SS John Sergeant

SS John Sergeant
Career (United States)
Name:	John Sergeant
Namesake:	John Sergeant
Owner:	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator:	Marine Transport Lines, Inc.
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 63
Awarded:	14 March 1941
Builder:	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland
Cost:	$1,075,184
Yard number:	2050
Way number:	2
Laid down:	6 July 1942
Launched:	21 August 1942
Completed:	5 September 1942
Refit:	converted to EC2-G-8f, 26 September 1956
Identification:	Call sign: KGKG
Fate:	Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama, 23 July 1948 Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas, 7 October 1949 Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina, 18 July 1952 Withdrawn from fleet for conversion, 14 September 1955
Status:	Transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service, 26 September 1956
Career (United States)
Name:	John Sergeant
Owner:	Military Sea Transportation Service
Operator:	United States Lines Co.
Cost:	$2,450,000 (refit cost)
In service:	26 September 1956
Out of service:	11 September 1959
Fate:	Laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia, 11 September 1959
Status:	Sold for scrapping, 28 March 1972, withdrawn from fleet, 20 April 1972
General characteristics
Class & type:	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Type:	EC2-G-8f (1955-) (refit)
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 (134.57 m) oa 467 ft 3 in (142.42 m) oa (refit)
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) (removed in refit) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) gas generators (refit) Gas turbine 6,000 hp (4,500 kW) (refit)
Propulsion:	1 × triple-expansion steam engine, (manufactured by Worthington Pump & Machinery Corp, Harrison, New Jersey) (removed in refit) 1 × Geared reduction drive (refit) 1 × screw propeller
Speed:	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h) 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) (refit trial)
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
Notes:	New cargo handling gear installed during refit

SS John Sergeant was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after John Sergeant, an American politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives. He was the National Republican Party's vice presidential nominee in the 1832 presidential election, serving on a ticket with Senator Henry Clay.

Construction

John Sergeant was laid down on 6 July 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 63, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; and was launched on 21 August 1942.

History

She was allocated to Marine Transport Lines, Inc., on 5 September 1942.

On 23 July 1948, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama. On 7 October 1949, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas. On 18 July 1952, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina. On 14 September 1955, she was withdrawn from the fleet for test conversion to rotary compression pump fed open cycle gas turbine power. The Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia, performed the conversion and she was reclassified EC2-G-8f. Her hull was lengthened at the bow to 467 ft 3 in (142.42 m), and new rotary compressor gas generator and General Electric gas turbine, producing 6,000 shp (4,500 kW), connected directly to the ship's propeller through double reduction gear, were installed. At trials she ran over 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph), above the requested 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph).

After conversion she was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service. She was operated by United States Lines Co. under a bareboat charter. During her first 27,000 nmi (50,000 km; 31,000 mi) she averaged 15.4 kn (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph) and consumed an average of 236 bbl (37.5 m³) of fuel per day, or 0.677 bbl (0.1076 m³) per mile.

On 11 September 1959, she was laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia. She was sold for scrapping on 28 March 1972, to Peck Iron & Metal Co., Inc., for $38,208. She was removed from the fleet, 20 April 1972.

Bibliography

• "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/bethfairfield.htm. 
• Maritime Administration. "John Sergeant". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/2673. 
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)". p. 23. http://www.ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf. 
• "SS John Sergeant". http://usmaritimecommission.de/query.php?datalist=1&typeofquery=Name%20of%20Ship&valueofquery=John%20Sergeant&code=B0063a. 
• "Liberty ship conversion and engine improvement program : cumulative report of progress as of November 1, 1957". 1 November 1957. https://archive.org/details/USMALibertyShipConversionReport1957/mode/1up.