View source for SS John Morgan

{{short description|World War II Liberty ship of the United States}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image=Liberty ship at sea.jpg
| Ship caption=A Liberty ship at sea
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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| Ship country= United States
| Ship flag= {{USN flag|1943}}
| Ship name= ''John Morgan''
| Ship namesake=General [[John Tyler Morgan]]
| Ship awarded=
| Ship builder= [[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation]], [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]
| Ship original cost=
| Ship yard number= 2128
| Ship way number=12
| Ship laid down=31 March 1943
| Ship launched= 4 May 1943
| Ship sponsor=
| Ship christened=
| Ship completed= 12 May 1943
| Ship acquired=
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| Ship out of service=
| Ship renamed=
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| Ship motto= 
| Ship fate=Sunk after collision, 1 June 1943
| Ship notes=
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}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Header caption=
| Ship class= Type EC2-S-C1 [[Liberty ship]]
| Ship tonnage=
| Ship displacement={{convert|14245|LT|MT}}<ref name="davies">{{cite web |url=http://ww2ships.com/acrobat/us-os-001-f-r00.pdf |title=Liberty Cargo Ships |first=James |last=Davies |work=ww2ships.com |year=2012 |page=23 |access-date=6 May 2012}}</ref>
| Ship length=*{{Convert|441|ft|6|in|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|o/a]]
*{{Convert|417|ft|9|in|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|p/p]]
*{{Convert|427|ft|abbr=on}} [[Length at the waterline|w/l]]<ref name="davies"/>
| Ship beam= {{Convert|57|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="davies"/>
| Ship height=
| Ship draft= {{Convert|27|ft|9|in|abbr=on}}<ref name="davies"/>
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| Ship propulsion=*Two oil-fired boilers
*[[Triple-expansion steam engine]]
*{{Convert|2500|hp|abbr=on}}
*Single screw
| Ship speed={{Convert|11|kn|lk=in}}<ref name="davies"/>
| Ship range={{Convert|20000|nmi|abbr=on}}
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| Ship boats=
| Ship capacity={{convert|10856|MT|LT|0|abbr=on}} [[deadweight tonnage|deadweight]] (DWT)<ref name="davies"/>
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| Ship complement=
| Ship crew=81<ref name="davies"/>
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| Ship armament=Stern-mounted [[4-inch/50-caliber gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on}}]] [[deck gun]] for use against surfaced submarines, variety of [[anti-aircraft guns]]
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}}
|}
'''SS ''John Morgan''''' was a [[World War II]] [[Liberty ship]] built by the [[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation]] at their Bethlehem-Fairfield yard at [[Baltimore]], Maryland, and launched on 4 May 1943. She was operated by the [[Wessel Duval & Company]] for the war.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergencylarge/wwtwo/bethfairfield.htm |title=Bethlehem Fairfield |work=shipbuildinghistory.com |year=2012 |access-date=7 May 2012 |archive-date=10 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510101851/http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergencylarge/wwtwo/bethfairfield.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

However, on 1 June 1943, during its maiden voyage ''John Morgan'' collided with the tanker {{SS|Montana}} off [[Cape Henry]] on the coast of [[Virginia]]. ''John Morgan'' broke in two and sank immediately at position {{Coord|36|59|56|N|75|23|59|W|display=inline, title}}, but started fires aboard ''Montana''. {{USS|Shubrick|DD-639|6}}, engaged in gunnery practice in Chesapeake Bay, was sent to investigate. She sent a party aboard ''Montana'' to assist in extinguishing the fires, but recalled them after discovering that ''Montana'' was also carrying ammunition. Soon afterwards {{USS|Herndon|DD-638|2}} and {{USS|Nelson|DD-623|2}} arrived, and circled the area looking for survivors, but recovered only 12 bodies.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/9999.htm |title=Destroyer Photo Index Unidentified |work=navsource.org |year=2011 |access-date=7 May 2012}}</ref>

== The wreck ==
The ship lies in approximately {{Convert|110|ft|abbr=on}} of water. It is largely broken up, but the bow and a structure known as the "hospital" are still recognizable. The ship was on the [[United States]] lend-lease program and was loaded with war supplies such as [[Valentine tank]]s, [[P-39]]s, and large amounts of ammunition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uwex.us/morgan.html |title=John Morgan |work=uwex.us |year=2005 |access-date=7 May 2012 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191107/http://uwex.us/morgan.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Maiden voyage sinkings}}
{{June 1943 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:John Morgan}}
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:Liberty ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Baltimore]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in June 1943]]
[[Category:Ships sunk in collisions]]