The P2 transport was a United States Maritime Commission design for a passenger ship which could be readily converted into a troop transport. Three variants of the design were built, the P2-SE2-R1 (Admirals), P2-S2-R2 (Generals), and P2-SE2-R3 (Presidents).

Admirals

Ten P2-SE2-R1 ships were ordered by the Maritime Commission in World War II. The ships were laid down by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Alameda, California. The intended use of these ships after the war was trans-Pacific service. As ordered, the ships were named after U.S. Navy admirals. Only eight ships were completed as troop transports for the navy, with the last two ships canceled on 16 December 1944. Despite being canceled, the last two ships were completed after the war to the P2-SE2-R3 design as civilian ships.

In 1946 the ships were all decommissioned by the navy and transferred back to the Maritime Commission, and from there to the United States Army. The army operated them with civilian crews as part of the Army Transport Service and renamed them after generals of the United States Army. In 1950 the ships were transferred back to the navy, but not recommissioned. Instead they were assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service, manned by a civil service crew, and keeping the names the army had given them. United States Navy Army Transport Service Military Sea Transportation Service USAT General Daniel I. Sultan USNS General Daniel I. Sultan (T-AP-120) USAT General Hugh J. Gaffey USNS General Hugh J. Gaffey (T-AP-121) USAT General Alexander M. Patch USNS General Alexander M. Patch (T-AP-122) USAT General Simon B. Buckner USNS General Simon B. Buckner (T-AP-123) USAT General Edwin D. Patrick USNS General Edwin D. Patrick (T-AP-124) USAT General Nelson M. Walker USNS General Nelson M. Walker (T-AP-125) USAT General Maurice Rose USNS General Maurice Rose (T-AP-126) USAT General William O. Darby USNS General William O. Darby (T-AP-127) Canceled 16 December 1944 and completed as civilian passenger liners.

Generals

Eleven P2-S2-R2 ships were ordered by the Maritime Commission in World War II. The ships were laid down by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Kearny, New Jersey. The intended use of these ships after the War was for South American service. As ordered, the ships were all named after United States Army generals.

Unlike the Admirals, the Generals did not have a relatively uniform life after World War II. Three were transferred to the Army as the Admirals had been, of which one was disposed of by the Army and converted to a passenger liner before the Korean War. Five were retained by the Navy and were transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service in October 1949 to be manned by civilian crews, and two others were transferred to American President Lines with the intent of being converted to a passenger liners, but ended up being chartered troop ships that in the Korean War were rejoined to military control as part of the Military Sea Transportation Service.

Ships in class Ship nameHull no.BuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedPost USN - service namesFateGeneral John PopeAP-110Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey14 July 194221 March 19435 August 194312 June 1946USAT General John Pope USNS General John Pope (T-AP-110)ScrappedGeneral A. E. AndersonAP-1112 May 19435 October 194310 November 1958USNS General A. E. Anderson (T-AP-111)Scrapped in Taiwan, July 1987General W. A. MannAP-1121942Unknown13 October 194311 December 1965USNS General W. A. Mann (T-AP-112)General H. W. ButnerAP-11319 September 194311 January 194428 January 1960USNS General H. W. Butner (T-AP-113)General William MitchellAP-114Unknown31 October 194319 January 19441 December 1966USNS General William Mitchell (T-AP-114)Scrapped at Taiwan, 1988General George M. RandallAP-11520 July 194330 January 194415 April 19442 June 1961 USNS General George M. Randall (T-AP-115)Sold for scrap, 8 May 1975General M. C. MeigsAP-11622 September 194313 March 19443 June 19441 October 1958SS General M. C. Meigs USNS General M. C. Meigs (T-AP-116)Broken up after being stranded on 9 January 1972General W. H. GordonAP-1172 November 19437 May 194429 Jun 1944April 1970SS General W. H. Gordon USNS General W. H. Gordon (T-AP-117)Scrapped 1987, TaiwanGeneral W. P. RichardsonAP-1182 February 19446 August 194415 April 194414 February 1946USAT General W. P. RichardsonSS La GuardiaSS LeilaniSS President RooseveltSS AtlantisSS Emerald SeasSS Sapphire SeasSS Ocean Explorer IScrapped in India, 2005General William WeigelAP-11915 March 19443 September 19446 January 194510 May 1946USAT General William Weigel USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119)Scrapped 1987, TaiwanGeneral J. C. BreckinridgeAP-17618 March 194530 June 19451 December 1966USAT General J. C. Breckinridge USNS General J. C. Breckinridge (T-AP-176)Scrapped 1988, Taiwan

Presidents As noted above, the last two Admirals were canceled in 1944 while under construction. They were completed to the P2-SE2-R3 design and operated by American President Lines as the (ex-USS Admiral D. W. Taylor) and the (ex-USS Admiral F. B. Upham). The President Wilson was later renamed SS Oriental Empress when sold to C.Y. Tung in 1978.

References

United States Maritime Commission P-Type Passenger Ships The Ships List: American President Lines