SS William J. Bryan

SS William J. Bryan
Career (United States)
Name:	William J. Bryan
Namesake:	William J. Bryan
Owner:	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator:	Standard Fruit & Steamship Company
Ordered:	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 1522
Builder:	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost:	$2,070,074
Yard number:	4
Way number:	4
Laid down:	21 September 1942
Launched:	22 April 1943
Completed:	20 May 1943
Identification:	Call Signal: KLEI
Fate:	Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River Group, 10 June 1946 Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina, 26 March 1948
Status:	Sold for scrapping, 20 July 1965
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 William J. Bryan was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after William J. Bryan, a member of the US House of Representatives from Nebraska, a three time Democratic Party presidential nominee, and United States Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson.

Construction

William J. Bryan was laid down on 21 September 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1522, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was launched on 22 April 1943.

History

She was allocated to the Standard Fruit & Steamship Company, on 20 May 1943. On 10 June 1946, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the Hudson River Group. On 26 March 1948, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in Wilmington, North Carolina. On 20 July 1965, she was sold for $45,278.78, to Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation, for scrapping. She was removed from the fleet on 20 August 1965.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Panama City FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/jonespanamacity.htm. 
• Maritime Administration. "William Jennings Bryan". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/5268. 
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)". p. 23. http://www.ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf. 
• "SS William J. Bryan". http://usmaritimecommission.de/query.php?datalist=1&typeofquery=Name%20of%20Ship&valueofquery=William%20J.Bryan&code=B1522a.