Builders of Concrete Ships

The Maritime Commission only built concrete ships and barges reluctantly, at a point in the war when the steel shipbuilders were all at full capacity.  There were five contractors, of which three were significant.

McCloskey & Company developed a shipyard in Tampa FL, to build 24 self-propelled dry bulk cargo ships, to carry sugar.  These were the only self-propelled concrete ships: they were 366 feet long, with a deadweight of 5,000 tons.  The yard was located at Hookers Point and had 6,000 workers: it closed permanently in December 1945.

Concrete Ship Constructors developed a shipyard in National City CA to build concrete barges. They built both B7 tank barges, which were 375 feet long, with a deadweight of 6,600 tons, and designed to move refined products from the Gulf of Mexico to the Northeast, and B5 covered dry cargo barges, which were 265 feet long, with a deadweight of 1,632 tons.  Their hulls 45-47 were completed with reefer capacity and hulls 48-49 were completed as maintenance barges.

Barrett & Hilp developed a shipyard in San Francisco CA to build concrete barges.  They built B7 dry bulk barges, which were 366 feet long, with a deadweight of 5,687 tons, designed to carry bauxite.

Nine of these ships are still afloat: visit http://www.discoverpowellriver.com/visitors/gianthulks.html and http://www.concreteships.org/ships/powellriver/ to see some great pictures.

Hull # Name Type MC # Delivered Disposition
McCloskey & Co., Tampa FL
1 Vitruvius C1-S-D1 1045 Dec-43 Sunk as a breakwater at Normandy
2 David O. Saylor C1-S-D1 1046 Nov-43 Sunk as a breakwater at Normandy
3 Arthur Newell Talbot C1-S-D1 1047 Feb-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Kiptopeke VA
4 Richard Lewis Humphrey C1-S-D1 1048 Mar-44 Sold in Mexico
5 Richard Kidder Meade C1-S-D1 1049 Mar-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Kiptopeke VA
6 Willis A. Slater C1-S-D1 1050 Feb-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Kiptopeke VA
7 Leonard Chase Watson C1-S-D1 1051 Jun-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Kiptopeke VA
8 John Smeaton C1-S-D1 1052 Apr-44 Afloat as a breakwater at Powell River BC
9 Joseph Aspdin C1-S-D1 1053 May-44 Wrecked and lost 1948
10 John Grant C1-S-D1 1054 Jun-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Kiptopeke VA
11 M. H. Le Chatelier C1-S-D1 1055 Jul-44 Afloat as a breakwater at Powell River BC
12 L. J. Vicat C1-S-D1 1056 Jul-44 Afloat as a breakwater at Powell River BC
13 Robert Whitman Lesley C1-S-D1 1057 Jul-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Kiptopeke VA
14 Edwin Thacher C1-S-D1 1058 Jul-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Kiptopeke VA
15 C. W. Pasley C1-S-D1 1059 Aug-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Newport OR
16 Armand Considere C1-S-D1 1060 Sep-44 Afloat as a breakwater at Powell River BC
17 Francois Hennebique C1-S-D1 1061 Sep-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Newport OR
18 P. M. Anderson C1-S-D1 1062 Sep-44 Afloat as a breakwater at Powell River BC
19 Albert Kahn C1-S-D1 1063 Oct-44 Abandoned and lost 1947
20 Willard A. Pollard C1-S-D1 1064 Nov-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Kiptopeke VA
21 William Foster Cowham C1-S-D1 1065 Nov-44 Sunk as a breakwater at Kiptopeke VA
22 Edwin Clarence Eckel C1-S-D1 1067 Dec-44 Scuttled 1946
23 Thaddeus Merriman C1-S-D1 1068 Nov-44 Afloat as a breakwater at Powell River BC
24 Emile N. Vidal C1-S-D1 1069 Dec-44 Afloat as a breakwater at Powell River BC
Concrete Ship Constructors, Inc., National City CA
1 Concrete No. 1 B7-A2 634 Apr-43 Later YO 143
2 Concrete No. 2 B7-A2 635 May-43 Later YO 144
3 Concrete No. 3 B7-A2 636 May-43 Later YOG 40
4 Concrete No. 4 B7-A2 637 Jun-43 Later YOG 41
5 Concrete No. 5 B7-A2 638 Jun-43 Later YOG 42
6 No name B7-A2 1220 Jul-43 Later YO 145
7 No name B7-A2 1221 Jul-43 Later YO 146
8 No name B7-A2 1222 Aug-43 Later YOG 53
9 No name B7-A2 1223 Aug-43 Later YO 159
10 No name B7-A2 1224 Sep-43 Later YO 160
11 No name B7-A2 1225 Sep-43 Later YO 161
12 No name B7-A2 1226 Oct-43 Later YO 162
13 No name B7-A2 1227 Oct-43 Later YO 163
14 No name B7-A2 1228 Nov-43 Later YO 182
15 No name B7-A2 1229 Nov-43 Later YO 183
16 No name B7-A2 1230 Dec-43 Later YOG 82, afloat as a breakwater at Powell River BC
17 No name B7-A2 1231 Dec-43 Later YO 184
18 No name B7-A2 1232 Jan-44 Later YO 185
19 No name B7-A2 1233 Jan-44 Later YOG 83
20 No name B7-A2 1234 Feb-44 Later YO 186
21 No name B7-A2 1235 Feb-44 Later YO 187
22 No name B7-A2 1236 Mar-44 Later YOG 84
23 Carbon B5-BJ1 2214 Feb-44 Later BCL 3049
24 Barium B5-BJ1 2215 Mar-44 Later BCL 3050
25 Helium B5-BJ1 2216 Mar-44 Later BCL 3051
26 Nitrogen B5-BJ1 2217 Mar-44 Later BCL 3052
27 Radium B5-BJ1 2218 Apr-44 Later BCL 3053
28 Argon B5-BJ1 2219 Apr-44 Later BCL 3054
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