Summary
SS Howard Gray was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Howard Gray, an official with the Public Works Administration that was also active in the Alabama 4-H Club.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Howard Gray |
| Namesake | Howard Gray |
| Owner | War Shipping Administration (WSA) |
| Operator | Black Diamond Steamship Co. |
| Ordered | as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2302 |
| Builder | J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida |
| Cost | $998,910[1] |
| Yard number | 43 |
| Way number | 3 |
| Laid down | 6 April 1944 |
| Launched | 18 May 1944 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. Celeste Taylor |
| Completed | 7 June 1944 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Transferred to Italy for commercial use, 28 May 1947 |
 Italy | |
| Name | Italico |
| Owner | Marino Querci, Genoa, Italy |
| Acquired | 28 May 1947 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class and type |
|
| Tonnage | |
| Displacement | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 57 feet (17 m) |
| Draft | 27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
| Complement | |
| Armament |
|
Construction edit
Howard Gray was laid down on 6 April 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2302, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was sponsored by Mrs. Celeste Taylor, and launched on 18 May 1944.[3][1]
History edit
She was allocated to Black Diamond Steamship Company, on 7 June 1944. On 20 April 1946, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the Hudson River Group. On 16 December 1946, she was relocated to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in Wilmington, North Carolina. On 28 May 1947, she was transferred to the Italian Government, which in turn sold her to Marino Querci, Genoa, Italy, for commercial use. She was renamed Italico. She was first resold in 1959, and went through a couple of owners before being scrapped in Shanghai in 1969.[4][5]
References edit
- ^ a b c MARCOM.
- ^ Davies 2004, p. 23.
- ^ J.A. Panama City 2010.
- ^ Liberty Ships.
- ^ MARAD.
Bibliography edit
- "Jones Construction, Panama City FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- Maritime Administration. "Howard Gray". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- "SS Howard Gray". Retrieved 13 December 2017.