Wednesday, 7 September 2011

Dutch cargo ship (ex-S. Hall Young 1943-1946, Brederode 1946-1948) Lekkerkerk 1948-1961 (Maria Santa 1961-1968)

Drawing made by Darth Panda and Alexander van Maanen


This standard Liberty EC2-S-C1 ship was owned by the N.V. Vereenigde Nederlandsche Scheepvaart Maatschappij. In 1943 build at the yard of Permanente Metals Corporation at Richmond, USA as the S. Hall Young on account of the United States War Shipping Administration (maritime Commission Hull Number 0479). In 1946 was she acquired by the Dutch government and was taken into service by the as the Brederode although two years later renamed Lekkerkerk. In 1958 bough the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland her reselling her in 1961 to the Greek Compania de Nav. Michales Line S.A. which rechristened her Maria Santa. Four years later she was again sold but keeping her name. In 1967 was the Maria Santa sold to be broken up what a year later was done at Kaohsiung. She measured 7,217 tons. These details are supplied by the website http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/vns.htm 


The list of liberty ships published at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Liberty_ships_(S%E2%80%93Z) mentioned that she was named after S. Hall Young and that her MC hull number was indeed 479. She was a standard liberty ship laid down on 2 March 1943, launched 29 days later and privately sold in 1947 to be broken up in 1967. 

The website http://www.usmm.org/libertyships.html provided just her MC hull number. 

The website dealing with liberty ships on http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsS.html said that the S. Hall Young was completed in April 1943, in 1947 indeed sold to Dutch government and rechristened Bredero, a year later as the Lekkerkerk owned by the Ver. Scheepvaart Maatschappij (VNS), in 1950 owned by the SMN, a year later again of the VNS, in 1961 as the Greek Maria Santa was her new owner Cia. De Nav. Michales Line at Paname, Athens, five years later became she property of the company Mardiesta Cia. Nav. at Panama although still under Greek flag owned by P. Papadelis of Athens, Greece and broken up in 1967 at Taiwan.

The EC2-S-C1 was a general cargo vessel with as dimensions 441'6"(over all) x 57'(maximum) x 37'4" with five cargo holds.They could be armed although there was no standard armament and which varied between 3" and 4" guns and 0.3 and 0.5 machineguns. The gun with the heaviest calibre was placed at the stern sometimes with two smaller guns. The superstructure offered place for another 4 guns, at both sides of the forward mast one gun and finally one or two at the bow. Laid down on 2 March 1943, launched on 31 March of the same year and completed on 12 June 1943 and finally broken up in June 1967.
Source: http://www.ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf