SS Charles Carroll

SS Charles Carroll was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Charles Carroll, a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence. He is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and Confederation Congress. Carroll later served as the first United States Senator for Maryland. He was the last surviving signatory of the Declaration of Independence.

History
United States
Name	Charles Carroll
Namesake	Charles Carroll
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	American Export Lines Inc.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 15
Awarded	14 March 1941
Builder	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland
Cost	$1,545,574
Yard number	2002
Way number	2
Laid down	15 May 1941
Launched	25 October 1941
Completed	19 January 1942
Identification	Call sign: KKZK
Fate	Laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York, 26 April 1946 Sold for scrapping, 3 September 1970, withdrawn from fleet, 4 December 1970
General characteristics
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-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

Construction

Charles Carroll was laid down on 15 May 1941, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 15, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; and was launched on 25 October 1941.

History

Charles Carroll was allocated to American Export Lines, on 19 January 1942. On 26 April 1946, she was laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York. On 12 May 1953, Charles Carroll was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain under the "Grain Program 1953", she returned loaded on 25 May 1953. On 20 May 1956, she was withdrawn to be unload, she returned reloaded with grain 9 June 1956. On 27 April 1963, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be unloaded, she returned empty on 4 May 1963. Charles Carroll was sold for scrapping on 3 September 1970, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. She was removed from the fleet, 4 December 1970.

Bibliography

• "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "Charles Carroll". 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 Charles Carroll". Retrieved 13 February 2020.