SS Laura Bridgman

History
United States
Name	Laura Bridgman
Namesake	Laura Bridgman
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2382
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$892,876
Yard number	167
Way number	3
Laid down	23 September 1944
Launched	30 October 1944
Sponsored by	Ida Purcell
Completed	13 November 1944
Identification	Call Signal: KTAF; ;
Fate	Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay Group, Suisun Bay, California, 16 October 1945; Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River Group, 13 July 1950; Sold for commercial use, 17 January 1950;
United States
Name	Catherine
Owner	Drytrans
Acquired	17 January 1950
Fate	Sold, September 1957
Liberia
Acquired	September 1957
Fate	Sold, 14 May 1958
United States
Name	Penn Explorer
Owner	Penntrans Co.
Acquired	14 May 1958
Fate	Sold, 29 November 1961
Liberia
Acquired	29 November 1961
Fate	Scrapped, 1968
General characteristics
Class & 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;

NameLaura Bridgman

NamesakeLaura Bridgman

Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2382

BuilderJ.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia

SS Laura Bridgman was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Laura Bridgman, the first deaf-blind American child to gain a significant education in the English language.

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SS Laura Bridgman

History

References

Bibliography

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History




United States
Name	Laura Bridgman
Namesake	Laura Bridgman
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2382
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$892,876^[1]
Yard number	167
Way number	3
Laid down	23 September 1944
Launched	30 October 1944
Sponsored by	Ida Purcell
Completed	13 November 1944
Identification	Call Signal: KTAF ^[1]
Fate	Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay Group, Suisun Bay, California, 16 October 1945 Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River Group, 13 July 1950 Sold for commercial use, 17 January 1950


United States
Name	Catherine
Owner	Drytrans
Acquired	17 January 1950
Fate	Sold, September 1957


Liberia
Acquired	September 1957
Fate	Sold, 14 May 1958


United States
Name	Penn Explorer
Owner	Penntrans Co.
Acquired	14 May 1958
Fate	Sold, 29 November 1961


Liberia
Acquired	29 November 1961
Fate	Scrapped, 1968


General characteristics ^[2]
Class & 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