SS Michael de Kovats

Summary

SS Michael de Kovats was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Michael de Kovats, a Hungarian nobleman and cavalry officer who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, in which he was killed in action. General Casimir Pulaski and Kovats are together known as the "Founding Fathers of the US Cavalry."

History
United States
NameMichael de Kovats
NamesakeMichael de Kovats
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorPolarus Steamship Co.
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2495
Awarded23 April 1943
BuilderSt. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida[2]
Cost$997,746[1]
Yard number59
Way number5
Laid down9 August 1944
Launched16 September 1944
Sponsored byMrs. James R.P. Bell, Jr.
Completed27 September 1944
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

Michael de Kovats was laid down on 8 August 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2495, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Mrs. Daniels Brierley, the wife of the director of the division of maintenance and repairs MARCOM, Washington, DC, and was launched on 16 September 1944.[2][1]

History edit

She was allocated to the Polarus Steamship Co., on 27 September 1944. On 2 June 1948, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama. She was sold for scrapping, 22 February 1972, to Pinto Island Metals Co., for $37,500. She was removed from the fleet, 6 March 1972.[4]

References edit

Bibliography edit

  • "St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 16 October 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  • Maritime Administration. "Michael de Kovats". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  • Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  • "SS Michael de Kovats". Retrieved 30 January 2020.