EFC Design 1106 (Newport News type): Notes & Illustrations
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Notes: In mid-1918 the Navy and the Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation collaborated on a plan to build twelve merchant-type tankers for Navy use. The EFC added the ships to its building program as its hulls 1650-1661 and retained ownership of the vessels, but it delegated to the Navy all aspects of their construction, including contracting, design, and supervision of construction. The ships were built at yards that worked for the Navy and not the EFC. On completion the EFC was to loan the ships to the Navy, which would take them over and man them for its own use. On 10 October 1918 the Navy on behalf of the EFC signed a contract with the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. for construction of eight oil tank steamers of about 11,375 tons deadweight capacity. Six of the ships were to have reciprocating engines and the last two (Tippecanoe and Trinity, EFC Hulls 1660-61) were to have Curtis geared turbines. Navy names for the eight ships were assigned by Navy General Order 503 of 2 September 1919 and promulgated within the EFC on 24 October 1919. For these ships Newport News selected the smaller of two designs of flush-decked tankers that it was then building. In 1916-17 the yard had delivered six large flush-decked 516-foot tankers, beginning with Charles Pratt (1916) and ending with J.C. Donnell (1918, requisitioned). In 1918 Newport News built two ships (both requisitioned) to a similar but smaller 477-foot design, H.M. Flagler and F.D. Asche. These were the prototypes for the Patoka (AO-9) class. Beginning with Patoka in September 1919 four of the ships were transferred to the Navy upon completion on loan from the Shipping Board, but with the war over the Navy turned the other four over to the Shipping Board as soon as the shipbuilder delivered them. The Navy reacquired these four in 1922 but only Salinas was reactivated (in 1926) and the other three remained in reserve until 1940. As built the ships had a cargo capacity of 11,145 tons of oil. See the page in this site on the Patoka (AO-9) Class for subsequent information and photos. Requisitioned Sisters: Newport News Yard nos. 208-209 (H.M. Flagler and F.D. Asche) were requisitioned by the Shipping Board on 3 August 1917 but soon re-conveyed to their owner. They are covered in the Requisitioned Ships portion of the McKellar list. |
| USS Salinas (AO-19, Design 1106, EFC Hull 1657) shown after receiving one 5"/51 gun on her stern in 1932. Eight of these flush-decked tankers were built by the Newport News S.B. Co., Newport News, Virginia. (NHHC: NH 67794) (Click photo to enlarge) |
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S.S. H.M. Flagler (1918) The Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. used the design of this ship, which the firm delivered in July 1918, to build the eight tankers of the Patoka class. H.M. Flagler was delivered to the EFC on 16 July 1918 and reconveyed to Standard Oil of New Jersey on 13 January 1919. Never in the Navy, she operated without a name change through World War II and was scrapped in 1949. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. National Archives, RG-32-M box 13. |
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USS Ramapo (AO-12, Design 1106, EFC Hull 1655) Oblique overhead view between the wars showing the arrangement of features on her deck. She has two 5"/51 guns and before 1938 was normally the only ship of the class to mount her guns. Photo No. NH 67864 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. |
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USS Ramapo (AO-12, Design 1106, EFC Hull 1655) Riding light. The dark stack with a light band seen here appears to have been in use until the early 1930s. Photo No. NH 60697 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. |
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USS Salinas (AO-19, Design 1106, EFC Hull 1657) Photographed circa 1934 with one 5"/51 gun aft, which she had received in 1932. Photo No. NH 50383 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. |
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USS Sapelo (AO-11, Design 1106, EFC Hull 1658) In San Diego Harbor on 28 January 1933. Sapelo carried two 5"/51 guns as shown here between 4 March 1932 and 31 August 1933. Photo No. NH 65154 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command |
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USS Ramapo (AO-12, Design 1106, EFC Hull 1655) Showing her forward gun on its platform. Note the light stack without a band. Photo No. NH 63572 Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. |
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