SS John Bascom

History
United States
Name	John Bascom
Namesake	John Bascom
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 1521
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost	$2,062,150
Yard number	3
Way number	3
Laid down	7 September 1942
Launched	31 March 1943
Completed	30 April 1943
Identification	Call Signal: KLEG
Fate	Sunk off Bari, Italy, 2 December 1943
Status	Sold for scrapping, 20 February 1948
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 Alabama Marine Engine Co., Birmingham, Alabama) 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

SS John Bascom was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after John Bascom, a professor of rhetoric at Williams College from 1855 to 1874, and the president of the University of Wisconsin from 1874 to 1887.

Construction

John Bascom was laid down on 7 September 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1521, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was launched on 31 March 1943.

History

She was allocated to Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc., on 30 April 1943. On 2 December 1943, she was sunk during the German air raid on Bari, Italy. On 20 February 1948, she was sold, along with 39 other vessels, including her sister ships SS Isaac Shelby and SS Niels Poulson, for $520,000, to Venturi Salvaggi Ricuperi Imprese Marittime Societa per Azioni, Genoa.

Bibliography

• "Jones Construction, Panama City FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
• "Liberty Ships – World War II". Retrieved 20 November 2017.
• Maritime Administration. "John Bascom". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 20 November 2017. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• "SS John Bascom". Retrieved 20 November 2017.

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