SS George E. Merrick

SS George E. Merrick was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after George E. Merrick, a real estate developer who is best known as the planner and builder of the city of Coral Gables, Florida, in the 1920s, one of the first planned communities in the United States.

History
United States
Name	George E. Merrick
Namesake	George E. Merrick
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	United States Lines
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2476
Awarded	23 April 1943
Builder	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida
Cost	$1,096,218
Yard number	40
Way number	4
Laid down	20 March 1944
Launched	4 May 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. Louis V. Tallamy
Completed	21 May 1944
Identification	Call sign: WKZZ
Fate	Laid up in the, Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York, 22 April 1948 Sold for commercial use, 25 January 1951, removed from fleet, 6 March 1951
United States
Name	Saxon
Owner	Saxon Steamship Co.
Fate	Sold, 1956
United States
Name	Saxon
Owner	Aspin Steamship Co.
Operator	Isbrandtsen and Co.
Fate	Sold, 1961
Greece
Name	Panagia Kounistra
Owner	Guiadoro Cia. Nav.
Operator	Zaharias Sitinas
Fate	Scrapped, 1972
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 Filer and Stowell, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) 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-inch (76 mm)/50-caliber gun Stern-mounted 4-inch (102 mm)/50-caliber gun 2–8 × single 20-millimeter (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37-millimeter (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

Construction

George E. Merrick was laid down on 20 March 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2476, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Mrs. Louis V. Tallamy, the president of the Ladies Auxiliary for the Harvey Seeds American Legion Post, Miami, and was launched on 4 May 1944.

History

She was allocated to the United States Lines, on 21 May 1944. On 2 December 1947, she was laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York. She was sold for commercial use, 25 January 1951, to Saxson Steamship Co. She was removed from the fleet on 6 March 1951. George E. Merrick was renamed Saxon and remained flagged in the US. Saxon was sold to the Aspin Steamship Co. in 1956. In 1961, she was sold to Guiadoro Cia. Nav., and renamed Panaiga Kounistra and reflagged in Greece. She was scrapped in 1972, in Istanbul.

Bibliography

• "St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 16 October 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "George E. Merrick". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
• "SS George E. Merrick". Retrieved 21 January 2020.