SS John P. Poe

Summary

SS John P. Poe was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after John P. Poe, the Attorney General of Maryland, from 1891 to 1895. Poe was the nephew of the poet Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was a lawyer as well as a leading member of the Maryland Democratic Party, and served as Dean of the University of Maryland School of Law.

History
United States
NameJohn P. Poe
NamesakeJohn P. Poe
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorA.H. Bull & Co., Inc.
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 54
Awarded14 March 1941
BuilderBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[2]
Cost$1,086,227[1]
Yard number2041
Way number12
Laid down24 May 1942
Launched24 July 1942
Sponsored byMrs. Charles J. Bekay
Completed31 July 1942
Identification
Fate
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

John P. Poe was laid down on 24 May 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 54, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; she was sponsored by Mrs. Charles J. Bekay, the niece of Vice Admiral Emory S. Land, the Chairman of MARCOM, and was launched on 24 July 1942.[2][1]

History edit

She was allocated to A.H. Bull & Co., Inc., on 31 July 1942. On 30 November 1949, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama. She was sold for scrapping on 28 October 1971, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 21 December 1971.[4]

References edit

Bibliography edit

  • "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  • Maritime Administration. "John P. Poe". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  • Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  • "SS John P. Poe". Retrieved 2 March 2020.