SS James Woodrow

SS James Woodrow c. 1942
History
United States
NameJames Woodrow
NamesakeJames Woodrow
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorAmerican South African Line Inc.
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 929
Awarded30 January 1942
BuilderBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[1]
Cost$1,072,856[2]
Yard number2079
Way number13
Laid down26 November 1942
Launched9 January 1943
Sponsored byMrs. Fitz Williams Woodrow
Completed19 January 1943
Identification
FateLaid up in Reserve Fleet, 12 January 1946, sold for scrap 15 May 1954
General characteristics [3]
Class & type
Tonnage
Displacement
Length
  • 441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa
  • 416 feet (127 m) pp
  • 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam57 feet (17 m)
Draft27 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
Speed11.5 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
Armament

SS James Woodrow was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after James Woodrow. He was an uncle of United States President Woodrow Wilson, professor at Columbia Theological Seminary, and later president of the College of South Carolina.

Construction

James Woodrow was laid down on 26 November 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 929, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; she was sponsored by Cicely deGraffenreid Woodrow, wife of James grandson Colonel Fitz William McMaster Woodrow I, and was launched on 9 January 1943.[1][2]

History

She was allocated to American South African Line Inc., on 19 January 1943.[4]

On 12 January 1946, she was laid up in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, in Benicia, California. Sometime before 21 December 1951, she had sustained damage to her hull and propulsion system from grounding, with a $240,000 estimate to repair. On 25 February 1954, it was recommended that she be sold for scrap. On 15 May 1954, she was sold to the Boston Metals Company, for $222,222, to be scrapped.[4]

References

Bibliography

  • "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 7 August 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  • Maritime Administration. "James Woodrow". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  • Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  • "SS James Woodrow". Retrieved 16 July 2025.