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History
United States
Name	Benjamin Harrison
Namesake	Benjamin Harrison
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	Calmar Steamship Corporation
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 25
Awarded	14 March 1941
Builder	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland
Cost	$1,277,991
Yard number	2012
Way number	1
Laid down	27 September 1941
Launched	24 January 1942
Completed	13 March 1942
Fate	Torpedoed by German submarine U-172, 16 March 1943 and Scuttled by USS Rowan
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 m) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m) (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

SS Benjamin Harrison was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Benjamin Harrison, an American planter and merchant, a revolutionary leader, and a Founding Father of the United States. She served a year from March 1942 to March 1943, when she was attacked and scuttled.

Construction

Benjamin Harrison was laid down on 27 September 1941, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 26, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; and was launched on 24 January 1942.

History

She was allocated to Calmar Steamship Corporation, on 13 March 1942.

Sinking

She was loaded with stores for Allied forces in North Africa and sailed from Hampton Roads on 4 March 1943, with Convoy UGS 6. At 20:51, on 16 March 1943, she was struck by two torpedoes fired by German submarine U-172, part of  Wolfpack Unverzagt, during the only successful wolfpack attack on the trans-Atlantic UG convoy. Benjamin Harrison was struck in the #5 hold on the starboard side and began to slowly settle, but did not sink quickly. As the crew began to abandon ship, confusion caused the two of the lifeboats to be improperly launched, allowing the occupants to be dropped into the ocean. Only one lifeboat was launched successfully, due to the last boat being damaged in the torpedo attack. Two officers and an Armed guard perished. The escort ship Rowan scuttled Benjamin Harrison at 21:30, with gunfire, 150 mi (240 km) east northeast of Terceira, Azores, near 39°09′N 24°15′W / 39.150°N 24.250°W / 39.150; -24.250.

Further reading

• Rohwer, J. and Hummelchen, G. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945 Naval Institute Press 1992 ISBN 1-55750-105-X
• Hague, Arnold The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945 Naval Institute Press 2000 ISBN 1-55750-019-3

References

1. ^ Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards 2008.
2. ^ MARCOM.
3. Davies 2004, p. 23.
4. MARAD.
5. Uboat.

Bibliography

• "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "Benjamin Harrison". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
• "SS Benjamin Harrison". Retrieved 18 February 2020.
• "Benjamin Harrison". Retrieved 17 February 2020.

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in March 1943
Shipwrecks	2 Mar: Kyokusei Maru, Meriwether Lewis 3 Mar: Aiyo Maru, Arashio, Doggerbank, Kembu Maru, Oigawa Maru, Shirayuki, Sin-ai Maru, Stag Hound, Taimei Maru, Teiyo Maru 4 Mar: Asashio, City of Pretoria, Marietta E, Tokitsukaze, U-87 5 Mar: Empire Tower, USS Grampus, Minegumo, Murasame 8 Mar: 's Jacob, James B. Stephens, U-156 9 Mar: Fort Battle River 10 Mar: Nailsea Court, Richard Bland, U-633 11 Mar: HMS Harvester, U-432, U-444 12 Mar: HMS Lightning, HMS Turbulent, U-130 13 Mar: Clan Alpine, Empress of Canada, U-163 14 Mar: HMS Thunderbolt 15 Mar: USS Triton 16 Mar: Benjamin Harrison 19 Mar: Lulworth Hill, U-5, U-384 21 Mar: K-3, U-163 22 Mar: U-524, U-665 23 Mar: Delfino, Windsor Castle 24 Mar: Bungsberg 25 Mar: U-469 27 Mar: HMS Dasher, U-169 28 Mar: Caterina Costa, Ceuta, Masaya, Suwa Maru 29 Mar: U-77 30 Mar: SS Empire Bowman, U-416 Unknown date: Sirène
Other incidents	8 Mar: Ro-103 13 Mar: USS R-6 19 Mar: HMS Derwent Unknown date: USS Scorpion
1942 1943 1944 February 1943 April 1943

• Liberty ships
• World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean
• 1942 ships
• Maritime incidents in March 1943
• Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II