History
United States
Name	M. E. Comerford
Namesake	Michael Comerford
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2390
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$806,170[1]
Yard number	175
Way number	5
Laid down	10 November 1944
Launched	12 December 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. M.E. Comerford
Completed	20 December 1944
Identification	Call Signal: ANBJ [1]
Fate	Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay Group, 8 October 1948 Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, Washington, 21 August 1952 Sold for scrapping, 12 January 1970
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length	441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam	57 feet (17 m)
Draft	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine,  (manufactured by General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3 inches (76 mm)/50 caliber gun Stern-mounted 4 inches (102 mm)/50 caliber gun 2–8 × single 20 millimeters (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37 millimeters (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

SS M. E. Comerford was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Michael Comerford, owner of Comerford Theatres, a chain of some of the first movie theaters in Pennsylvania and New York.

Construction

M. E. Comerford was laid down on 10 November 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2390, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. M.E. Comerford, widow of the namesake, and launched on 12 December 1944.^[3][1]

History

She was allocated to Merchants & Miners Transportation Company, on 20 December 1944. On 8 October 1948, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the Suisun Bay Group. On 21 August 1952, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in Olympia, Washington. On 5 April 1954, she was withdrawn to be load with grain as part of the "Grain Program – 1954". She returned loaded with grain on 17 April 1954. On 19 May 1957, she was withdrawn to have the grain unloaded. She returned to the fleet empty on 25 May 1957. On 12 January 1971, she was sold for $87,000, to Zidell Exploration Co., Ltd., for scrapping. She was removed from the fleet on 16 January 1970.^[4][5]

References

Bibliography