SS William Byrd

History
United States
Name	William Byrd
Namesake	William Byrd II
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	United Fruit Co.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 1203
Builder	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida
Cost	$2,068,703
Yard number	11
Way number	5
Laid down	24 May 1943
Launched	20 August 1943
Sponsored by	Miss Marjorie Byrd McCarty
Completed	5 September 1943
Identification	Call sign: KXMB; ;
Fate	Placed in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia, 11 March 1948; Sold for scrapping, 22 January 1973, withdrawn from fleet, 18 May 1973;
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 Filer and Stowell, Milwaukee, Wisconsin); 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;

NameWilliam Byrd

NamesakeWilliam Byrd II

OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)

OperatorUnited Fruit Co.

SS William Byrd was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after William Byrd, an American planter and author from Charles City County, in colonial Virginia. He is considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia.

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SS William Byrd

History

References

Bibliography

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History




United States
Name	William Byrd
Namesake	William Byrd II
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	United Fruit Co.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 1203
Builder	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida^[1]
Cost	$2,068,703^[2]
Yard number	11
Way number	5
Laid down	24 May 1943
Launched	20 August 1943
Sponsored by	Miss Marjorie Byrd McCarty
Completed	5 September 1943
Identification	Call sign: KXMB ^[2]
Fate	Placed in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia, 11 March 1948 Sold for scrapping, 22 January 1973, withdrawn from fleet, 18 May 1973


General characteristics ^[3]
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 Filer and Stowell, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) 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