:''Note: The , originally commissioned as SS ''George Calvert'' (build number 2007/MC Hull 20) should not be confused with ''SS'' George Calvert (build number 2016/MC Hull 29) which was constructed shortly thereafter.'' SS ''George Calvert'' was a

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...

built in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

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 ...

. She was named after

George Calvert George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore (; 1580 – 15 April 1632), was an English politician and colonial administrator. He achieved domestic political success as a member of parliament and later Secretary of State under King James I. He lost mu ...

, an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

politician and

colonizer Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

. Calvert took an interest in the British

colonization of the Americas During the Age of Discovery, a large scale European colonization of the Americas took place between about 1492 and 1800. Although the Norse had explored and colonized areas of the North Atlantic, colonizing Greenland and creating a short ter ...

, becoming the proprietor of the

Province of Avalon The Province of Avalon was the area around the English settlement of Ferryland in what is now Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada in the 17th century, which upon the success of the colony grew to include the land held by Sir William Vaughan and a ...

, the first sustained English settlement on the southeastern peninsula on the island of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. He later sought a new royal charter to settle the region, which would become the state of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Two Liberty ship with same name

, originally launched as SS ''George Calvert'' (build number 2007/MC Hull 20), should not be confused with this SS ''George Calvert'' (build number 2016/MC Hull 29) which was constructed shortly thereafter. Hull number 20 was reportedly set aside after launch due to structural problems during assembly. As a result, hull number 29 was given her name. Hull number 29 was sunk in May 1942, and, as a result, when hull number 20 was turned over as "ready-for-issue" to the War Shipping Administration in 1943, there was no reason to change her name since hull number 29 no longer existed.

Construction

''George Calvert'' was laid down on 19 November 1941, under a

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 ...

(MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 29, by the

Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard The Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard of Baltimore, Maryland, was a shipyard in the United States from 1941 until 1945. Located on the south shore of the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River which serves as the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore, Ba ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Maryland; she was sponsored by Mrs. William C. Sealey, the daughter of L.R. Sanford, the chief of the inspection section at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, and was launched on 14 March 1942.

History

She was allocated to A.H. Bull & Co., Inc., on 30 April 1942.

Sinking

''George Calvert'' had set out from

, in May 1942, on her maiden voyage, for Bandar Shahpur, with of general cargo. After leaving a convoy around off the

Dry Tortugas Dry Tortugas National Park is a national park located about west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico. The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the seven Dry Tortugas islands, the westernmost and most isolated of the Florida Keys. The archipelago's c ...

, she was about northwest of

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, proceeding at in a

zigzag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. In geometry, this pattern is described as a ...

course. At 19:08, in the evening of 20 May 1942, ''George Calvert'' was struck by two torpedoes fired from the , at . The first torpedo struck below the waterline in the #3 hold, while the second set off the

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

, blowing off the stern-mounted /50 caliber gun, and killing three Armed guards, when it struck forward of the stern. The remaining crew of eight officers, 33 crewmen, and 10 Armed guards abandoned the sinking ship in three lifeboats. ''U-753'' launched at least one more torpedo at 20:03, which struck ''George Calvert'' amidship, braking the ship in half and causing her to sink immediately. The survivors were later questioned by ''U-753'' about the ships name, tonnage, and cargo. They landed at Dimas, Cuba, on 21 May 1942.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:George Calvert 1942 ships Liberty ships Maritime incidents in May 1942 Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II