EMERGENCY SHIPBUILDERS OF WWII

Builders of Concrete Ships and Barges

Most recent update: August 2021.
The Maritime Commission only built concrete ships and barges reluctantly, and only 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: the site is now part of Tampa Ship.  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 South 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. The yard had five graving docks, which are still there: one of them still has its gate in place and three more gates are lying in the docks.  See the yard from the air on Google here.  Nine of these ships are still afloat: visit  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, ashore at Lanaii HI
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, YOGN 82, breakwater at Powell River BC, reefed 2018
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, South 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