SS Niels Poulson

SS Niels Poulson was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Niels Poulson, an architect and philanthropist.

History
United States
Name	Niels Poulson
Namesake	Niels Poulson
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2371
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$972,154
Yard number	156
Way number	4
Laid down	6 July 1944
Launched	18 August 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. W.H. McWhirter
Completed	5 September 1944
Identification	Call Signal: WSLR
Fate	Struck a mine off Gorgona, Italy, 6 December 1946 Sold for scrapping, 20 February 1948
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

Niels Poulson was laid down on 6 July 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2371, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. W.H. McWhirter, and launched on 18 August 1944.

History

She was allocated to the Dichmann Wright & Pugh Company, on 5 September 1944. On 6 December 1946, she struck a mine off Gorgona, Italy, and was towed to Leghorn, Italy, where she was declared a constructive total loss (CTL) on 19 December. On 20 February 1948, she was sold, along with 39 other vessels, including her sister ships SS Isaac Shelby and SS Cassius Hudson, for $520,000, to Venturi Salvaggi Ricuperi Imprese Marittime Societa per Azioni, Genoa.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Brunswick GA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 11 November 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "Niels Poulson". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
• "SS Niels Poulson". Retrieved 11 November 2017.