The ''Crater''-class cargo ship were converted EC2-S-C1 type,

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

s, constructed by the

United States Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

(USMC) for use by the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The designation 'EC2-S-C1': 'EC' for Emergency Cargo, '2' for a ship between long ( Load Waterline Length), 'S' for steam engines, and 'C1' for design C1. The class was named for the lead ship of its type, , with most ships in the class being named for astronomical bodies. Its 65 hulls were among the largest US Navy cargo ship classes. The ships were propelled by a reciprocating steam engine using a single screw with a power of shaft.

Notable incidents

* USS ''Aludra'' (AK-72) Lost in action from

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese torpedo on 23 June 1943 south of

Makira The island of Makira (also known as San Cristobal and San Cristóbal) is the largest island of Makira-Ulawa Province in the Solomon Islands. It is third most populous island after Malaita and Guadalcanal, with a population of 55,126 as of 2020 ...

island. * USS ''Deimos'' (AK-78) Damaged by torpedo, 23 June 1943, then abandoned and scuttled south of Makira island.navsource.org USS Deimos (AK-78)
/ref>

References

External links

��Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940–1945. Auxiliary ship classes of the United States Navy Crater class cargo ship {{US-mil-ship-stub