SS Joe C. S. Blackburn

SS Joe C. S. Blackburn was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Joe C. S. Blackburn, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 7th district, a United States senator from Kentucky, and a Governor of the Panama Canal Zone.

History
United States
Name	Joe C. S. Blackburn
Namesake	Joe C. S. Blackburn
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 1508
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$1,443,884
Yard number	124
Way number	2
Laid down	30 October 1943
Launched	15 December 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. Robert Haynes
Completed	27 December 1943
Identification	Call Signal: KVFQ
Fate	Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina, 20 August 1946 Laid up in National Reserve Defense Fleet, Astoria, Oregon, 28 May 1948 Sold for scrapping, 28 November 1967
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

Joe C. S. Blackburn was laid down on 30 October 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1508, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; sponsored by Mrs. Robert Haynes, she was launched on 15 December 1943.

History

She was allocated to the Black Diamond Steamship Company, on 27 December 1943. On 20 August 1946, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Wilmington, North Carolina. On 28 May 1948, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Astoria, Oregon. On 28 November 1967, she was sold to Zidell Explorations, Inc., for $54,001, to be scrapped. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 19 December 1967. Most source say she was converted into a floating dock in 1968. Her fate is unknown.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Brunswick GA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 31 October 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "Joe C. S. Blackburn". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
• "SS Joe C. S. Blackburn". Retrieved 5 November 2017.