Type C4-class ship
The Type C4-class ship were the largest cargo ships built by the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. The design was originally developed for the American-Hawaiian Lines in 1941, but in late 1941 the plans were taken over by the MARCOM.
Eighty-one ships were built as cargo or troopships in four shipyards: Kaiser Richmond, California, Kaiser Vancouver, Washington, Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock in Chester, Pennsylvania and Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point, Maryland. All ships were capable of, driven by a single screw steam turbine generating.
Among the variations of the design were the.
They were followed post-war by thirty-seven of the larger C4-S-1 class, also known as the Mariner class.
List of Type C4 ships
General series
C4-S-A1 DWT: 14,863.- Built by Kaiser Shipyards at Permanente No. 3 in Richmond, California, for the US Army Transportation Corps then transferred later to the US Navy. The 30 ships were built from 1942 to 1945. In the 1960 the Navy sold of most of the General ships to private companies. Most were scrapped in the 1980s.
- , later a missile range instrumentation ship
- , later
- went missing in 1980.
Marine series
Built for troop and cargo transport. Marine series C4 ships were manned by civilian crews but were under the command of the United States Maritime Commission for WW2.
- * C4-S-B1 only one in class, built by Sun Yards of Chester, Pennsylvania.
- SS Marine Eagle Built as a tank carrier in 1943. Converted for heavy lift in 1953.
- *C4-S-B2 14 built by Sun Ship for World War II were as troop ships in 1944 and 1945. The United States Navy took over 6 to become s in May of 1945 and painted them white. Along with military troop movement, the C4-S-B2 also did Operation Magic Carpet trip to bring home troops and their families. In after the war others were converted to cargo ships.
- SS Marine Angel - Converted to laker in 1952, sold renamed McKee Sons.
- SS Marine Beaver - Became USN hospital ship.
- SS Marine Devil - Converted to container ship.
- SS Marine Dragon - Converted to container ship.
- SS Marine Dolphin - Became hospital ship.
- SS Marine Hawk - Became, later sold and converted to chemical carrier.
- SS Marine Fox - Converted to container.
- SS Marine Lion - Became later was in collision and sunk in 1950.
- SS Marine Panther - Converted to container ship.
- SS Marine Owl - Became hospital ship .
- SS Marine Wolf - Converted to container ship.
- SS Marine Raven - Sold private 1961, scrapped 1976.
- SS Marine Robin - Converted to Great Lakes freighter ship in 1952 as the Joseph H. Thompson, then converted to barge 1990.
- SS Marine Walrus - Became hospital ship.
- *C4-S-B5
- Built by Sun Ships in 1945.
- - Cargo ship till 1973
- SS Marine Flier - Sold private 1951, scrapped 1972 - cargo ship
- SS Marine Arrow - Sold private 1951, scrapped 1971 - cargo ship
- SS Marine Runner - Sold private 1951, scrapped 1971 - cargo ship
- SS Marine Star - Cargo ship that was converted to passenger ship.
- * C4-S-A3
- Built by Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, California, in 1945 and 1946, as WSA troopship.
- - sold renamed SS Transcolorado
- SS Marine Perch C4-S-A3 - later Sold private in 1965, in collision and sank 1978.
- SS Marine Swallow C4-S-A3 - later sold private in 1965, scrapped in 1978.
- Built by Kaiser Shipyards in Vancouver, Washington, in 1945 and 1946, as WSA troopship.
- SS Marine Tiger - sold private in 1966 renamed Oakland converted to container ship, later scrapped.
- SS Marine Shark - Sold private 1968 renamed Charleston converted to container ship, later scrapped.
- SS Marine Cardinal - sold private in 1964 renamed Baltimore and converted to container ship, later scrapped.
- SS Marine Falcon - sold private in 1966 renamed Trenton converted to container ship, later scrapped
- SS Marine Flasher - Sold private 1966 renamed Long Beach converted to container ship, later scrapped
- SS Marine Jumper - Sold private 1966 renamed Panama converted to container ship, later scrapped.
- USNS Marine Serpent - became USN ship from 1952 to 1968. Sold to private in 1968 renamed Galveston converted to container ship, later scrapped.
- SS Ernie Pyle WSA troopship, used for displaced persons refugees after World War II, sold private in 1965, scrapped in 1978.
- - Became USN troopship.
- - sold converted to passenger ship. In 1965 converted as dry cargo. Scrapped in 1972
- * C4-S-A4
- Built by Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, California, in 1946 for break bulk cargo
- SS Marine Leopard - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1972
- SS Marine Snapper'' - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1972
Mount series
- Built by Kaiser Shipyards in Vancouver, Washington, in 1946.
- SS Mount Davis - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1971.
- SS Mount Greylock - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1971.
- SS Mount Mansfield - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1980.
- SS Mount Rogers - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1971.
- SS Mount Whitney - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1971.
Named after a person
- Built by Kaiser Shipyards in Vancouver, Washington.
- SS Scott E. Land - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1980
- SS Willis Vickery - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1979
- SS Louis McH. Howe - Sold private in 1951, scrapped in 1980
- SS Ernie Pyle - Sold private in 1965, scrapped in 1978
Hospital ships
- Built by Sun Yards in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1944 and 1945.
M-class ships
Four cargo/passenger liners were built for the Grace Line 1963–1964 by Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point, Maryland.
- SS Santa Magdelena
- SS Santa Mariana
- SS Santa Maria
- SS Santa Mercedes
Jet-class ships
- Built in 1965 by Bethlehem Steel of Sparrows Point, Maryland. The last two C4 ships were constructed in 1966 for Prudential Lines.
- SS Prudential Seajet
- SS Prudential Oceanjet
Mariner-class ships
- * C4-S-1 class
- * Built by Bethlehem Steel Co., SB Division, Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1952.
- Old Colony Mariner
- Cornhusker State Mariner
- Pine Tree Mariner Converted to passenger ship, Mariposa in 1956.
- Nutmeg Mariner
- Wolverine Mariner
- * Bethlehem Steel Co., SB Division, Sparrows Point, Maryland
- Free State Mariner Converted to passenger ship, Monterey in 1957. Renamed *Monte in 2006, scrapped in 2007.
- Mountain Mariner
- Gopher Mariner
- Show Me Mariner
- Sunflower Mariner
- * Built by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp., San Francisco, California
- Golden Mariner
- * Built by Ingalls SB Corp., Pascagoula, Mississippi, in 1952.
- Lone Star Mariner
- Evergreen Mariner Became the USN ship, an attack cargo ship. Scrapped in 2011.
- Magnolia Mariner
- Cotton Mariner
- Pelican Mariner
- Peninsula Mariner
- * Built by Newport News SB & DD Co., Newport News, Virginia, in 1952.
- Old Dominium Mariner
- Tar Heel Mariner
- Volunteer Mariner
- Palmetto Mariner
- Cracker State Mariner
- * Built by New York SB Corp., Camden, New Jersey, in 1953.
- Garden Mariner
- Diamond Mariner - Became the USN ship, an attack transport ship.
- Empire State Mariner - Became the USN ship USS Observation Island as a missile range instrumentation ship and later a missile test platform until 2014.
- Prairie Mariner Became the USN ship, an attack transport ship.
- Silver Mariner
- * Built by Sun SB & DD Co., Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1953.
- Keystone Mariner
- Buckeye Mariner
- Hoosier Mariner
- Bagder Mariner - Converted to passenger ship, in 1953.
- Hawkeye Mariner
- * Built by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp., San Francisco, California, in 1953
- Golden Bear
- Korean Bear
- Japan Bear
- * Built by Bethlehem Steel Co., Key Highway Yard, Baltimore, Maryland, in 1953
- President Hayes
- President Jackson
- President Adams
- President Coolidge
Mail ships
- Washington Mail - Became
- Japan Mail Became
- Philippine Mail Converted to containership in 1971, renamed President Eisenhower in 1975, then Santa Paula in 1983, then American Banker in 1985 and scrapped in 2004.
State ships
- Built by Newport News for States SS Company in 1962..
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- Hawaii
African ships
C4-S-58a
- African Comet
- African Meteor
- African Mercury Used in a location shot for the movie The French Connection
- African Neptune
- African Dawn
- African Sun
Noon ship
C4-S-57a
- Pioneer Moon
American ships
- C4-S-57a
- American Challenger - Scrapped in 1988
- American Charger - Scrapped in 1988
- American Champion - Scrapped in 1988
- American Chieftain - Scrapped in 1988
- C4-S-64a
- American Rover - Scrapped in 2004
- American Racer
- American Ranger - Scrapped in 2004
- American Reliance
- American Resolute - Scrapped in 2004
- C4-S-57a
- American Courier - Scrapped in 1988
- American Commander - Scrapped in 1988
- American Corsair - Scrapped in 1988
- American Contractor - Scrapped in 1988
- American Contender - Scrapped in 1988
- American Crusader - Scrapped in 1988
- Pioneer Moon - Scrapped in 1988
Ro-Ro ships
Notable incidents
- Marine Perch a C4-S-A3, was renamed SS Yellowstone. Yellowstone was in a collision with the Algerian freighter MV IBN Batoutaand and sank on 12 June 1978, southeast of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean Sea in dense fog. Five crewmen on Yellowstone were killed and two were injured, none on IBN Batoutaand. The bow of IBN Batoutaand struck deep into Yellowstone.
- Marine Lion a C4-S-B2, was renamed to, a hospital ship. On 25 August 1950 she sank after a in collision with the freighter SS Mary Luckenbach in heavy fog off San Francisco. Of the crew of 550, 23 were lost in the sinking.
- , built in 1944, was sold a few times and renamed SS Poet. In 1980 she went missing without a trace and is presumed sunk. her cargo was 13,500 tons of bulk corn that she loaded at Girard Point Terminal in South Philadelphia, she was to steam to Port Said, Egypt. There was a severe storm in the Atlantic Ocean at the time she vanished and she was low in the water with her heavy load.
- SS Cornhusker Mariner ran aground on the night of July 6 and 7, 1953 in the typhoon "Kit" as it passed close to Pusan Harbor.