SS Benjamin Hawkins

SS Benjamin Hawkins was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Benjamin Hawkins, an American planter, statesman, and US Indian agent. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a United States senator from North Carolina. Appointed by George Washington as General Superintendent for Indian Affairs (1796–1818), he had responsibility for the Native American tribes south of the Ohio River, and was principal Indian agent to the Creek Indians.

History
United States
Name	Benjamin Hawkins
Namesake	Benjamin Hawkins
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	States Marine Corporation
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 913
Awarded	1 January 1942
Builder	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland
Cost	$1,042,994
Yard number	2063
Way number	6
Laid down	30 July 1942
Launched	7 September 1942
Sponsored by	Mrs. Lelia W. Wright
Completed	22 September 1942
Identification	Call sign: KHCR
Fate	Laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York, 13 May 1948 Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina, 15 July 1952 Laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia, 4 October 1957 Sold for scrapping, 4 December 1972, withdrawn from fleet, 31 January 1973
General characteristics
Class and type	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length	441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam	57 feet (17 m)
Draft	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine,  (manufactured by General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3 inches (76 mm)/50 caliber gun Stern-mounted 4 inches (102 mm)/50 caliber gun 2–8 × single 20 millimeters (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37 millimeters (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

Construction

Benjamin Hawkins was laid down on 30 July 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 913, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; she was sponsored by Mrs. Lelia W. Wright, the wife of a yard employee, and was launched on 7 September 1942.

History

She was allocated to States Marine Corporation, on 22 September 1942. On 13 May 1948, she was laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 7 July 1949, to be loaded with grain, returning 18 July 1949, full. On 19 January 1950, she was withdrawn to unload grain, returning empty on 31 January 1950. On 2 August 1950, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain, returning full on 10 August 1950. On 26 January 1951, she was withdrawn to be unloaded, she returned empty on 6 February 1951. She was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina, 15 July 1952. On 4 October 1957, she was laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, Virginia. On 4 December 1972, she was sold for scrapping to N. V. Intershitra, for $103,450. She was removed from the fleet on 31 January 1973.

Bibliography

• "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "Benjamin Hawkins". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
• "SS Benjamin Hawkins". Retrieved 6 March 2020.