SS Francis L. Lee

Summary

SS Francis L. Lee was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Founding Father Francis L. Lee, a member of the House of Burgesses, in the Colony of Virginia. As an active protester regarding issues such as the Stamp Act, Lee helped move the colony in the direction of independence from Britain. Lee was a delegate to the Virginia Conventions and the Continental Congress. He was a signer of the Articles of Confederation and the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Virginia.

History
United States
NameFrancis L. Lee
NamesakeFrancis L. Lee
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorSeas Shipping Co., Inc.
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 26
Awarded14 March 1941
BuilderBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[2]
Cost$1,186,664[1]
Yard number2013
Way number12
Laid down13 October 1941
Launched14 March 1942
Sponsored byMrs. L.R. Sanford and Mrs. William C. Sealy
Completed27 April 1942
Identification
FateSold for scrapping, 4 February 1965
General characteristics [3]
Class and type
Tonnage
Displacement
Length
  • 441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa
  • 416 feet (127 m) pp
  • 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam57 feet (17 m)
Draft27 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
Speed11.5 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
Armament

Construction edit

Francis L. Lee was laid down on 13 October 1941, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 26, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; sponsored by Mrs. L.R. Sanford and Mrs. William C. Sealy, the wife and daughter of L.R. Sanford, the chief of the inspection section at the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, and was launched on 14 March 1942.[2][1]

History edit

She was allocated to Seas Shipping Co., Inc., on 27 April 1942. On 4 February 1947, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina. She was sold for scrapping on 4 February 1965, to Norbo Trading Corp.[4]

References edit

Bibliography edit

  • "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  • Maritime Administration. "Francis L. Lee". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  • Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  • "SS Francis L. Lee". Retrieved 18 February 2020.