Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, Chester PA

Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company (Sun Ship) was developed by Sun Oil in 1917 as a tanker builder and was in continuous operation throughout the lean inter-war years.  At the beginning of the WWII emergency, its 8 ways were increased to 20 with $28mm from the USMC, and later to 28, making it the single largest shipyard in the country.  At its peak it employed more than 40,000 people, organized in four adjacent yards.  The most northerly of the four, known as the #4 Yard, was manned almost exclusively by African-American workers.  After the war, the South Yard and the #4 Yard were sold for industrial development and Sun continued as a merchant shipbuilder in the Central and North Yards.  It was sold to Pennsylvania Shipbuilding (Penn Ship) in 1982, but closed in 1989.  The North Yard is now Penn Terminals, a very successful independent cargo terminal, the only U.S. port facility that employs Boilermaker labor.  The Central Yard site has been sold or leased for multiple uses: the south end is now part of neighboring Kimberly-Clark (formerly Scott Paper), the parking lot to the east of Morton Avenue is now a state penitentiary and the big floating dry-dock is now in Galveston; the remainder of the Central Yard is now Harrah's Chester Casino & Racetrack.  See the shipyard from the air on Google here: you can still see the old WWII building ways in what used to be the South and #4 Yards.

Hull # USSB, USMC or MARAD Hull # Original Name Original Owner Ship Type Gov't. Design Code GT DWT Price ($mm) Keel Laid Launched Delivered Days on Ways Days in Water Total Days Disposition
1 Req. Chester Sun Sun Oil Tanker   6,669 10,600   27-Jan-17 30-Oct-17 2-Jan-18 276 64 340 Later D. J. Moran 1929, Elwood 1936, scrapped 1949
2 Req. Sabine Sun Sun Oil Tanker   6,728 10,540   18-Feb-17 2-Feb-18 29-Mar-18 349 55 404 Later W. W. Bruce 1930, scrapped 1947
3 Req. War Indian/Radnor Cunard Line Psgr./Cargo   7,770 11,590   19-Apr-17 23-Mar-18 11-May-18 338 49 387 Later Jacob Luckenbach 1930, Tung Ping 1947, Pacific Dragon 1950, Oceanic Justice 1955, scrapped 1959
4 Req. War Trojan/Lancaster Cunard Line Psgr./Cargo   5,871 11,672   3-May-17 5-May-18 15-Jun-18 367 41 408 Wrecked off Casablanca and lost 1942
5 Req. M. E. Luckenbach/South Bend Luckenbach SS Psgr./Cargo   8,739 12,130   26-May-18 29-Oct-18 7-May-19 156 190 346 Later J. L. Luckenbach 1923, San Francisco 1948, Diponegoro 1951, Djakarta Raya 1952, scrapped 1959
6 Req. Jacob Luckenbach/Marica Luckenbach SS Psgr./Cargo   8,739 12,130   5-Jun-18 30-Nov-18 6-Jun-19 178 188 366 Later Lillian Luckenbach 1922, in collision and lost 1943
7 Req. Merrimac/Neponset Shawmut SS Psgr./Cargo   7,435 11,437   7-Nov-17 4-Jul-18 28-Oct-18 239 116 355 Later Susan V. Luckenbach 1929, scrapped 1947
8 Req. Deerfield Shawmut SS Psgr./Cargo   7,551 11,437   8-Feb-18 4-Aug-18 21-Oct-18 177 78 255 Later Kelvinia 1926, Mathew Luckenbach 1930, torpedoed and lost 1943
9 Req. Edellyn Luckenbach SS Psgr./Cargo   8,713 11,876   5-Jun-18 4-Jan-19 15-Jul-19 213 192 405 Later Dorothy Luckenbach 1932, Ernestine Koranda 1944, Dorothy Luckenbach 1950, scrapped 1957
10 Req. Sol Navis Luckenbach SS Psgr./Cargo   8,713 11,876   6-Jul-18 2-Apr-19 10-Jul-19 270 99 369 Later Harry Luckenbach 1920, torpedoed and lost 1943
11 246 Hanover US Shipping Board Cargo Ship   5,816 10,375   19-Feb-19 30-Aug-19 27-Oct-19 192 58 250 Later Adamastos 1939, lost to gunfire 1940
12 247 Dryden US Shipping Board Cargo Ship   5,816 10,375   20-Jun-19 22-Nov-19 24-Dec-19 155 32 187 Later Lafayette 1939, Novosibirsk 1945, scrapped in the 1970s
13 Req. S. B. Hunt Standard Oil of NJ Tanker   6,689 10,327   23-Aug-18 14-Jun-19 14-Aug-19 295 61 356 Later Flambeau (IX 192) 1945, S. B. Hunt 1946, scrapped 1947
14 Req. Geo. H. Jones Standard Oil of NJ Tanker   6,689 10,529   1-Nov-18 12-Jul-19 16-Sep-19 253 66 319 Torpedoed and lost 1942
15 248 Conshohocken US Shipping Board Cargo Ship   5,816 10,375   11-Sep-19 31-Jan-20 22-Mar-20 142 51 193 Later Willhilo 1921, Arizonan 1929, Nortuna 1946, scrapped 1959
16 249 Cajacet US Shipping Board Cargo Ship   5,816 10,375   27-Sep-19 17-Jan-20 21-Feb-20 112 35 147 Later Willsolo 1921, Georgian 1929, Norlanda 1946, scrapped 1959
17 Req. Sunbeam Sun Oil Tanker   6,664 10,600   4-Dec-18 16-Aug-19 15-Oct-19 255 60 315 Later Cesteriano 1939, torpedoed and lost 1944
18 Req. Sun Shine Sun Oil Tanker   6,664 10,600   8-Jan-19 4-Oct-19 18-Nov-19 269 45 314 Later Dean Emery 1921, scrapped 1949
19 Req. Gulftrade Gulf Refining Tanker   6,859 10,590   7-Aug-19 6-Dec-19 1-Dec-20 121 361 482 Torpedoed and lost 1942
20 Req. Atlantic Sun Sun Oil Tanker   6,667 11,223   14-Oct-19 6-Mar-20 8-Apr-20 144 33 177 Later Giorgio Fassio 1939, Panuco 1941, scrapped 1952
21   Salatiga Ruys & Zonen Cargo Ship   7,650 11,480   2-Dec-19 5-Apr-20 10-Jun-20 125 66 191 Later Bering 1926, Hellenic 1946, Venus 1951, scrapped 1959
22   Widgeon (AM 22) US Navy Minesweeper     950   8-Oct-17 5-May-18 22-Jul-18 209 78 287 Reclassified 1936 as ASR 1, scrapped 1947
23   Teal (AM 23) US Navy Minesweeper     950   8-Oct-17 25-May-18 20-Aug-18 229 87 316 Reclassified 1936 as AVP 5 , sold 1946
24   Brant (AM 24) US Navy Minesweeper     950   30-May-18 30-May-18 6-Sep-18 0 99 99 Reclassified 1942 as ARS 32, sold 1946
25   Toledo Sun Oil Tank Barge     779   26-Jun-22 24-Jul-22 27-Jul-22 28 3 31 Presumed scrapped
26   Agwisun A.G.W.I. SS Tanker   6,784 10,600   8-Dec-19 24-May-20 29-Jun-20 168 36 204 Later Gulfgem 1929, Polarus Gem 1950, scrapped 1959
27   Agwimoon A.G.W.I. SS Tanker   6,784 10,600   19-Jan-20 19-Jun-20 23-Jul-20 152 34 186 Later Altair 1927, in collision and scrapped 1943
28   I. C. White Pan American Tanker   7,035 10,600   2-Feb-20 14-Jul-20 14-Aug-20 163 31 194 Torpedoed and lost 1941
29   Gulfstar Gulf Refining Tanker   7,035 10,600   11-Mar-20 31-Jul-20 31-Aug-20 142 31 173 Scrapped 1950
30   Elisha Walker Pan American Tanker   7,035 10,600   8-Apr-20 25-Aug-20 18-Sep-20 139 24 163 Scrapped 1949
31   Agwimars A.G.W.I. SS Tanker   7,035 10,600   13-Jul-20 23-Nov-20 11-Dec-20 133 18 151 Later Beaconstar 1929, scrapped 1938
32   Agwiworld A.G.W.I. SS Tanker   6,771 10,600   28-Jul-20 22-Dec-20 19-Jan-21 147 28 175 Later Edgewater 1949, scrapped 1954
33   Joseph Sepp Standard Oil of NJ Tanker   7,110 10,440   6-Aug-20 9-Oct-20 28-Oct-20 64 19 83 Sunk by a mine 1940
34   W. J. Hanna Standard Oil of NJ Tanker   7,110 10,440   22-Jun-20 30-Oct-20 20-Nov-20 130 21 151 Scrapped 1934
35   Joseph M. Cudahy Sinclair Oil Tanker   7,053 10,440   22-Aug-20 8-Jan-21 4-Feb-21 139 27 166 Torpedoed and scuttled 1942
36   Samuel L. Fuller Sinclair Oil Tanker   7,053 10,440   3-Aug-20 11-Dec-20 7-Jan-21 130 27 157 Later Wiiri 1947, scrapped 1958
37   Cerro Ebano Pan American Tanker   8,880 12,940   26-Aug-20 19-Feb-21 26-Mar-21 177 35 212 Later Esso Dover 1940, scrapped 1949
38   Cerro Azul Pan American Tanker   8,877 12,940   13-Oct-20 26-Feb-21 26-Mar-21 136 28 164 Later Esso Providence 1940, scrapped 1954
39   J. N. Pew Sun Oil Tanker   9,074 13,282   5-Nov-20 23-Apr-21 14-Sep-21 169 144 313 Torpedoed and lost 1942
40   Agwihavre A.G.W.I. SS Tanker   8,862 12,880   26-Nov-20 2-Apr-21 16-Jun-21 127 75 202 Later Gulfpenn 1929, torpedoed and lost 1942
41   Agwimex A.G.W.I. SS Tanker   8,862 12,880   8-Dec-20 6-Aug-21 30-Sep-21 241 55 296 Later Gulfwax 1929, scrapped 1954
42   Pennsylvania Sun Sun Oil Tanker   8,862 12,880   23-Dec-20 3-Feb-23 3-Mar-23 772 28 800 Later American Trader 1938, San Diego 1947, scrapped 1953
43   Delaware Sun Sun Oil Tanker   8,964 14,136   3-Jan-21 31-Dec-21 24-Jan-22 362 24 386 Later Saxonstar 1950, wrecked 1953
44   Foldenfjord Benham & Bornsen Tanker   7,277 10,540   17-Jan-21 12-May-21 30-May-21 115 18 133 Later Larry Doheny 1928, torpedoed and lost 1942
45   David McKelvy Tidewater Oil Tanker   6,821 10,630   23-Feb-21 4-Jun-21 30-Jun-21 101 26 127 Torpedoed and lost 1942
46       Tanker                     Cancelled
47       Tanker                     Cancelled
48   Sunoco Sun Oil Tanker   6,888 10,600   14-Feb-20 4-Dec-20 5-Jan-21 294 32 326 Later Pat Doheny 1928, Alba 1947, scrapped 1955
49   Millville Penn. RR Ferry   796     16-Feb-22 8-May-22 6-Jun-22 81 29 110 Scrapped 1952
50   Haddonfield Penn. RR Ferry   796     20-Feb-22 15-May-22 12-Jun-22 84 28 112 Scrapped 1952
51   Delaware Gulf Refining Tank Barge     791   23-Mar-22 25-Apr-22 1-May-22 33 6 39 Presumed scrapped
52   Miami Gulf Refining Tank Barge     791   28-Mar-22 28-Apr-22 3-May-22 31 5 36 Presumed scrapped
53   Haleakala Inter-Island SN Cargo Ship   3,679 1,209   16-May-22 18-Sep-22 15-Feb-23 125 150 275 Later Cristobal 1948, Tasikmalaja 1951, scrapped 1955
54   No. 801 Penn. RR Grain Barge     1,000   2-Oct-22 8-Nov-22 28-Nov-22 37 20 57 Presumed scrapped
55   No. 802 Penn. RR Grain Barge     1,000   9-Oct-22 18-Nov-22 6-Dec-22 40 18 58 Presumed scrapped
56   No. 803 Penn. RR Grain Barge     1,000   16-Oct-22 22-Nov-22 6-Dec-22 37 14 51 Presumed scrapped
57   Dickenson Com. Pac. Cable Supply Ship   831 565   16-Nov-22 17-Feb-23 26-Apr-23 93 68 161 Later Kailua 1942, foundered and sunk as target 1946
58   A. Mackenzie Corps of Engineers Hopper Dredge   3,012 1,716   9-Mar-23 20-Nov-23 28-May-24 256 190 446 In collision and sank 1974
59   W. L. Marshall Corps of Engineers Hopper Dredge   2,690 1,716   26-May-23 20-Nov-23 18-Jun-24 178 211 389 Scrapped in the 1950s
60   Dan C. Kingman Corps of Engineers Hopper Dredge   2,313 1,716   18-Jun-23 22-Mar-24 5-Aug-24 278 136 414 Later Sandon 3 1954, Dan C. Kingman 1957, A. A. Raymond 1962, scrapped 1971
61   Wm. T. Rossell Corps of Engineers Hopper Dredge   2,690 1,716   21-Jun-23 21-May-24 20-Aug-24 335 91 426 In collision and sank 1957
62   A. D. Co. No. 15 American Dradge Tank Barge     357   3-Nov-22 2-Dec-23 8-Dec-23 394 6 400 Presumed scrapped
63   NYC Oil Barge No. 1 NYC RR Tank Barge     1,070   8-Jan-23 17-Feb-23 23-Feb-23 40 6 46 Presumed scrapped
64   NYC Oil Barge No. 2 NYC RR Tank Barge     1,070   10-Jan-23 17-Feb-23 23-Feb-23 38 6 44 Presumed scrapped
65   Troy Socony Standard Oil of NY Tanker   943 1,800   26-Feb-23 12-May-23 21-Jun-23 75 40 115 Later Blue Comet 1946, scrapped 1954
66   E. J. R. R. & T. Co. 29 Tidewater Oil Tank Barge     730   23-Jan-23 7-Mar-23 5-Apr-23 43 29 72 Presumed scrapped
67   E. J. R. R. & T. Co. 30 Tidewater Oil Tank Barge     730   29-Jan-23 10-Mar-23 9-Apr-23 40 30 70 Presumed scrapped
68   E. J. R. R. & T. Co. 31 Tidewater Oil Tank Barge     730   30-Jan-23 16-Mar-23 11-Apr-23 45 26 71 Presumed scrapped
69   Carteret Pan American Tanker   373 470   2-Apr-23 9-Jun-23 3-Jul-23 68 24 92 Converted to barge 1961, presumed scrapped
70   P. & R. No. 3 P. & R. RR Car Float     1,000   17-Mar-23 31-May-23 31-May-23 75 0 75 Presumed scrapped
71   P. & R. No. 4 P. & R. RR Car Float     1,000   20-Mar-23 31-May-23 31-May-23 72 0 72 Presumed scrapped
72   NYC Oil Barge No. 3 NYC RR Tank Barge     1,070   1-Oct-23 26-Nov-23 8-Dec-23 56 12 68 Presumed scrapped
73   Schenectady Socony Standard Oil of NY Tanker   1,199 1,925   5-Dec-23 5-Apr-24 24-Apr-24 122 19 141 Later barge The Independent 1953, presumed scrapped
74   Amsterdam Socony Standard Oil of NY Tanker   1,199 1,925   5-Dec-23 5-Apr-24 26-Apr-24 122 21 143 Later Jo Ann Reinauer 1950, Poling Bros. No. 8 1956, laid up 1996
75   Rome Socony Standard Oil of NY Tanker   1,199 1,925   5-Dec-23 5-Apr-24 10-May-24 122 35 157 Later Esso Delivery No. 13, 1949, Esso Hudson 1955, Hudson 1969, scrapped 1998
76   Oswego Socony Standard Oil of NY Tanker   1,199 1,925   20-Dec-23 24-Apr-24 17-May-24 126 23 149 Later Taurus 1949, scrapped 1973
77   Burlington Socony Standard Oil of NY Tanker   1,199 1,925   20-Dec-23 8-May-24 17-May-24 140 9 149 Later Evelyn Anne 1952, Poling Bros. No. 7 1