USS Haven, an example of a Type C4 ship, seen here in 1954, a type C4-S-B2 ship.
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Class overview | |
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Builders | |
Operators | United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) |
Preceded by | Type C3-class ship |
Subclasses | Six |
Completed | 81 |
General characteristics | |
Type |
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Tonnage | |
Length |
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Beam | 71.6 ft (21.8 m) |
Draft |
|
Propulsion |
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Speed | 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
Range |
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Complement | Varied by design type |
The Type C4-class ship were the largest cargo ships built by the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) during World War II. The design was originally developed for the American-Hawaiian Lines in 1941, but in late 1941 the plans were taken over by the MARCOM.
Eighty-one ships were built as cargo or troopships in four shipyards: Kaiser Richmond, California (35 ships), Kaiser Vancouver, Washington (20 ships), Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock in Chester, Pennsylvania (20 ships) and Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point, Maryland (6 ships). All ships were capable of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph), driven by a single screw steam turbine generating 9,900 shaft horsepower (7,400 kW).
Among the variations of the design were the Haven-class hospital ship.
They were followed post-war by thirty-seven of the larger C4-S-1 class, also known as the Mariner class.[1][2]