SS Robert Mills

Summary

SS Robert Mills was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Robert Mills, a South Carolina architect known for designing both the first Washington Monument, located in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as the better known Washington Monument in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.

History
United States
NameRobert Mills
NamesakeRobert Mills
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorAlcoa Steamship Co., Inc.
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2498
AwardedApril 23, 1943
BuilderSt. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida[2]
Cost$964,345[1]
Yard number62
Way number2
Laid downAugust 30, 1944
LaunchedOctober 5, 1944
Sponsored byMrs. Cecil L. McCall
CompletedOctober 14, 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

Robert Mills was laid down on August 30, 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2498, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Mrs. Cecil L. McCall, the wife of St. Johns River SBC's leaderman, and was launched on 5 October 1944.[2][1]

History edit

She was allocated to the Alcoa Steamship Co., Inc. on October 14, 1944. On October 21, 1948, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Mobile, Alabama. She was transferred for use as an artificial reef, May 21, 1975, to the state of Alabama. She was removed from the fleet, 28 May 1975. She was sunk 24 October 1975, at 30°04′6″N 88°06′45″W / 30.06833°N 88.11250°W / 30.06833; -88.11250.[4]

References edit

Bibliography edit

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