Type C2-F Ship
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Type C2 ships were designed by the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) in 1937–38. They were all-purpose cargo ships with five holds, and U.S. shipyards built 328 of them from 1939 to 1945. Compared to ships built before 1939, the C2s were remarkable for their speed and fuel economy. Their design speed was , but some could make on occasion. The first C2s were long, broad, and deep, with a draft. Later ships varied somewhat in size. Some, intended for specific trade routes, were built with significant modifications in length and capacity. In 1937, MARCOM distributed tentative designs for criticism by shipbuilders, ship owners, and naval architects. The final designs incorporated many changes suggested by these constituencies. The ships were to be reasonably fast but economical cargo ships which, with some government subsidies to operators, could compete with vessels of other nations. Building costs were to be minimized by standardization of design and equipment, and the ships were to have sufficient speed and stability that they could be used as naval auxiliaries in time of national emergency. The basic specifications called for a five- hold steel cargo ship with raked stem and
cruiser stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow (ship), bow, the foremost part of a ...
, complete shelter and second decks, and a third deck in Nos. 1–4 holds. Dimensions of the hatches were , except for No. 2, which was , allowing such cargo as locomotives, naval guns, long bars, etc. Ventilation to the holds was provided by hollow kingposts, which also served as cargo masts. Cargo handling gear consisted of fourteen 5-ton cargo booms, plus two 30-ton booms at Nos. 3 and 4 hatches. Living accommodations were much improved over previous designs, with crew accommodations amidships, officers quarters on the boat deck, and the captain's quarters on the bridge deck, along with the wheelhouse, chartroom, gyro and radio room. Hot and cold running water was provided throughout. Many of the ships such as SS ''Donald McKay'' were converted by the U.S. Navy for service during World War II. The commercial versions were operated by the government during the war. Beginning in late 1945, the commercial ships were sold to merchant shipping lines, with service until the early 1970s.


Cost

According to the War Production Board, in 1943 the C-2 had a relative cost of $313 per deadweight ton (10,800 deadweight tonnage) for $3,380,400; which at $14 to $1 inflation of 1945 to 2020 amounts to $48,136,896


Ships in class


Modified and Redesignated

* Stores Ship - AF (11) ** 3 (C2) *** , , ** 2 (C2-S-E1) *** , ** 6 of 10 (C2-S-B1-R) *** AF-50, AF-51, AF-52, AF-54, AF-60, AF-61 * Attack Transports - APA (1 + 6AP) ** 3 s (C2-S-B1) *** APA-49, APA-50, APA-51 (AP-94, AP-95, AP-96) ** 4 s (C2-S-E1) *** APA-52, APA-53, APA-54 (AP-97, AP-98, AP-99) *** APA-94 * Transports - AP (13) ** 7 (C2-S-B1) ** 3 (C2-S-A1) ** 2 (C2-S-AJ1) ** (C2-F) * Cargo ship - AK (21 + 1 AKA) ** ... ** ... , ** , ** ... ** ... ** (AKA-92) (in 1963) * Attack Cargo Ships - AKA (60 + 17AK) ** (AK-26) ** 11 (C2, C2-F, C2-T) *** AKA-1 ... AKA-4 (AK-18 ... AK-21) *** AKA-6 ... AKA-8 (AK-23 ... AK-25) *** AKA-11 ... AKA-14 (AK-28, AK-53, AK-55, AK-56) ** 32 (C2-S-AJ3) *** AKA-64 ... AKA-87, AKA-101 ... 108 ** 30 (C2-S-B1) *** AKA-15 ... AKA-20 (prev: AK-64 ... AK-69) *** AKA-53 ... AKA-63, AKA-88 ... AKA-100 * General Stores Issue Ship - AKS (2 + 2AK) ** 3 s *** , , (AK-54) ** (AK-42) * Ammunition ship - AE (15 + 2AKA) ** 7 (C2, C2-T, C2-N) *** , , , *** , *** ** 8 (C2-S-AJ1) ** Converted from in 1965 *** (prev: ) *** (prev: ) * Aviation Supply Ship - AVS (1AK) ** (AK-43) * Command ship - AGC (15) ** 4 *** ... , ** 8 *** ... ** 3 *** ...


Notable incidents

* ''Highflier'' a C2-S-B, exploded and sank in 1947. * ''Wild Rover'' a C2-S-B1, renamed ''Mormackite'' capsized in heavy seas and sank off
Cape Henry Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia located in the northeast corner of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to the long estuary of the Chesapeake Bay. Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Cha ...
on 7 October 1954. Survivors were attacked by sharks. * , a C2-S-AJ1, on 26 December 1969 with a full load of 8,900 bombs, rockets, shells and mines bound for
Da Nang Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons ( ; vi, Đà Nẵng, ) is a class-1 municipality and the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one ...
,
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
, cargo shifted and a bomb went off in rough seas. On 5 January 1970 she sank north of
Midway Atoll Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
. 29 members of her crew died during the evacuation. * , a C2-S-AJ3, renamed SS ''Guam Bear'' wrecked and sank in 1967. She was in a collision outside Apra Harbor, Guam. A constructive total loss, the hulk was towed off shore and scuttled. * SS ''American Shipper'', a C2-S-AJ5. Delivered December 1945. Sank in 1974 in the
Balintang Channel The Balintang Channel ( ) is the small waterway that separates the Batanes and Babuyan Islands, both of which belong to the Philippines, in the Luzon Strait. Notable events 1944 incident During July 1944, the Imperial Japanese Navy cargo submarin ...
, southeast of Hong Kong.''American Shipper''
/ref> * was torpedoed in 1942 and sank off Tunisia. * was torpedoed in 1942, sank in North Atlantic. * SS ''Louise Lykes'' was torpedoed and sank in the North Atlantic in 1943. * SS ''Shooting Star'' was torpedoed and sank in South Atlantic in 1943, One US Armed Guard killed. * was wrecked and sank off Newfoundland in 1942. * exploded and sank in the Admiralty Islands in 1944. * SS ''Fairport'' was torpedoed and sank in the North Atlantic in 1942. * SS ''Santa Catalina'' was torpedoed and sank off Georgia 1943. * SS ''African Star'' was torpedoed and sank in the South Atlantic in 1942. * SS African Dawn (CH-111) collided with a tanker in convoy, 2300 hrs, Oct 28 1943.


See also

* Type C1 ship * Type C3 ship * Type C4 ship * Liberty ship * Victory ship * U.S. Merchant Marine Academy


References

* *
United States Maritime Commission C2 Type Ships
{{DEFAULTSORT:Type C2 Ship Ship types Type C2-N ships Type C2-S-AJ1 ships of the United States Navy World War II auxiliary ships of the United States