SS William E. Dodd

History
United States
Name	William E. Dodd
Namesake	William E. Dodd
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	Marine Transport Lines Inc.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2308
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost	$964,519,[1]
Yard number	49
Way number	3
Laid down	19 May 1944
Launched	22 June 1944
Sponsored by	Miss Frances Spain
Completed	15 July 1944
Identification	Call Signal: WREQ [1]
Fate	Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, Alabama, 12 September 1945 Sold for commercial use, 25 July 1947
Norway
Name	Milbank
Owner	Skibs-A/S Skytteren
Operator	Yngvar Hvistendahl, Tonsberg, Norway
Acquired	25 July 1947
Fate	Sold, 1958
Liberia
Name	Thanksgiving
Owner	Seabird Steamship Co.
Operator	C. M. Los, Ltd., London
Acquired	1958
Fate	Scrapped, 1967
General characteristics [2]
Class and 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 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 E. Dodd was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after William E. Dodd, the United States Ambassador to Germany from 1933 to 1937.

Construction[edit]

William E. Dodd was laid down on 19 May 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2308, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was sponsored by Miss Frances Spain, and launched on 22 June 1944.^[3][1]

History[edit]

She was allocated to Marine Transport Lines, Inc., on 15 July 1944. On 15 May 1945, she damaged the No. 5 bearing of her main engine. Sea trials were conducted on 27 May 1945, after repairing the bearing but they were unsuccessful so now the entire crankshaft was replaced. Sea trials were again conducted on 22 June 1945, but were again unsuccessful, this time the No. 6 bearing went out and needed repairing. She was able to return to the US on 24 July 1945. On 12 September 1945, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia. On 25 July 1947, she was sold to Norway, for commercial use. She was renamed Milbank and sailed under a Norwegian flag until 1958, when she was sold to Seabird Steamship Co., and reflagged for Liberia, and renamed Thanksgiving. She was scrapped in Hirao, in 1967.^[4][5]

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