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William B. Bankhead
ET1-S-C3
Armadillo Class Mobile Station Tanker:
Laid down, 5 October 1943, as SS William B. Bankhead, a Maritime Commission type (Z-ETl-S-C3) hull,
under Maritime Commission contract (MCE 1926) Delta Shipbuilding Co., New Orleans, LA.
Renamed Leopard 27 October 1943
Launched, 15 November 1943
Acquired by the Navy 24 December 1943
Commissioned USS Leopard (IX-122), 26 December 1943
During World War II "Leopard was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
Decommissioned, and delivered to the WSA, 21 June 1946, at Norfolk, VA. for disposal
Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946 Merchant Service
Sold by the Maritime Commission in 1948 to Tramp Shipping & Oil Transportation Corp, renamed SS Yankee Fighter
Converted to a dry cargo ship at Staten Island, N.Y., renamed SS Fighter
Renamed SS Carreto in 1955
Renamed SS Zoe in 1960, reflagged Greece
Struck a submerged object in July 1965, off the coast of Brazil, leaking and severely damaged upon arrival at Rio Grande, Brazil
Final Disposition, sold to Brazilian Breakers in July 1965
Specifications :
Displacement 3,665 t.(lt), 14,500 t.(fl)
Length 441' 6"
Beam 56' 11"
Draft 28' 4"
Speed 11 kts.
Complement 105
Armament :
one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
three twin 40mm AA gun mounts
eight single 20mm AA gun mounts
Cargo Capacity 8,500 DWT
Oil 63,000 Bbls
Fuel CapacityNSFO 13,700 Bbls
Propulsion :
two Combustion Engineering 220psi boilers
one three cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
three recip-power 20Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
one 4 blade, 18' 6" propeller, 2,500shp
WILLIAM B. BANKHEAD, USA, 1T
7,218 GRT for U. S. War Shipping Administration, New Orleans, 422.8 x 57.0
Tanker built by Delta Shipbuilding Co., Inc., New Orleans, (12/1943), #87, 244758
12/43 - LEOPARD U. S. Navy (IX-122)
06/1946 - WILLIAM B. BANKHEAD U. S. Maritime Commission, New Orleans
1948 - YANKEE FIGHTER Manning Bros., Inc., New York
1949 - converted to dry cargo vessel by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y., 7,214 grt, delivered 05/1949
1951 - FIGHTER s/o
1954 - CARRETO Carreto Cia. Naviera S.A., Monrovia [Manning Bros. / Seacliff SS Corp], LI, 476
1960 - ZOE Ithacamar Cia. Maritima S.A., Piraeus [Harry Stavraka], GR, 1803
Struck submerged object, 14 July 1965, in 33.03.30 S-52.27.18 W, voyage Chimbote - Rio Grande, salt,
arrived Rio Grande, 17 July, leaking badly, subsequently condemned, sold and broken up at Porto Alegre.
( See photos below )
The Miramar Ship Index for "WILLIAM B. BANKHEAD"
IDNo:
|
2244758
|
Year:
|
1943
|
Name:
|
WILLIAM B. BANKHEAD
|
Keel:
|
05.10.1943
|
Type:
|
Tanker
|
Launch Date:
|
15.11.1943
|
Flag:
|
USA
|
Date of completion:
|
26.12.1943
|
Tons:
|
7218
|
Link:
|
-
|
DWT:
|
10674
|
Yard No:
|
87
|
Length overall:
|
134.6
|
Ship Design:
|
Z-ET1-S-C3
|
LPP:
|
126.8
|
Country of build:
|
USA
|
Beam:
|
17.3
|
Builder:
|
Delta SB Co.
|
Material of build:
|
|
Location of yard:
|
New Orleans
|
Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn):
|
1T-11
|
|
|
Subsequent History:
1943 LEOPARD - 1946 WILLIAM B.BANKHEAD - 1948 YANKEE FIGHTER -
[1949 converted to cargo ship, 7214 grt ] -
1951 FIGHTER - 1955 CARRETO - 1960 ZOE
Disposal Data:
Hit object 33.03.30 S / 52.27.18 W on 16.07.1965. [ Voyage Chimbote-Rio Grande, salt ]
& Scrapped at Porto Alegre.
History:
ON
|
LR/IMO
|
ID
|
Year
|
Name
|
Tons
|
Change
|
Registered Owner
|
244758
|
|
2244758
|
1943
|
WILLIAM B. BANKHEAD
|
7218
|
|
U.S. Govt.
|
IX-122
|
|
2244758
|
1943
|
LEOPARD
|
7218
|
1943
|
U.S. Navy.
|
244758
|
|
2244758
|
1943
|
WILLIAM B. BANKHEAD
|
7218
|
1946
|
U.S. Govt.
|
244758
|
|
2244758
|
1943
|
YANKEE FIGHTER
|
7218
|
1948
|
Manning Bros Inc.
|
244758
|
|
2244758
|
1943
|
FIGHTER
|
7214
|
1951
|
Manning Bros Inc.
|
476
|
|
2244758
|
1943
|
CARRETO
|
7214
|
1955
|
Carreto Cia Naviera SA
|
1803
|
539905
|
2244758
|
1943
|
ZOE
|
7214
|
1960
|
Ithacamar Cia Maritima SA
|
"Leopard", ex. "William B. Bankhead".
Aerial port view of the station tanker USS Leopard (IX-122) under way, 4 April 1944, in the SW Pacific. Originally designed to carry dry cargo,
the ship was converted to a tanker and spent her naval career doing harbor fueling duties from Australia to New Guinea areas.
( Photo thanks to Mike Green )
"Yankee Fighter", ex. "William B. Bankhead", ex. "Leopard", ex. "William B. Bankhead", moored pierside in a US port, circa late 1940s.
( Photo Copyright World Ship Society )
Greek flagged "Zoe", ex. "Carreto", ex. "Fighter", ex. "Yankee Fighter", ex. "William B. Bankhead", ex. "Leopard", ex. "William B. Bankhead",
moored pierside, probably in a Mediterranean port, date unknown.
( Photo thanks to Gerhard Mueller-Debus )