SS Richard Bassett

Summary

SS Richard Bassett was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Founding Father Richard Bassett, a Delaware attorney and politician, veteran of the American Revolutionary War, delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, signer of the United States Constitution, United States Senator from Delaware, Chief Justice of the Delaware Court of Common Pleas, Governor of Delaware and a United States circuit judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Third Circuit. He holds the overall seniority position of #1 in the history of the United States Senate.

History
United States
NameRichard Bassett
NamesakeRichard Bassett
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorA. H. Bull Steamship Company
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 41
Awarded14 March 1941
BuilderBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[2]
Cost$1,056,089[1]
Yard number2028
Way number3
Laid down18 March 1942
Launched22 May 1942
Sponsored byMrs. J.F. McInnis
Completed13 June 1942
Identification
FateSold for commercial use, 26 March 1947
United States
NameCarolyn
OwnerBaltimore Insular Line
OperatorA.H. Bull & Co., Inc.
FateExchanged to Maritime Administration (MARAD), 29 August 1961
United States
NameCarolyn
OwnerMaritime Administration
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

Richard Bassett was laid down on 18 March 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 41, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; sponsored by Mrs. J.F. McInnis, the wife of the MARCOM Eastcoast Regional Director, and was launched on 22 May 1942.[2][1]

History edit

She was allocated to A. H. Bull Steamship Company, on 13 June 1942. On 26 March 1947, she was sold for commercial use to the Baltimore Insular Line, for $544,506. On 29 August 1961, she was used for an exchange with the Maritime Administration (MARAD). On 5 September 1961, she was laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York. She was sold for scrapping on 29 October 1962, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp.[4]

References edit

Bibliography edit

  • "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  • Maritime Administration. "Richard Bassett". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  • Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  • "SS Richard Bassett". Retrieved 25 February 2020.