EFC Design 1023 (Standard Fabricated Submarine Boat type):
Notres & Illustrations
Click here for larger and more complete plans: Sheet 1, Sheet 2
Click here for a plan from International Marine Engineering, April 1918: Sheet 1
Click on the photographs below to prompt larger views of the same images.
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Notes: On 9 April 1915 the British ordered 50 wooden hulled 75-foot motor launches to be built at Bayonne, N.J. by the Electric Launch Company (Elco), a subsidiary of the Electric Boat Co. with Henry R. Sutphen as general manager, and this order was followed on 8 June 1915 by a contract for 500 more of 80 or 86 feet in length. On 4 August 1915 the Electric Boat Co. established the subsidiary Submarine Boat Corp. to build the craft. To comply with American neutrality, parts for boats after the first 50 were fabricated at Bayonne and the boats were assembled at Montreal. Delivery of the first 50 was promised by 30 November 1915, and the last of the 550 boats was delivered by 3 November 1916. 30 more followed in 1917-18. The U.S. entry into the war in April 1917 prompted Sutphen to explore the possibility of fabricating much larger vessels. They were originally to be constructed of wood like the motor launches, but difficulties obtaining wood for those vessels, a determination that wood parts would not keep their shape due to shrinkage and rot, and a suggestion by Sutphen that ordinary bridge and structural steel could be used in place of shipbuilding steel in ships up to a certain displacement led to a change to steel construction. Because of the use of unclassified steel it was suggested that the fabricated ships be limited in size to 3500 dwt, the same as the Ferris wooden ships, but in the detailed development of the design it was found possible to increase the deadweight capacity to 5000 tons and still retain standardization in design and material. On 13 July 1917 the first general manager of the EFC, General George W. Goethals, informed the chairman of the Shipping Board that his main reliance for getting the greatest amount of tonnage in the shortest time would be on the construction of fabricated steel ships of standard pattern. Ferris produced the specifications and preliminary plans for a 5600-ton fabricated cargo ship which became Design 1023, and the final plans were a collaborative work by Ferris, the builder, and several bridge engineers. On 14 September 1917 the EFC contracted with Submarine Boat to build a new "agency" shipyard with 28 building ways at Newark Bay, N.J., and supervise the construction of 50 Design 1023 fabricated ships there (EFC Hulls 547-596) with an option for 100 more. On 16 November 1917, after Congress provided additional funds, the EFC took up the option for the additional 100 ships (EFC Hulls 785-884). The first rivet was deiven in the new shipyard on 20 December 1917. In the meantime, International Marine Engineering reported in August 1917 that William B. Ferguson, President of the Bayles Shipyard, Inc., at Port Jefferson, N.Y., had submitted to the EFC bids for the construction of composite 5500-ton cargo steamers of his own design. These were essentially steel ships but with wood planking instead of steel plate for the outer shell. Like the fabricated vessels they made maximum use of structural steel in place of shipbuilding steel. They measured 357'6" oa, 340' pp x 47' x 28' depth and 23'3" draft, and had a capacity of 5500 deadweight tons and a displacement of 8,230 tons. Click here for a plan of this design. Ferris reportedly approved the design, but the EFC apparently opted to have Bayles build all-steel ships of a similar size instead and on 8 November 1917 awarded them a contract for four Design 1023 vessels. These were to have reciprocating engines instead of the turbines in the Sub Boat vessels. They were still incomplete when they were sold with the yard and cancelled on 1 January 1920. Upon completion they went directly into foreign registry. The last 32 Sub Boat vessels (EFC Hulls 853-884) were suspended on 25 October 1919. Convinced that he could find buyers for his company's products, Sub Boat President Henry Carse negotated with the Shipping Board for permission to take over the 32 suspended contracts. The suspension also brought a proposal from Italian shipbuilders to buy all fabricated parts, machinery, and equipment for 5350 dwt steamships for eventual assembly at a new yard at Palermo, Sicily. At the same time the unnamed Italian company, likely the Ansaldo combine, offered to buy four Sub Boat ships, probably four to be built from the cancelled contracts. Expecting permission to sell four ships to Italy, Sub Boat chose ITALIA as the name for the first of the 32 ships they had decided to build for themselves. Protectionist as ever, the Shipping Board refused the Italian offer. The 32 ships at Sub Boat were still suspended as of 23 Feb 1920 but the agreement with Sub Boat which had just gone through to allow Sub Boat to build them for the yard's account automatically cancelled them. They were formally cancelled on 28 February 1920 and completed privately. Transmarine Corp. was established as operator of the yard's 32 freighters; both it and the yard went bankrupt in 1931. Sources: The essential source on this class is Mark H. Goldberg, The Shipping Board's "Agency Ships," Part I, The "Sub Boats" (Kings Point, 1994). A planned Part II on "The Merchants" (Design 1025) never appeared. Specifications: Design 1023 (S.S. Agawam, EFC Hull 547): Steel Cargo. Deadweight tons: 5000 designed, 5085 actual. Dimensions: 335.5' length oa, 324' pp x 46' beam mld. x 28.5' depth mld., 22.8' draft loaded. Propulsion: 1 screw, 1 Westinghouse turbine, 2 Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers, 1500 SHP, 10.5 kts. Configuration: 3-island, 1&2 decks, 4 holds, 5 hatches. |
| S.S. Onekama (Design 1023, EFC Hull 561) around the time of her delivery on 28 August 1919 by the Submarine Boat Co., Newark, N.J. She was one of the last ships delivered by this yard with a wartime rig with a topmast stepped near the funnel and a second stepped on deck to port aft. Laid up in 1921, she was included in a 1925 scrap sale to Ford Motors. Photo by Morris Rosenfeld, New York. (NARA: RG-32-UB Box 16) (Click photo to enlarge) |
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S.S. Agawam (Design 1023, EFC Hull 547) Riding light, probably around the time of her acceptance by the USSB on 23 October 1918 and before she loaded 4,093 tons of sugar for her full load trials which began on 31 October 1918. After several mishaps she was delivered on 17 December 1928. The Agawam photos were probably all taken by Morris Rosenfeld of New York. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-M box 13 |
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S.S. Agawam (Design 1023, EFC Hull 547) Probably shown on her full load trials on 31 October 1918. With her cargo and war equipment including guns embarked she attained a deadweight tonnage of 5,521 tons and made a top speed of 10.6 knots at 90 revolutions per minute. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-M box 13 |
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S.S. Agawam (Design 1023, EFC Hull 547) Probably shown on her full load trials on 31 October 1918. Idled in 1921, she was one of 50 "Sub Boats" sold to Ford Motors along with 100 "Lakers" in 1925 for scrapping. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-M box 13 |
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S.S. Dade County (Design 1023, EFC Hull 590) Photographed by M. Rosenfeld of New York on 24 July 1919, the day of her delivery to the EFC. She left on 27 February 1920 on her first Shipping Board voyage to Havana and then with sugar to Brest and Southampton. Idled at the end of 1921, she was included in the 1925 scrap sale to Ford Motors. Photo No. NH 798 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command |
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S.S. Davidson County (Design 1023, EFC Hull 592) Around the time of her delivery on 16 August 1919 by the Submarine Boat Co., Newark, N.J. She left on her first voyage on 2 September 1919 from Norfolk to Rotterdam. She was completed with a standard peacetime rig with her topmasts on her two masts. Laid up in 1921, she was another of the 50 "Sub Boats" included in the 1925 scrap sale to Ford Motors. Photo by Morris Rosenfeld, New York. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-UB box 34 |
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S.S. Minnewawa (Design 1023, EFC Hull 825) Probably shown around the time of her delivery on 7 January 1920. Her first assignment was carrying general cargo from Boston to Rotterdam. She was laid up in New Orleans in 1922 and was sold for scrapping in 1929. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. Fort Pitt Bridge (Design 1023, EFC Hull 555) Probably shown after receiving a standard peacetime rig sometime in 1919 while carrying emergency supplies to Europe or in 1920. She was laid up in February 1921 and was among the 50 "Sub Boats" sold to Ford Motors along with 100 "Lakers" in 1925 for scrapping. Photo No. NH 1217 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command |
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S.S. Mana, ex Moravia Bridge (Design 1023, EFC Hull 838) With a Honduran neutrality flag on her side circa 1941. Photo No. Mana_3162_004 Source: vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/3162 |
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S.S. Mana, ex Moravia Bridge (Design 1023, EFC Hull 838) Entering an American port on 12 September 1942 under the Honduran flag. Photo No. Mana_3162_003 Source: vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/3162 |
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S.S. Makawao, ex Sujerseyco (Design 1023, EFC Hull 881) Arriving in an American port on 17 May 1943 under the Honduran flag. Photo No. Makawao_3155_006 Source: vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/3155 |
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S.S. Ashkhabad (Soviet), ex Surailco (Design 1023, EFC Hull 861) Surailco was completed for Sub Boat's Transmarine Line in September 1920 and upon the collapse of that line in 1931 joined the Portland California Steamship Co.'s Admiral Line as Admiral Cole. This line ceased operaton in 1936 and Admiral Cole only resumed steady trading in October 1939. She operated under War Shipping Administration control throughout World War II and was then transferred to the USSR. This view may show her in Alaskan waters, where many such transfers to the USSR were carried out. The original caption states that she was aground. Photo No. 80-G-72694 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (L-file, merchant folder) |
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S.S. Ashkhabad (Soviet), ex Surailco (Design 1023, EFC Hull 861) After operating under War Shipping Administration control throughout World War II, Admiral Cole ex Surailco was transferred to the USSR. The Soviet flag is painted on the side of her bridge. She evidently served for nearly another two decades and was finally deleted from the Soviet register after 31 December 1964. The photo was probably taken by a Canadian aircraft. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. Valles, ex Surico (Design 1023, EFC Hull 866) Surico became the Admiral Line's Admiral Gove in 1931. After that line ceased operaton in 1936 she was sold multiple times, ending up being the second ocean-going ship owned by the future shipping magnate C.Y. Tung. She was sunk at Shanghai in 1942 and 1945 and was finally repaired again in 1951 and renamed Valles by a new Chinese owner. She is shown here at Singapore in 1959-60 trading for the Panamanian Oriental Steamship Co. She arrived at a Hong Kong breaker's yard on 21 September 1966. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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