SS Nicholas Biddle

History
United States
NameNicholas Biddle
NamesakeNicholas Biddle
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorInternational Freighting Corp.
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 917
Awarded1 January 1942
BuilderBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[2]
Cost$1,045,728[1]
Yard number2067
Way number7
Laid down11 August 1942
Launched22 September 1942
Sponsored byMrs. R.E. Anderson
Completed30 September 1942
Identification
Fate
General characteristics [3]
Class and type
Tonnage
Displacement
Length
  • 441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa
  • 416 feet (127 m) pp
  • 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam57 feet (17 m)
Draft27 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
Speed11.5 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
Armament

SS Nicholas Biddle was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Nicholas Biddle, an American financier who served as the third and last president of the Second Bank of the United States. He also served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He is best known for his role in the Bank War.