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
29 Cadmium B5-BJ1 2220 May-44 Later BCL 3055
30 Chromium B5-BJ1 2221 May-44 Later BCL 3056
3` Cobalt B5-BJ1 2222 May-44 Later BCL 3057
32 Iridium B5-BJ1 2223 Jun-44 Later BCL 3058
33 Lithium B5-BJ1 2224 Jun-44 Later BCL 3059
34 Magnesium B5-BJ1 2225 Jun-44 Later BCL 3060
35 Neon B5-BJ1 2226 Jun-44 Later BCL 3061
36 Nickel B5-BJ1 2227 Jun-44 Later BCL 3062
37 Phosphorus B5-BJ1 2228 Jun-44 Later BCL 3063
38 Sodium B5-BJ1 2229 Jul-44 Later BCL 3064
39 Sulphur B5-BJ1 2230 Jul-44 Later BCL 3065
40 Tellurium B5-BJ1 2231 Jul-44 Later BCL 3066
41 Tungsten B5-BJ1 2232 May-44 Later BCL 3067
42 Uranium B5-BJ1 2233 Jul-44 Later BCL 3068
43 Bismuth B5-BJ1 2234 Aug-44 Later BCL 3069
44 Bromide B5-BJ1 2235 Aug-44 Later BCL 3070
45 Hydrogen B5-BJ2 2236 Sep-44 Later BCL 3071
46 Calcium B5-BJ2 2237 Oct-44 Later BCL 3072
47 Antimony B5-BJ2 2238 Nov-44 Later BCL 3073
48 Cerium B5-BJ3 2695 Mar-45 Later FMS 1
49 Radon B5-BJ3 2696 May-45 Later FMS 2
MacEvoy Shipbuilding Corp., Savannah GA
1 Concrete No. 6 B7-A1 619 Jan-44  
2 Concrete No. 7 B7-A1 620 Feb-44  
3 Concrete No. 8 B7-A1 621 Mar-44  
4 Concrete No. 9 B7-A1 622 Apr-44  
5 Concrete No. 10 B7-A1 623 May-44  
6 Concrete No. 11 B7-A1 903 Jun-44  
7 Concrete No. 12 B7-A1 904 Jun-44  
8-23 No name B7-A1 905-920   Cancelled
San Jacinto Shipbuilding Corp., Houston TX (later taken over by McCloskey & Co.)
1 Concrete No. 29 B7-A1 629 Nov-43  
2 Concrete No. 30 B7-A1 630 Nov-43  
3 Concrete No. 31 B7-A1 631 Dec-43  
4 Concrete No. 32 B7-A1 632 Dec-43  
5 No name B7-A2 633   Cancelled
25-39 No name B7-A2 1304-1318   Cancelled
Barrett & Hilp, San Francisco CA
1 Agate B7-D1 1319 Aug-43 To US Army
2 Chromite B7-D1 1320 Sep-43 To US Army
3 Flint B7-D1 1321 Sep-43 To US Navy
4 Granite B7-D1 1322 Sep-43 To US Navy
5 Graphite B7-D1 1323 Oct-43 To US Navy
6 Gypsum B7-D1 1324 Oct-43 To US Navy
7 Mica B7-D1 1325 Nov-43 To US Navy
8 Bauxite B7-D1 1326 Jun-43 Later IX 154
9 Asphalt B7-D1 1327 Jun-43 Later IX 153, lost off Saipan 1944
10 Slate/Carmita B7-D1 1328 May-43 Later IX 152, lost 1947
11 Midnight B7-D1 1329 Mar-44 Later IX 149, sold in China 1948
12 Quartz B7-D1 1330 Apr-44 Later IX 150, afloat as breakwater in Powell River BC
13 Bauxite/Silica B7-D1 1331 Jun-44 Later IX 151, scuttled 1945
14 Limestone/Corundum B7-D1 1332 Jul-44 Later IX 164
15 Feldspar B7-D1 1333 Aug-44 Later IX 159, sold
16 Marl B7-D1 1334 Aug-44 Later IX 160, sold in the Philippines 1948
17 Barite B7-D1 1335 Aug-44 Later IX 161
18 Lignite B7-D1 1336 Sep-44 Later IX 162
19 Cinnabar B7-D1 1337 Sep-44 Later IX 163, sold
20 Limestone B7-D1 1338 Oct-44 Later IX 158, sold
21-26 No names B7-D1 1339-1344   Cancelled