EFC Design 1032: Notes & Illustrations
Click here for larger and more complete plans: Sheet 1, Sheet 2. (Download for full size)
Click here for a plan of this design fitted as a troopship: Sheet 1.
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Notes: On 13 February 1916 the Union Iron Works in San Francisco, which had been owned since 1905 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., purchased the plant and property of the United Engineering Works in Alameda, Cal., probably in anticipation of an influx of orders for merchant ships from both European and American interests. The company then began work on what became a series of ten ships (eight at Alameda and two at San Francisco) to a common design that later became EFC Design 1057, a shelter deck freighter with three decks, two 'tween decks, no islands (flush decked), and a length between perpendiculars of 410 feet. Three of these including the first two were for the British. The yard later received an order from the British for eight more ships. In late June 1917 Bethlehem completed for these the basic plans for a new design that later became EFC Design 1032. It was a shelter deck ship with two decks (shelter and upper), one 'tween deck, no islands (flush decked), and a length between perpendiculars of 440 feet. See the page on EFC Design 1037 for more on two-decked shelter deck ships. It was also built on the Isherwood system of longitudinal framing instead of the transverse system. The yard added a ninth ship of this design (Steadfast) on its own account. Although they differed in length and in their internal deck arrangements, the overall height of the two designs from keel to top deck was similar, 41' for Design 1057 and 39.2' for Design 1032. Requisitioned Ships: All nine ships of the 440-foot design, Yard nos. 162-170, were requisitioned by the Shipping Board on 3 August 1917 and are covered in the Requisitioned Ships portion of the McKellar list under Union Iron Works. Steadfast was transferred on 31 December 1917 to the contract program as EFC Hull 1223. Contract Ships: Between April 1917 and January 1918 Theodore E. Ferris, as naval architect and consulting engineer for the EFC, developed his own designs for eight types of steel cargo and troopships and examined and approved designs by shipbuilders for four more. One of the four shipbuilder cargo ship designs was EFC Design 1032, a "Standard 12,000 ton" cargo ship with characteristics closely matching Bethlehem's 440-foot type. On 22 April 1918 the EFC ordered two large cargo ships, EFC Hulls 1574-1575, from Bethelehem's Alameda yard, and on 30 April 1918 it ordered six more there, EFC Hulls 1682-1687. A list of EFC designs produced at about this time showed in addition to Design 1032 two Bethlehem designs, a 410-foot Design 1056 and a 440-foot Design 1057. It was evidently realized that the two 440-foot designs were essentially the same, and in the program as carried out, EFC Hulls 1574-1575, and 1682-1687 along with EFC Hull 1223 (Steadfast, previously requisitioned), were built to the "Standard" Design 1032 while the previously requisitioned EFC Hulls 1220-1222 were built to the Bethlehem 410-foot design, now called Design 1057. Design 1056 became a wooden freighter that is referred to on the pages for Designs 1006 and 1111. USSB Turbo-Electric Drive Conversions: In 1920-21 the USSB had the war emergency geared turbine drive of the ex-British Eclipse, Invincible, Archer, Independence, and Victorious replaced with turbo electric drive by the Tebo Yacht Basin Company (owned by Todd) in Brooklyn. General Electric received a contract to build twelve 3,000 hp turbo electric systems for freighters, of which five were used in this project. The first ship, Eclipse, used the system with good results during a 26,500 mile commercial voyage between November 1920 and May 1921. In 1929 the Baltimore Mail Line purchased the five ships with the unconverted Steadfast replacing Invincible and rebuilt them as passenger and cargo ships with much more powerful machinery. They served in the Navy as assault transports (AP/APA) during World War II. The USSB Diesel Program, Phase II (1927-29): A 6 June 1924 amendment to the merchant marine act of 1920 authorized the Shipping Board to install internal combustion (Diesel) engines in vessels of the Government, both to find an acceptable type for use in the American merchant marine and to create competition in the development of the various types and promote the manufacture of such engines in the U.S. Starting with a Shipping Board resolution of 2 December 1924, four Design 1013 and eight Design 1027 ships were converted, all of which were completed by 1928. As Phase I of the program approached completion, the Board by resolution of 15 September 1927 began a second phase by authorizing the conversion of eight additional vessels, all of Design 1037. By resolution of 13 October 1927 the Board then approved the reconditioning and conversion of the three remaining ex-British ships similar to Design 1032, Courageous, Triumph, and Defiance, to diesel electric drive with four large diesels each to drive the main electric motors. McIntosh & Seymour single-acting diesels were selected for all three vessels. Electric motors for Courageous were supplied by General Electric and those for Defiance and Triumph were supplied by Westinghouse. The conversion of Courageous was awarded to Federal S.B. & D.D. for delivery by 27 October 1928, that of Triumph was assigned to the Boston Navy Yard for delivery by 1 December 1928, and that of Defiance was assigned to the Norfolk Navy Yard for delivery by 15 January 1929. Successful sea trials took place for Courageous on 15 December 1928, Defiance on 23 March 1929, and Triumph on 12 April 1929. Specifications: Design 1032 (S.S. Hegira, EFC Hull 1575): Steel Cargo. Deadweight tons: 12000 designed, 11600 actual. Dimensions: 457' length oa, 440' pp x 56' beam mld. x 38' depth mld., 28.7' draft loaded. Propulsion: 1 screw, 1 triple expansion engine, 3 Scotch boilers, 2800 IHP, 10.5 kts. Configuration: Flush shelter deck, 2 decks, 5 holds, 6 hatches. |
| S.S. Hannawa (Design 1032, EFC Hull 1684) on trials on 3 November 1920. She was built after the war and has a standard peacetime rig. (NARA: RG-32-S) (Click photo to enlarge) |
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S.S. Defiance (As Design 1032, Yard No. 164) Fitting out on 20 August 1918 at the Alameda Works of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Union Plant. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-S |
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S.S. Defiance (As Design 1032, Yard No. 164) Stopped in the stream, probably during her trial trip. She was delivered on 5 September 1918. Note the wartime rig with a single topmast. Photo No. NH 96088 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command/NARA: RG-19-LCM |
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S.S. Invincible (As Design 1032, Yard No. 165) Stopped in the stream, probably during her trial trip. She was delivered on 17 October 1918. Photo No. NH 70466 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command/NARA: RG-19-LCM |
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S.S. Victorious (As Design 1032, Yard No. 163) Stopped in the stream, probably during her trial trip. She was delivered on 19 October 1918. Photo No. NH 65035 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command/NARA: RG-19-LCM |
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S.S. Independence (As Design 1032, Yard No. 162) Fitting out on 24 October 1918 at the Potrero (San Francisco) Works of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Union Plant, after being built across the bay at the company's Alameda Works. Eclipse is on the left. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-S |
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S.S. Independence (As Design 1032, Yard No. 162) At anchor in a view from the ship's Navy inspection (SP/ID) card. She was delivered to the EFC on 31 October 1918. Photo No. NH 100107 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, ID card |
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S.S. Eclipse (As Design 1032, Yard No. 168) At anchor on 21 January 1919 in the stream off the Potrero (San Francisco) Works of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Union Plant, after being built across the bay at the company's Alameda Works. She was delivered on 1 February 1919. Note the postwar reversion to the standard peacetime rig and hull colors. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-S |
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S.S. Archer (As Design 1032, Yard No. 169) Fitting out on 21 January 1919 at the Alameda Works of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-S |
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S.S. Steadfast (Design 1032, EFC Hull 1223) This formerly requisitioned ship is shown underway on 2 May 1919 on her trial trip. Note the large pennant on her foremast displaying her name. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-S |
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S.S. Heffron (Design 1032, EFC Hull 1574) Shown in Army service at the Mare Island Navy Yard on 19 June 1920 with two submarine chasers (SC-276 and SC-307) which had been transferred to the War Department on deck aft for shipment to Manila and the Army motor tug First Lieutenant Harry E. Crosby on deck forward for shipment to Honolulu. Note the large American shield painted on the bow. She served with the Army Transport Service from 7 April 1920 to 7 January 1921. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-19-E |
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S.S. Pomona (Design 1032, EFC Hull 1682) Underway on 12 July 1920 on her trial trip. She was renamed from Hancock on 13 December 1918. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-S |
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S.S. Hannawa (Design 1032, EFC Hull 1684) Pierside on on 3 November 1920, the day of her trial trip. The last three ships in this contract, Hanska, Harbine, and Harcourt (EFC Hulls 1685-87) were suspended on 11 February 1919 and cancelled on 19 August 1919. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-S |
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S.S. Hanley (Design 1032, EFC Hull 1683) Underway on 23 December 1920 on her trial trip. Photo No. None Source: NARA: RG-32-S |
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S.S. Hanley (Design 1032, EFC Hull 1683) Entering a U.S. port on 17 November 1942. Photo No. Hanley_8411_006 Source: vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/8411 |
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S.S. Jefferson Meyers, ex Hannawa (Design 1032, EFC Hull 1684) Anchored in a U.S. port on 8 May 1943. Photo No. JeffersonMyers_8716_001 Source: vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/8716 |
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S.S. Hegira (Design 1032, EFC Hull 1575) Anchored in a U.S. port on 21 July 1943. Photo No. Hegira_8443_003 Source: vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/8443 |
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S.S. Chrysanthemum, ex Invincible (As Design 1032, Yard No. 165) In commercial service between 1946 and 1950 after war service as Empire Porpoise. She was scrapped in 1954 after two more name changes. Photo No. NH 105652 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command |
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