turned it over for Merchant navy operation to a civilian contractor, the Alaska SS Company under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration. She was named after the city of Bozeman, Montana.

SS Minnie M. Fiske was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Minnie M. Fiske, a late nineteenth and early twentieth century actress that spearheaded the fight against the Theatrical Syndicate for the sake of artistic freedom.

SS Alanson B. Houghton was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Alanson B. Houghton, the vice president and later president of Corning Glass Works, a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York (1919–1922), the United States Ambassador to Germany (1922–1925), United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (1925–1929), and a member of the Jekyll Island Club.

SS <i>Zebulon B. Vance</i> World War II Liberty ship of the United States

SS Zebulon Vance was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Zebulon Vance, the two time Governor of North Carolina, lawyer, and Confederate Army officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllis Terrell</span>

Phyllis Terrell Langston was a suffragist and civil rights activist. She worked alongside her mother, Mary Church Terrell, in the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs and the White House pickets during demonstrations made by the National Woman's Party.

SS Jerry S. Foley was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Jerry S. Foley a prominent businessman in Jacksonville, Florida. Foley was the president of the Brooks-Scanlon Lumber Company, in Foley, Florida; on the board of directors of the Atlantic National Bank, in Jacksonville; president of the Bahamas-Cuban Co.; and president of the LOP&G Railroad.

Northland Transportation Company operated cargo and passenger ships from Seattle to Southeast Alaska starting in 1923. During World War II Northland Transportation Company was active in charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. Northland Transportation Company, proposed a loan from United States Shipping Board to build a ship for Puget Sound-Alaska trade in 1933. In 1934, the company was granted a $350,000 loan to build a new ship. The 1,400 tons passenger ship, was built at Lake Washington Shipyard in Houghton, Washington. Northland Transportation Company Seattle dock and warehouse were at Pier 56, now Ainsworth and Dunn Wharf.

References

  1. 1 2 Larson, Kate Clifford (2022). Harriet Tubman: A Reference Guide to Her Life and Works. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 132. ISBN   978-1-5381-1356-1.
  2. "New England Shipbuilding Company, South Portland ME". shipbuildinghistory.com. 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2009.