 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Type L6 ship |
| Builders | American Ship Building Company and Great Lakes Engineering Works |
| Built | 1943 (U.S. shipyards) |
| In service | 1943 – 2024 |
| Completed | 16 |
| Laid up | 1 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Retired | 16 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Maritimer class - L6 |
| Tonnage | 15,825 DWT |
| Length | 620 ft 0 in (188.98 m) (design) |
| Beam | 60 ft 0 in (18.29 m) (design) |
| Depth | 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) (design) |
| Installed power | 2,500 shp triple expansion steam engine |
| Propulsion | Two coal-fired water tube boilers *(some coveted to diesel engine) |
The Type L6 is a United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) designation for a class of lake freighters built during World War II. The class of 16 ships were commissioned by the United States Maritime Commission, and were built to carry iron ore for steel production in the United States and Canada in direct support of the war effort. All ships in the class had a deadweight tonnage of 15,675 tonnes. The Type L6's two sub-classes, the L6-S-A1 and the L6-S-B1, featured similar dimensions and cargo capacities, with different engines and stern designs.
Contents
Type L6 ships were built by the American Ship Building Company and the Great Lakes Engineering Works, and were completed between May and November 1943. All ships in the class remained in service after the war, with most operating until the 1980s. The final ship of the class, Cuyahoga (formerly J. Burton Ayers) remained in active service on the Great Lakes until 2024. [1] [2] In contemporary usage, the Type L6 ships are sometimes referred to as the Maritimer class. [3]
