SS George Weems

SS George Weems was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after George Weems, who in 1828, established steamship travel on the Rappahannock River.

History
United States
Name	George Weems
Namesake	George Weems
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 918
Awarded	1 January 1942
Builder	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[1]
Cost	$1,047,783[2]
Yard number	2068
Way number	16
Laid down	19 August 1942
Launched	26 September 1942
Sponsored by	Miss Elizabeth Chew Weems
Completed	7 October 1942
Identification	Call sign: KHKI [2]
Fate	Sold to Norway, 10 November 1948
Norway
Name	Myken
Owner	Skibs A/S Mirva (1948—1950) A/S Mirva & A/S Fido (1950) Skibs A/S Mesna & A/S Fidelio (1951)
Operator	Simonsen & Astrup (1948—1951)
Fate	Sold, 1951
Panama
Name	Cavolidi
Owner	Halieta Cia. Nav., SA
Operator	Orion Shipping & Trading Co.
Fate	Sold, 1953
Panama
Name	Cocle
Owner	Cia Marittima Italo-Panamense (1953—1954) Farwest Maritime Trading Corp. (1954—1959)
Operator	Cia Marittima Italo-Panamense (1953—1959)
Fate	Sold, 1959
Panama
Name	White Eagle
Owner	White Eagle Maritime Co.
Operator	Maritime Brokers Inc.
Fate	Sold, 1963
Greece
Name	White Eagle
Owner	United White Shipping Co.
Operator	S. Livanos
Fate	Grounded 11 October 1966 and declared Total Loss
General characteristics [3]
Class and 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 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam	57 feet (17 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	1 × triple-expansion steam engine,  (manufactured by General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3 inches (76 mm)/50 caliber gun Stern-mounted 4 inches (102 mm)/50 caliber gun 2–8 × single 20 millimeters (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37 millimeters (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

Construction

George Weems was laid down on 19 August 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 918, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; she was sponsored by Miss Elizabeth Chew Weems, a descendant of George Weems, and was launched on 26 September 1942.^[1][2]

History

She was allocated to Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc., on 7 October 1942. On 10 January 1948, she was grounded at 81°1′N 18°25′E and declared a Constructive Total Loss. On 10 November 1948, she was sold and transferred to Norway. After several owner and name changes, sailing as White Eagle, she was again grounded, this time on San Clemente Island, California, at 32°55′N 118°33′W, and again declared a Total Loss.^[4]

References

1. Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards 2008.
2. MARCOM.
3. Davies 2004, p. 23.
4. MARAD.

Bibliography

• "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "George Weems". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
• "SS George Weems". Retrieved 16 March 2020.