EFC Design 1042 (Standard Lake "B"): Notes & Illustrations
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Notes: EFC Design 1042 (Standard Lake "B") was built by the EFC at the two Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW) yards at Ecorse (River Rouge, Detroit), Michigan, and Ashtabula, Ohio. Production of this design by the EFC was limited to six ships (four at Ecorse and two at Ashtabula) that were ordered on 5 March 1918 under Contract no. 200 at the same time that 24 ships of GLEW's "Stemwinder" Design 1060 were ordered under Contract no. 199. Previously the two GLEW yards had built 24 ships of essentially the same type as Design 1042 to orders from British and American interests (the first one was a Norwegian order), all of which were subsequently requisitioned. Even before that, Manitowoc built three ships like Design 1042 for the British that were also requisitioned. Construction of the design that became EFC Design 1042 began when Manitowoc laid down three ships for the British between January and August 1917. These ships had a rig that the British used in most of their UK-built standard ships consisting of pairs of derrick posts replacing the usual masts in the wells fore and aft and a light mast near the funnel, mainly for radio antennas. For its next order, two ships for a Norwegian buyer, Manitowoc shifted to a design similar to the Norwegian Fredrikstad type that became EFC Design 1044. The Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW) then took over the British-style design. Before World War I GLEW had specialized in large Great Lakes bulk carriers, but it had also built some Welland Canal size (under 260') salt-water cargo carriers of both the three-island and "Stemwinder" (cabins and engine room aft) types. After building four Stemwinders for foreign orders the firm laid down one ship of the three-island Manitowoc/British type in August 1917 for a Norwegian order and followed with the first of 17 ships for the British in September 1917. An order followed from an American firm for six more ships of the same type, which GLEW laid down in April and May 1918 after all 24 of its ships of this type along with the three Manitowoc ships had been requisitioned. The EFC made no major changes to this design when they adopted it as its Design 1042 (Standard Lake "B") and ordered six ships of that type on 5 March 1918. This order accompanied one for 24 Stemwinders, which had a larger deadweight capacity. The EFC may have placed its order for the smaller ships to use materials in the yard that had already been fabricated and close out that production line. They took a similar action on 28 March 1918 when they ordered a final six ships of Design 1020 along with 60 larger-capacity Design 1093 ships. (Special sources: The Great Lakes Engineering Works: The Shipyard and its Vessels, edited by Skip Meier and Wayne Garrett, The Marine Historical Society of Detroit, 2008, download at www.mhsd.org/publications; Lloyd's Register Foundation, hec.lrfoundation.org.uk/archive-library/documents/) Requisitioned Sisters: During 1916-1917 British, Norwegian, and American interests placed orders for 24 ships with the Great Lakes Engineering Works at its two yards at Ashtabula, Ohio, and Ecorse (River Rouge), Michigan, to a design that later became EFC Design 1042. All of these ships, Yard nos. 176-199, were requisitioned by the Shipping Board on 3 August 1917 and are covered in the Requisitioned Ships portion of the McKellar list. The British also ordered three ships to the same design at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. (Yard nos. 82, 83, and 86), which were similarly requisitioned. Specifications: Design 1042 (S.S. Connersville, EFC Hull 1280): Steel Cargo. Deadweight tons: 3300 designed, 3364 actual. Dimensions: 261' length oa, 253.5' pp x 43.5' beam mld. x 22.5' depth mld., 19.8' draft loaded. Propulsion: 1 screw, 1 triple expansion engine, 2 Scotch boilers, 1250 IHP, 8.5 kts. Configuration: 3-island, 1 deck, 2 holds, 4 hatches. |
| S.S. Crawl Keys (Design 1042, EFC Hull 1284) on 15 August 1918, the date of her delivery to the Shipping Board's Division of Operations. This "Laker" was built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, River Rouge Plant, Ecorse, Mich. This design features two pairs of derrick posts fore and aft and a single light mast near the stack. The sign under the bridge wing says "I am 29 days old. Look me over." (NARA: RG-32-M box 13) (Click photo to enlarge) |
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S.S. War Castle, later Lake Ontario (As Design 1042, Yard No. 82) This was one of three requisitioned ships built at Manitowoc to the design credited to the Great Lakes Engineering Works with the rig of two pairs of derrick posts favored by the British in their own wartime shipbuilding program. She was photographed on 24 November 1917, the date of her delivery. Photo No. None Source: U.S. National Archives, RG-19-A-27 |
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S.S. War Castle, later Lake Ontario (As Design 1042, Yard No. 82) After completion this ship was inspected on 29 December 1917 at Robins Drydock, Brooklyn. This photo is from the back of the ship's Navy inspection data card. She and her sister War Victor were the only ships of this type to be delivered before the winter closure of navigation at the end of 1917. Photo No. NH 101999 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, Ship Histories Branch, SP/ID card (also in NARA RG-19-LCM). |
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S.S. Lake St. Clair, ex War Goblin (As Design 1042, Yard No. 177) This requisitioned ship was the first of the 17 Fredrikstad type ships ordered by the British and built at the GLEW Ecorse yard. She was inspected in the 9th Naval District (the Great Lakes) on 13 April 1918 and delivered on 29 April 1918. This photo is from the back of the ship's Navy inspection data card and may date from the inspection. Photo No. NH 65591 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command |
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S.S. Lake St. Clair, ex War Goblin (As Design 1042, Yard No. 177) At Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio, in camouflage around the time of her delivery in late April 1918. She was built at Ecorse, which is shown on her stern as her home port. Another Ecorse product, not camouflaged, is in drydock ahead of her. Photo No. None (Flickr, Ashtabula Archive, Great Lakes Engg. Works) Source: www.flickr.com/photos/115892967@N03/albums/72157642249794054/ |
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S.S. Crawl Keys (Design 1042, EFC Hull 1284) A contract built Design 1042 ship during her side launching on 27 July 1918. The sign on the side of the bridge house declares "A World's Record. This Ship Launched in 14 Days." She was completely built in 29 working days plus a 30th day (15 August 1918) for delivery. Photo No. 165-WW-499A-054 [or 095] Source: U.S. National Archives, RG-165-WW |
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S.S. Lake Pleasant, ex War Sprite (As Design 1042, Yard No. 177) A requisitioned ship leaving Ashtabula either for a trial trip or after delivery, which occurred on 24 August 1918. She was the last of the six ships ordered by the British and built at Ashtabula. Photo No. None (Flickr, Ashtabula Archive, Great Lakes Engg. Works) Source: www.flickr.com/photos/115892967@N03/albums/72157642249794054/ |
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S.S. Connersville (Design 1042, EFC Hull 1280) The first ship of the EFC contract for six Design 1042 ships is shown fitting out at Ashtabula on 21 October 1918. The Navy Department stamp indicates that the Navy either took the photo or acquired it for its collection. Photo No. None Source: NARA RG-19-MC box 1 |
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USS Lake Harris, ex S.S. War Fairy (As Design 1042, Yard No. 188) A requisitioned ship beached near the Penzance railway station in southwestern England on 5 November 1918 after a gunfight off Land's End with a surfaced German submarine. She was later refloated and towed to Falmouth for repairs. She had been commissioned at Montreal on 7 August 1918 and was assigned to carry coal from Wales and northern Ireland to France for use by the U.S. Army. Photo No. None (Flickr, Ashtabula Archive, Great Lakes Engg. Works) Source: www.flickr.com/photos/115892967@N03/albums/72157642249794054/ |
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S.S. Lake St. Regis, ex War Elfin (As Design 1042, Yard No. 178) This requisitioned ship was the first of the six Fredrikstad type ships ordered by the British and built at the GLEW Ashtabula yard. She was delivered on 30 April 1918 and is show here later handling cargo alongside a pier. Photo No. NH 65097 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command |
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S.S. Lake St. Regis, ex War Elfin (As Design 1042, Yard No. 178) Handling cargo alongside a pier, possibly on the same occasion as the photo above. Note the bad condition of the pier. The photo was taken by the Hoffman Co., a commercial photographer at Cleveland. Photo No. NH 102002 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, from NARA RG-19-LCM |
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USS Lake Harris, ex S.S. War Fairy (As Design 1042, Yard No. 188) Leaving #1 dry dock at the Philadelphia Navy Yard shortly before being decommissioned on 5 September 1919. She had been scheduled to arrive at Philadelphia on 23 July 1919 after completing her wartime service transporting coal from Cardiff and Belfast to French ports. Photo No. NH 398 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command |
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S.S. Connersville (Design 1042, EFC Hull 1280) This photo was attached to the Navy inspection data card for this contract-built ship and may have been taken at the time that a one-page report on her was produced on 14 December 1921. Despite its poor quality it gives a good impression of her forward cargo rig. She was not inspected when completed, the 28 December 1918 report on Crathorne being deemed sufficient. Photo No. None Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, Ship Histories Branch, SP/ID card. |
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S.S. Lake Louise, ex War Drum (As Design 1042, Yard No. 181) This requisitioned ship was built at Ashtabula and is probably shown here during the early 1920s. She was converted to a barge by the Ford Motor Co. in 1927. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. Lake Mary, ex War Flute (As Design 1042, Yard No. 190) This requisitioned ship was built at Ecorse and is probably shown here during the early 1920s. The derrick post pairs fore and aft have been joined at the tops making them goalpost masts and topmasts have been fitted to the crossbars, while the topmast has been removed from the light mast near the stack. She was scrapped in 1928. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. Atlantic Trader, ex Crathorne (Design 1042, EFC Hull 1283) One of the six contract built Design 1042 ships departing a U.S. port on 23 October 1941, having just been acquired by the American States Marine Line. She has a new rig in which the original derrick posts pairs with their four booms have been replaced with more substantial single posts, also with four booms. The thin masts on the forecastle and poop serve as topmasts. Photo No. AtlanticTrader_5682_008 Source: vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/5682 |
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