Preceded by Type C3 class ship Completed 81 | Subclasses Six | |
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Builders Kaiser Shipyards of Richmond, CaliforniaKaiser Shipyards of Vancouver, WashingtonSun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. of Chester, PennsylvaniaBethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard of Sparrows Point, Maryland Type C4-S-A1 troop transport (30 built)C4-S-A3 troop transport (15 built)C4-S-A4 cargo ship (16 built)C4-S-B1 tank carrier (one built)C4-S-B 2 troop transport/hospital ship (14 built)C4-S-B5 cargo/troop transport (five built) |
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.
Contents
- General series
- Marine series
- Mount series
- Named after a person
- Hospital ships
- M class ships
- Jet class ships
- References
Eighty-one ships were built as cargo or troopships in four shipyards: Kaiser Richmond, CA (35 ships), Kaiser Vancouver, WA (20 ships), Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock in Chester PA (20 ships) and Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point MD (6 ships).
All ships were capable of 17 knots, driven by a single screw steam turbine generating 9,900 shp.
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.
General series
Marine series
Mount series
Named after a person
Hospital ships
"M" class ships
Four cargo/passenger liners were built for the Grace Line 1963-1964 by Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point as class C4-S-49a.
"Jet" class ships
The last two C4 ships were constructed in 1966 for the Prudential Lines, also by Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point as class C4-S-49b.