SS James H. Courts

SS James H. Courts
Career (United States)
Name:	James H. Courts
Namesake:	James H. Courts
Owner:	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2516
Awarded:	23 April 1943
Builder:	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida
Cost:	$1,002,548
Yard number:	80
Way number:	2
Laid down:	12 December 1944
Launched:	21 January 1945
Sponsored by:	Mrs. A.H. Laney
Completed:	31 January 1945
Fate:	Transferred to Greece, 31 January 1945
Career (Greece)
Name:	Niki (1945-1949) Hadiotis
Owner:	Kassos Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.
Operator:	Rethymnis & Kulukundis
Fate:	Sold, 1965
Career (Greece)
Name:	Achilles
Owner:	Cia. Nav. Tierra del Fuego
Operator:	Counties Shipping, Ltd.
Fate:	Grounded, 21 November 1965
Status:	Declared Constructive total loss, scrapped, 1966
General characteristics
Class & 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 ft 6 in (135 m)
Beam:	56 ft 10.75 in (17.3419 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:	2 × oil-fired boilers 1 × triple-expansion steam engine, 2,500 horsepower (1,900 kW) (manufactured by Hamilton Engine Co., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed:	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h)
Capacity:	10,800 long tons deadweight (DWT)
Complement:	41
Armament:	Stern-mounted 4"/50 caliber (102 mm) gun for use against surfaced submarines variety of anti-aircraft guns

SS James H. Courts was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after James H. Courts, a Merchant seaman killed on the cargo ship SS Expositor, 22 February 1943, when she was struck by a torpedo from German submarine U-606.

Construction

James H. Courts was laid down on 12 December 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2516, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Mrs. A.H. Laney, the wife of the superintendent of the warehouse at St.Johns River SBC, and she was launched on 21 January 1945.

History

She was transferred to Greece, under the Lend-Lease program, on 31 January 1945. She was sold for commercial use, 18 December 1946, to Kassos Steam Navigation Co., Ltd., for $575,339.53.

Bibliography

• "St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 16 October 2010. http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/stjohnsriver.htm. 
• Maritime Administration. "James H. Courts". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/8665. 
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)". p. 23. http://www.ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf. 
• "SS James H. Courts". http://usmaritimecommission.de/query.php?datalist=1&typeofquery=Name%20of%20Ship&valueofquery=James%20H.Courts&code=B2516a. 
• "SS Expositor". www.Uboat.net. https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/2678.html.