SS John Ringling

SS John Ringling
Career (United States)
Name:	John Ringling
Namesake:	John Ringling
Owner:	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator:	Luckenbach Steamship Co., Ltd.
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2494
Awarded:	23 April 1943
Builder:	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida
Cost:	$1,001,188
Yard number:	58
Way number:	4
Laid down:	1 August 1944
Launched:	10 September 1944
Sponsored by:	Ida Loraina Wihelmina North
Completed:	23 September 1944
Identification:	Call sign: KSTC
Fate:	Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas, 3 September 1948
Status:	Sold for scrapping, 22 February 1972, withdrawn from fleet, 16 March 1972
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 John Ringling was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after John Ringling, an American entrepreneur who is the best known of the seven Ringling brothers, five of whom merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Bros World's Greatest Shows. In addition to owning and managing many of the largest circuses in the United States, he was also a rancher, a real estate developer and art collector.

Construction

John Ringling was laid down on 1 August 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2494, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Ida Loraina Wihelmina North, the sister of the namesake, and was launched on 10 September 1944.

History

She was allocated to the Luckenbach Steamship Co., Ltd., on 23 September 1944. On 3 September 1948, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas. She was sold for scrapping, 22 February 1972, to Andy Equipment, Inc., for $39,333. She was removed from the fleet, 16 March 1972.

Bibliography

• "St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 16 October 2010. http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/stjohnsriver.htm. 
• Maritime Administration. "John Ringling". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/2661. 
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)". p. 23. http://www.ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf. 
• "SS John Ringling". http://usmaritimecommission.de/query.php?datalist=1&typeofquery=Name%20of%20Ship&valueofquery=John%20Ringling&code=B2494a.