List of Liberty ships (R)

This is a list of Liberty ships with names beginning with R.

Description

The standard Liberty ship (EC-2-S-C1 type) was a cargo ship long overall, with a beam of . It had a depth of and a draft of . It was powered by a triple expansion steam engine, which had cylinders of , and diameter by stroke. The engine produced 2,500ihp at 76rpm. Driving a four-blade propeller in diameter, could propel the ship at .

Cargo was carried in five holds, numbered 1–5 from bow to stern. Grain capacity was , , , and , with a further in the deep tanks. Bale capacity was , , , and , with a further in the deep tanks.

It carried a crew of 45, plus 36 United States Navy Armed Guard gunners. Later in the war, this was altered to a crew of 52, plus 29 gunners. Accommodation was in a three deck superstructure placed midships. The galley was equipped with a range, a stock kettle and other appliances. Messrooms were equipped with an electric hot plate and an electric toaster.

Raccoon was a tanker built by Delta Shipbuilding Company, New Orleans, Louisiana. Her keel was laid as J. C. W. Beckham on 7 November 1943. She was launched as Raccoon on 23 December and delivered on 31 January 1944. Built for the United States Navy. Returned to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) in July 1946 and renamed J. C. W. Beckham. Sold in 1948 to Fordom Trading Corp', for International Shipping Corp., Tampa, Florida. Renamed Chrysanthstar later that year and operated under the management of Triton Shipping Inc. Sold in 1949 to Jupiter Steamship Corp. and renamed Jupiter. Converted to a cargo ship at Brooklyn, New York. Now . Renamed Searanger in 1951. Sold in 1953 to Nueva Granada Armadora and renamed Sariza. Re-registered to Panama and operated under the management of Goulandris Ltd. Sold in 1963 to Compania Navigation Continental and renamed Sara. Operated under the management of Ocean Shipping & Trading Co. Sold in 1965 to United Mariners Line, Hong Kong and renamed Asia Mariner. Reflagged to Liberia. She was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in November 1968.

Rachel Jackson was built by California Shipbuilding Corporation, Terminal Island, Los Angeles, California. Her keel was laid on 2 February 1943. She was launched on 2 March and delivered on 19 March. She was severely damaged in the Atlantic Ocean north west of Bermuda on 2 March 1952. Four ships went to her aid. Laid up at Beaumont, Texas post-war, she was scuttled off Port Mansfield, Texas on 25 April 1976.

Rafael R. Rivera was a boxed aircraft transport built by J. A. Jones Construction Company, Panama City, Florida. Her keel was laid on 30 November 1944. She was launched on 16 January 1945 and delivered on 30 January. Laid up in reserve post-war. To the United States Navy in September 1954. Converted for naval use at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and renamed Skywatcher. Laid up in the Hudson River in April 1965. Sold to buyers in Karachi, Pakistan in December 1970, she was resold to a German buyer. Resold again, she arrived at Santander, Spain for scrapping in May 1971.

Ralph A. Cram was built by California Shipbuilding Corporation. Her keel was laid on 18 October 1943. She was launched on 11 November and delivered on 1 December. Built for the WSA, she was operated under the management of Smith & Johnson. Sold in 1947 to Navigazione Generale Gerolimich & Co., Venice, Italy and renamed Atlantico. Sold in 1963 to the Polish Government and renamed Huta Ostrowiec. Operated under the management of Polska Żegluga Morska, Szeczin. Sold to her managers in 1971. She arrived at Santander for scrapping in May 1973.

Ralph Barnes was built by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon. Her keel was laid on 26 November 1943. She was launched on 10 December and delivered on 27 December. Built for the WSA, she was operated under the management of American Mail Line. Sold in 1946 to Det Ostasiatiske Kompagni, Copenhagen, Denmark and renamed St. Jan. Sold in 1951 to Puerto Nuevo Compania Navigation, Panama and renamed Artemidi. Operated under the management of Milmar Shipping & Trading Corp. Sold in 1952 to Rio Honto Compania Armamente, Panama and renamed Pantokrator. Operated under the management of Transworld Marine Transport Corp. Lengthened at Kobe, Japan in 1955. Now long and . Reflagged to Liberia and operated under the management of National Shipping & Trading Corp. Sold in 1961 to Hellenic Shipping & Industries Co., Piraeus, Greece and renamed Panagathos. Reflagged to Liberia in 1963. She ran aground off Ameland, Netherlands on 27 October 1965 whilst on a voyage from Hamburg, West Germany to an American port. She was abandoned as a constructive total loss. Her wreck was scrapped in situ in 1970.

Ralph Izard was built by Bethlehem Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland. Her keel was laid on 2 August 1942. She was launched on 13 September and delivered on 26 September. She was scrapped at Panama City, Florida in April 1965.

Ralph T. O'Neill was built by Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California. Her keel was laid on 29 April 1944. She was launched on 19 May and delivered on 26 May. She was scrapped at Oakland, California in February 1966.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was built by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation. Her keel was laid on 26 February 1942. She was launched on 19 April and delivered on 15 May. She was scrapped at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in August 1960.

Ransom A. Moore was built by J. A. Jones Construction Company, Panama City. Her keel was laid on 18 October 1944. She was launched on 21 November and delivered on 30 November. Laid up at Beaumont post-war, she was scrapped at Brownsville, Texas in September 1970.

Raymond B. Stevens was built by New England Shipbuilding Corporation, South Portland, Maine. Her keel was laid on 8 March 1944. She was launched on 19 April and delivered on 25 April. Run into by the Liberty ship in The Downs on 16 January 1945. She was scrapped at Philadelphia in 1961.

Raymond Clapper was built by St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida. Her keel was laid on 17 April 1944. She was launched on 22 May and delivered on 13 June. Built for the WSA, she was operated under the management of T. J. Stevenson & Co., New York. Sold to her managers in 1947 and renamed T. J. Stevenson. Sold in 1954 to Shamrock Steamship Corp., New York and renamed Shamrock. Reflagged to Liberia. Sold later that year to Niki Compania Navigation S.A., Panama and renamed Master Nicky. Remaining under the Liberian flag and operated under the management of Triton Shipping Inc. Renamed Thrylos and reflagged to Greece in 1960. Sold in 1965 to Volbay Navigation S.A., Panama and renamed Elias Dayfas II. Remaining under the Greek flag and operated under the management of Daymark Shipping Agency. She sprang a leak off the coast of Mexico on 5 July 1966 whilst on a voyage from Galveston, Texas to Saigon, South Vietnam. She was taken in tow by the American tanker , but the tow broke and she was presumed to have foundered ().

Raymond T. Baker was built by California Shipbuilding Corporation. her keel was laid on 22 December 1943. She was launched on 19 January 1944 and delivered on 7 February. Built for the WSA, she was operated under the management of Coastwise Transportation Co. Sold in 1947 to Georges Nicolaou, Athens, Greece and renamed Nicolaou Zografia. Sold in 1948 to Nicholas G. Nicolaou, Athens. Sold in 1960 to Ionic Steamship Co. and renamed Despo. Operated under the management of George Nicolaou Ltd. She was scrapped at Istanbul, Turkey in May 1971.

Raymond Van Brogan was a boxed aircraft transport built by J. A. Jones Construction Company, Panama City. Her keel was laid on 14 December 1944. She was launched on 27 January 1945 and delivered on 10 February. Laid up at Mobile in 1947l. To the United States Navy in June 1956 and renamed Vigil. Converted for naval use at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Laid up in the Hudson River in April 1965. Sold to Spanish shipbreakers in November 1970, she arrived at Bilbao for scrapping in January 1971.

Raymond V. Ingersoll was built by J. A. Jones Construction Company, Panama City. Her keel was laid on 27 July 1944. She was launched on 31 August and delivered on 18 September. Built for the WSA, she was operated under the management of Polarus Steamship Corp. Sold in 1947 to D/S A/S Vestland, Haugesund, Norway and renamed Sneland I. Operated under the management of Sverre Amlie. Management transferred to Richard. Amlie & Co. in 1948. Sold in 1959 to Polska Żegluga Morska and renamed Kopalnia Zabrze. Sold in September 1976 to Zarzad Portu, Gdynia, Poland. Converted to a floating warehouse and renamed MP-ZP GDY 8. She was scrapped at Gdynia in 1982, or the early 1990s.

R. C. Brennan was built by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation. Her keel was laid on 2 May 1943. She was launched on 21 May and delivered on 29 May. She was scrapped at Portland, Oregon in April 1960.

Rebecca Boone was built by Todd Houston Shipbuilding Corporation, Houston, Texas. Her keel was laid on 14 November 1943. She was launched on 21 December and delivered on 31 December. Built for the WSA, she was operated under the management of North Atlantic & Gulf Steamship Co. Sold in 1947 to Suwanee Fruit & Steamship Co., Jacksonville. Sold in 1949 to Honduras Shipping Co., Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Sold in 1950 to Oceanica Compania de Transportes, Panama and renamed Venerator. Reflagged to Liberia and operated under the management of Lemos & Pateras. Management transferred to Diamantis Pateras in 1953. Sold in 1958 to I.N.S.A. Società di Navigazione, Genoa, Italy and renamed Giga. Sold in 1960 to La Austral S.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina and renamed Cuyano. Rebuilt to a bulk carrier at Trieste, Italy. Lengthened to and now . Sold in 1961 to Palos Compania de Vapores, Panama and renamed Palos. Remaining under the Liberian flag and operated under the management of Soler y Compania. Sold in 1963 to Fundacion Armadora S.A., Panama and renamed Evmar. Remaining under the Liberian flag and operated under the management of Victoria Steamship Co. Sold in 1971 to Faros Shipping Enterprises, Cape Town, South Africa and renamed Antonia B. She was scrapped at Split, Yugoslavia in December 1972.

Rebecca Lukens was built by J. A. Jones Construction Company, Panama City. Her keel was laid on 7 January 1944. She was launched on 4 March and delivered on 10 April. To the United States Army and renamed Major General Herbert A. Dargue. Returned to United States Maritime Commission (USMC) in 1942 and renamed Rebecca Lukens. Laid up in the James River. She was scrapped at Wilmington, North Carolina in September 1970.

Redfield Proctor was built by Permanente Metals Corporation. Her keel was laid on 3 November 1942. She was launched on 12 December and delivered on 19 December. To the United States Navy and renamed Celeno. Severely damaged by aircraft off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands on 16 June 1945 and beached at Lunga Point. Refloated and sailed to San Francisco, California for repairs. Returned to WSA in March 1946 and renamed Redfield Proctor. Laid up in Suisun Bay. She was scrapped at Panama City, Florida in March 1961.

Redstone Seam was a collier built by Delta Shipbuilding Company. Her keel was laid on 15 January 1945. She was launched on 20 March and delivered on 16 May. Built for the WSA, she was operated under the management of Wilmore Steamship Co., Boston, Massachusetts. Sold to her managers in 1946 and renamed Berwindvale. Operated under the management of Staples Coal Co. Sold to her managers in 1961. Sold in 1963 to Western Ocean Transport Co. and renamed Point Vincente. Operated under the management of Pacific Coast Transport Co. She was scrapped at Castellón de la Plana, Spain in April 1965.

Reginald A. Fessenden