Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company Hull Data Listing

Data Last Revised: 07/14/02

The following information has been compiled and transcribed from numerous sources. Corrections, comments and additions are welcome. Please leave data and email information at email: davek@cdmint.com. Dave Kavanagh (33M)

Hull No: 001

Hull Type: Tanker

Hull Orig. Name: Chester Sun

Information:

Hull No: 002

Hull Type: Tanker

Hull Orig. Name: Sabine Sun

Information:

Hull No: 65

Hull Type: Motor Barge

Hull Orig. Name: Troy Socony

Information: Launched on 5/12/23 and renamed the Blue Comet in 1946. The motor barge measured 254 feet x 38 feet x 14 feet. She exploded and burned on 10/29/53 on the Lake Michigan at Calumet, IL with a loss of 1 life. She was carrying approx. 500,000 gallongs of gasoline and burned in one of the biggest tanker filres ever on the lakes. She was later recovered and rebuilt, being scrapped in 1964.

Source(s): www.acs.oakland.edu/boatnerd

Hull No: 172

Hull Type: Tanker /T3-S2-A1

Hull Orig. Name: Cimarron

Source(s): www.geocities.com

Hull No: 173

Hull Type: Tanker /T3-S2-A1

Hull Orig. Name: Seakay

Information: This tanker type was the first completed under the Maritime Commissions's long range 500 ship program begun in 1938. All were acquired by the U.S.Navy for use as fleet oilers, either before completion, or shortly thereafter. The ships were 553 feet long overall, 75 feet wide with a gross tonnage of 11, 335 tons, deadweight capacity of 18,300 tons and a full load displacement of 24, 830 tons. Propulsion was provided by two steam turbine sets (HP & LP) geared to two shafts, giving the ships an 18 know service speed. The Seakay was acquired by the Navy and renamed USS santee (AO 29), 1940. Completed conversion to escort carrier (CVE 29) in August, 1942. Scrapped Hamburg, May 1960.

Source(s): www.geocities.com

Information: Seakay, laid down on 5/31/38 and launched on 3/4/39 (MC# 3). She was sponsored by Mrs. Charles Kurz. Prior to her acquisition by the Navy, the ESSO Seakay was operated by the Standard Oil of New Jersey on the west coast. During her commercial service, she set several records for fast oil hauling. She was acquired by the Navy on 10/18/40 and was commissioned on 10/30/40 as the USS Santee (AO-29) with Cmdr. William G. B. Hatch in command. On 8/24/42 she was commissioned as a escort carrier with William D. Sample in command and on 6/12/55 was recommissioned as a escort helicopter aircraft carrier (CVHE-29). She was struck from the Navy list on 3/1/59 and on 12/5/59 was sold tothe Master Metals Co. for scrap .

Note 1: Additional information available on request.

Note 2: Second Seakay launched at Sun Ship as Hull 231

Source(s): Unknown

Hull No: 174

Hull Type: Tanker /T3-S2-A1

Hull Orig. Name: Esso New Orleans

Information: This tanker type was the first completed under the Maritime Commissions's long range 500 ship program begun in 1938. All were acquired by the U.S. Navy for use as fleet oilers, either before completion, or shortly thereafter. The ships were 553 feet long overall, 75 feet wide with a gross tonnage of 11, 335 tons, deadweight capacity of 18,300 tons and a full load displacement of 24, 830 tons. Propulsion was provided by two steam turbine sets (HP & LP) geared to two shafts, giving the ships an 18 know service speed. The Esso New Orleans was launched on 4/1/39, sponsored by Mrs. Rathbone and was acquired by the Navy in 5/31/41 and renamed USS Chenango (AO 31) she was commissioned on 6/20/41 with Cmdr. W.H.Mays in command. She was decommissioned at New Your on 3/16/42 for conversion to a escort carrier. She was recommissioned as ACV-28 on 9/119/42. She was reclassified CVHE-28 in 6/12/55 and stricken for the Navy List on 3/1/59, sold and removed from naval custody on 2/12/60.

Note 1: Additional information upon request.

Source(s): www.geocities.com & Unknown

Hull No: 184

Hull Type: Freighter/C3

Hull Orig. Name: Mormacland

Information: Built for the US Moore McCormack line as a freighter under Maritime Commission contract, she was launched on 12/13/39 She was a 11,905 gross ton ship, length overall 494 feet, beam 69.2 feet, one funnel, on mast, single screw and a speed of 17 knots. In 1940 she was taken over before completion by the US Navy and refitted as an auxiliary aircraft carrier. In 1941 she was commissioned by the British Royal Navy as the HMS Archer and was used for convoy protection duties. In 1945 she was taken over by the Ministry of War Transport, renamed Archer and refitted as a cargo ship. Managed by the Blue Funnel Line and renamed "Empire Lagan". She was returned to the US Maritime Commission in 1946. Purchased by Sven Salen of Sotckholm and registered under the ownership of Rederi A/S Pulp as Anna Salen, she was rebuilt as a passenger ship with accommodation for 600 single calss passengers, Used as an emigrant ship on various routes, she started a single round voyage between Bremen and Quebec on 7/2/53. Sold to Cia Nav.Tasmania, Piraeus in 1955, she was renamed Tasmania and placed on the Piraeus-Melbourne serv1ce of the Hellenic Mediterranean Line. In 1958 she was rebuilt to 7,638 gross tons and in 1961 was sold to China Union Lines, Taipeh and renamed Union Reliance. On 11/7/61, she collided with the Norwegian tanker Beran in the Houston Ship Channel and beached on fire. Towed to Galveston on Nov. 11, she was sold in Jan 1962 to be scrapped at New Orleans.

Source(s): members.iinet.net

Hull No: 185

Hull Type: Freighter/C3

Hull Orig. Name: Mormacmail (Long Island AVG-1 - ACV-1 - CVE-1)

Information: Built for the US Moore McCormack line as a freighter under Maritime Commission contract, she was laid down 7/7/39 and launched on 01/11/40 and sponsored by Miss Dian B. Holt. She was a 11,905 gross ton ship, length overall 492 feet, beam 69.2 feet, one funnel, on mast, single screw and a speed of 16 knots. She went to the U.S. Navy in 3/6/41 and was converted by Newport News and commissioned on 6/2/41 and renamed the "Long Island" ( AVG-1), Cmdr. Donald B. Duncan in command. Her flight deck was lengthened at Mare Island Navy Yard Sept/42. Designation changed from AVG to ACV on 8/20/42 and changed again from ACV to VFE on 7/15/43. Used as a aircraft ferry and taining ship during WWII. .50 Cal MG were replaced by 20 single 20MM AA.In the tense months before Pearl harbor, the new escort aircraft carrier operated out of Norfolk, conducting experiments to prove the feasibility of aircraft operations from converted cargo ships. The data gathered by "Long Island" greatly improved the combat readiness of later "baby flattops". Just after the Japanese attack, "Long Island" escorted a convoy to Newfoundland and qualified carrier pilots at Norfolk before departing for the west coast on 5/10/42. She reached San Francisco on 6/5 and the ship immediately joined Admiral Pye's four battleships and provided air cover while at sea to reinforce Admiral Nimitz' forces after their brilliant victory in the Battle of Midway. She left the formation on 7/17 and returned to the west coast to resume carrier pilot training. The "Long Island" departed San Diego 7/8/42 and arrived in Pearl Harbor on the 17^th. After a training run south to Palmyra Island, the ship loaded two squadrons of Marine aircraft and got underway for the South Pacific 8/2. Five days later, the marines, while landing on Guadalcanal, encountered stiff opposition and needed more air support than could be provided by the handful of carriers available during the early months of the war. Touching Fiji Islands 8/13/, the "Long Island" then steamed to a point 200 miles southeast of Guadalcanal and launched her aircraft. These planes, the first to reach Henerson Field, were instrumental in the liberation of Guadalcanal and went on to compile a distingusished war record. Her mission was accomplished in an outstanding fashion. Reclassified ACV-1 on 8/20, "Long Island" sailed for Efate, New Hebrides, and arrived 8/23. She returned to the west coast on 9/20/42, as the new "baby flattops" took up the slack in the Pacific war zones. For the next year, the escort carrier trained carrier pilots at San Diego, an unglamorous but vital contribution to victory. The "Long Island" was reclassified CVE-1 on 7/15/43. During 1944 and 1945, she transported airplanes and their crews from the west coast to various outputs in the Pacific. After V-J Day, she revisted many of these same bases while transporting solders and sailors back homne during operaiton "Magic Carpet". "Long Island" was decommissioned on 3/26/46 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Struck from the Navy List on 4/12/46 she was sold to Zidell Ship Dismantling Co., Portland, OR on 4/24/47 for scrapping. This was not to be. The old warrior still had some life left and on 3/12/48, was sold to the Caribbean Land & Shipping Co, renamed "Nelly" and rebuilt as a passenger ship with accommodation for 20-1st class and 1,066-tourist class. In 1949 she made her first Bremen-Australia voyage and 1953 was renamed "Seven Seas". In 1955 she was chartered to the German Europe-Canada Line and on 4/30/55 commenced her first Bremen-Havre-Southampton-Halifax-New York voyage (winter service) and in April 1956, resumed Bremen-Quebec-Montreal voyages. She was bought outright by Europe-Canada Line in 1956 and in April 1963 made her last Bremen-Rotterdam-Havre-Southampton-Quebec-Montreal voyage and subsequently ran to New York. On 7/17/65 she had a serious fire in the engine room while 500 miles for St. John's NF to which port she was towed. She was repaired and on 6/20/66 resumed the New York-Southampton-Havre-Rotterdam-Bremen service, starting her last voyage on 9/13/66. She was bought by Rotterdam University the same year and employed as a student's hostel, berthed near the university grounds, until 1977 when she was scrapped in Belgium.

Note 1: Conflicting launch dates between sources. Sun Ship records indicate launched on 1/11/40.

Note 2: Conflict between sources in relationship to the fact that she was sold to the University of the Seven Seas and converted into a schoolship. Later in 1953 she was renamed the "Seven Seas" and with her cargo of students, began sailing all of the world in pursuit of knowledge. After 13 years of service in this role, she was replaced as a schoolship for the university, and was sold to the University of Rotterdam for us as a floating dormitory. Into 1969, she was still in service,

Source(s): www.fortunecity.com, , www.hazegray.org, etc

Hull No: 218

Hull Type: Tanker

Hull Orig. Name: Esso Trenton

Information: Launched on 9/6/41 and sponsored by Mrs. N.L.Lank. She was acquired by the Navy on 1/3/42 and commissioned 2/9/42 with Cmdr. G.Bannerman in command. She was decommissioned at Mare Island and sold through the Maritime Commission on 7/1/46.

Note 1: Additional information available upon request.

Source(s): Unknown

Hull No: 221

Hull Type: Tanker

Hull Orig. Name: Aekay

Information: Aekay , built in 2/42, was a tanker of the T2-A type of which 5 were built by Sun Shipbuilding. She was built for the Keystone Tankship Corp and it's affiliates. The Navy took over all five ships before construction was complete to use as Navy Oilers. She was 526 feet long, 68 feet abeam, rated at 10,600 GWT and 16,300 DWT. Displacement was approximately 22,445 tons. Propulsion was proved by geared steam turbines driving a single propeller at 12,000 shaft horsepower, giving a maximum rated speed of 16.5 knots. She was completed as the NECHES (AO 47). She was stricken in Oct. 1970 and scrapped in 1972.

Source(s): www.geocities.com

Hull No: 222

Hull Type: Tanker

Hull Orig. Name: Kalkay

Information: Kalkay, laid down on 9/9/41 and launched on 1/17/42 and sponsored by Mrs. E. Macauley and was commissioned on 5/11/42 with Cmdr. Martin J. Gillan, Jr. in command. She was a tanker of the T2-A type of which 5 were built by Sun Shipbuilding. She was built for the Keystone Tankship Corp and it's affiliates. The Navy took over all five ships before construction was complete to use as Navy Oilers. She was 526 feet long, 68 feet abeam, rated at 10,600 GWT and 16,300 DWT. Displacement was approximately 22,445 tons. Propulsion was proved by geared steam turbines driving a single propeller at 12,000 shaft horsepower, giving a maximum rated speed of 16.5 knots. She was completed as the NECHES (AO 47). She was stricken in Oct. 1970 and scrapped in 1972.

Note 1: Conflicting information:

Mattaponi (AO 41), built under Maritime Commission contract, was laid down originally as Kalkay (MC #1490), laid down

Source(s): www.geocities.com

Hull No: 353

Hull Type: Troop Transport

Hull Orig. Name: Marine Owl (USS Sanctuary-Hospital Ship)

Information: Launched on 8/15/44. Conversion to a hospital ship was accomplished by Todd Shipbuilding at Hoboken, NJ. She was commissioned 6/20/45. She was deactivated at Philadelphia Navy Yard and berthed with the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until 9/1/61. At that time she was stricken from the Navy List and mothballed with the National Defense Fleet. On 3/1/66, she was reacquired by the Navy and modernized at Avondale Shipyard in Westwego, LA and recommissioned 11/15/66. She was decommissioned again on 12/15/71. She was recommissioned again 11/18/72 and remained n active duty until March 1975. During the 80's, Life International , purchase the Sanctuary for use a a missionary medical training facility, but this plan failed with the death of the agency's chairman. Project Life International assumed ownership and Sanctuary was stricken from the Navy Register on 2/16/89. Last information is the Sancutary is berthed in Baltimore, MD, where Project Life is treating alcohol and addicted women and children. For more information, contact Project Life: The Sanctuary email: USSSanctuary@AOL.com

Source(s): www.geocities.com