SS William B. Wilson

History
United States
Name	William B. Wilson
Namesake	William B. Wilson
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	Eastern Steamship Co.
Ordered	as type (Z-EC2-S-C2) hull, MC hull 1537
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost	$1,748,271[1]
Yard number	19
Way number	3
Laid down	14 September 1943
Launched	6 November 1943
Completed	16 December 1943
Identification	Call Signal: KVBR [1]
Fate	Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia, 10 October 1945 Sold for scrapping, 31 Jul 1972
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	type Z-EC2-S-C2, army tank transport
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 General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 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 inches (76 mm)/50 caliber gun Stern-mounted 4 inches (102 mm)/50 caliber gun 2–8 × single 20 millimeters (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37 millimeters (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

SS William B. Wilson was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after William B. Wilson, the first United States Secretary of Labor.

Construction[edit]

William B. Wilson was laid down on 14 September 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1537, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was launched on 6 November 1943.^[3][1]

History[edit]

She was allocated to Eastern Steamship Co., on 16 December 1943. She was one of eight special ships, a Z-EC2-S-C2, a Tank carrier. She was built with larger cargo hold hatches and stronger crane lifts. J.A.Jones Construction built the eight Z-EC2-S-C2 Tank carrier in 1943. ^[4] On 10 October 1945, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia. On 31 July 1972, she was sold for $75,500 to N.V. Intershitra, Rotterdam, for scrapping. She was removed from the fleet on 25 August 1972.^[5][6]

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