SS ''James Iredell'' ( MC contract 867) was a Liberty ship in World War II that was attacked in Naples and scuttled on June 8, 1944 to protect

Omaha Beach Omaha Beach was one of five beach landing sectors designated for the amphibious assault component of operation Overlord during the Second World War. On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded German-occupied France with the Normandy landings. "Omaha" r ...

History

SS ''James Iredell'' had its keel laid down on 25 October 1942 by the

North Carolina Shipbuilding Company North Carolina Shipbuilding Company was a shipyard in Wilmington, North Carolina, created as part of the U.S. Government's Emergency Shipbuilding Program in the early days of World War II. From 1941 through 1946, the company built 243 ships in all ...

of Wilmington, North Carolina. She was launched on 29 November 1942. She suffered minor damage while in a convoy in 1943. She was quickly repaired, and bombed in Naples on 23 October 1943, with three direct hits. The gasoline the ship was transporting caught on fire and the ship was abandoned. The fire burned for 64 hours, but there were no casualties among the 44-man merchant crew, the 28-man United States Navy contingent, or the 28 passengers. She was repaired, and was sunk as a blockship off

on 8 June 1944.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James Iredell, SS World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Liberty ships Ships built in Wilmington, North Carolina 1943 ships Maritime incidents in October 1943 Maritime incidents in June 1944 Ships sunk as breakwaters