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SS Patrick Henry

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Patrick Henry September 1941
History
United States
NamePatrick Henry
NamesakePatrick Henry
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorLykes Brothers Steamship Co., Inc.
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 14
Awarded14 March 1941
BuilderBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[1]
Cost$1,613,203[2]
Yard number2001
Way number1
Laid down30 April 1941
Launched27 September 1941
Sponsored byIlo Browne Wallace
Completed30 December 1941
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

SS Patrick Henry was the first Liberty ship launched. It was built by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at their Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland. She was named after Patrick Henry, an American attorney, planter, and Founding Father as well as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia, from 1776 to 1779 and 1784 to 1786.

Background

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Patrick Henry launching on Liberty Fleet Day

Liberty ships initially had a poor public image and to try to assuage public opinion, 27 September 1941, was designated Liberty Fleet Day, and the first 14 "Emergency" vessels were launched that day. The first of these (with MC hull number 14) was Patrick Henry, launched by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.[4] Other "Emergency" vessels launched that day, in various yards around the country included: SS John C. Fremont, SS Louise Lykes, SS Ocean Venture, SS Ocean Voice, SS Star of Oregon, and SS Steel Artisan.[5]

Launching

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In the speech delivered at the launching, Roosevelt referred to Patrick Henry's "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" speech of 23 March 1775. Roosevelt said that this new class of ships would bring liberty to Europe, which gave rise to the name "Liberty ship". Patrick Henry was sponsored by Ilo Browne Wallace, wife of Vice President Henry A. Wallace, with Mrs. Robert H. Jackson, wife of the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and Madame Bruggmann, wife of the Minister of Switzerland Karl Bruggmann and sister of the vice president. Ilo Wallace christened the ship. The ship's fitting was completed on December 30, 1941.[5]

Service history

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Her maiden voyage was to the Middle East. During World War II she made 12 voyages to ports including Murmansk (as part of Convoy PQ 18[6]), Trinidad, Cape Town, Naples, and Dakar.[5]

She survived the war, but was seriously damaged when she went aground on a reef off the coast of Florida, 25°08′N 80°16′W / 25.133°N 80.267°W / 25.133; -80.267, in July 1946. The ship was laid up at National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama. On 18 September 1958, she was sold to Bethlehem Steel, for $76,191. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 22 October 1958, and was scrapped at Baltimore.[7][8][6]

References

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  1. ^ Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards 2008.
  2. ^ a b MARCOM.
  3. ^ Davies 2004, p. 23.
  4. ^ Sawyer & Mitchell 1985, pp. 7, 36, 117–118, 219.
  5. ^ a b c Vindicatrix.
  6. ^ a b Hague 2009.
  7. ^ MARAD.
  8. ^ Sawyer & Mitchell 1985, p. 36.

Bibliography

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  • "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  • Maritime Administration. "Patrick Henry". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  • Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  • "SS Patrick Henry". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  • "The Patrick Henry" (PDF). TS Vindicatrix Association : Iconic Ships. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  • Hague, Arnold (2009). "Ports database". convoyweb.org.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  • Sawyer, L.A.; Mitchell, W.H. (1985). The Liberty Ships: The History of the 'Emergency' Type Cargo Ships Constructed in the United States During the Second World War (2nd ed.). London: Lloyd's of London Press Ltd. ISBN 1850440492.
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