SS Edward A. Filene (original) (raw)

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Liberty ship of WWII
History
United States
Name Edward A. Filene
Namesake Edward A. Filene
Owner War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator American West African Line, Inc.
Ordered as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2472
Awarded 23 April 1943
Builder St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida[1]
Cost $1,157,453[2]
Yard number 36
Way number 6
Laid down 9 February 1944
Launched 6 April 1944
Sponsored by Catherine Filene Shouse
Completed 20 April 1944
Identification Call sign: KWUO [2]
Fate Laid up in the, National Defense Reserve Fleet, Astoria, Oregon, 23 December 1948 Sold for nontransportation use, 30 December 1965, removed from fleet, 11 February 1966
General characteristics [3]
Class & type Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage 10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement 3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length 441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam 57 feet (17 m)
Draft 27 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 1 × triple-expansion steam engine, (manufactured by Filer and Stowell, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) 1 × screw propeller
Speed 11.5 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 38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3-inch (76 mm)/50-caliber gun Stern-mounted 4-inch (102 mm)/50-caliber gun 2–8 × single 20-millimeter (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37-millimeter (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

SS Edward A. Filene was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Edward A. Filene, an American businessman and philanthropist. He is best known for building the Filene's department store chain and for his decisive role in pioneering credit unions across the United States.

Edward A. Filene was laid down on 9 February 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2472, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Catherine Filene Shouse, the niece of the namesake, and was launched on 6 April 1944.[1][2]

She was allocated to the American West African Line, Inc., on 20 April 1944. On 23 December 1948, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Astoria, Oregon. On 28 July 1954, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1954", she returned loaded on 7 August 1954. On 9 December 1957, she was withdrawn to be unload, she returned on empty 13 December 1957. She was sold for nontransportation use, 30 December 1965, to Foss Launch and Tug Co., for $60,000. She was removed from the fleet on 11 February 1966. She was sunk at Cook Inlet, Alaska, as a breakwater and dock.[4]

  1. ^ a b St. John's River SBC 2010.
  2. ^ a b c MARCOM.
  3. ^ Davies 2004, p. 23.
  4. ^ MARAD.