Army band aboard SS Lawton B. Evans in 1943

SS Lawton B. Evans was an American ship, constructed in Alabama[2] during World War II it was named after the author Lawton Bryan Evans (1862–1934).

Construction

SS Lawton B. Evans was a Liberty ship, with hull number 'MCE 746'. She launched at Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company on 1 January 1943, sponsored by Betty Jane Hard, Winner of Scrap Metal Drive, Milledgeville, Georgia. The cosponsor was Mrs. E. D. Veal, Principal of Midway School, Milledgeville, Georgia.[3][4]

World War II

She was operated by the General Steamship Corporation under a charter with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration.

U-boat encounter

During the Convoy HX 228[5] she was slightly damaged at 21.31 hours on 10 March 1943 when hit by a dud torpedo from German U-boat U-221 commanded by Hans-Hartwig Trojer.[6] Out of the 22 ships hit by this German submarine SS Lawton B. Evans was the only one to survive.[7]

Battle of Anzio

Main article: Battle of Anzio
Amateur boxer Calvin "Jiggs" O'Rourke aboard SS Lawton B. Evans in 1943

Liberty ships were United States Shipping Board cargo ships, a merchant ship, fitted with guns for defensive purposes manned by United States Navy Armed Guard.[8] In one notable incident they were used for support from 22 to 30 January 1944 when the Lawton B. Evans was involved in the Battle of Anzio in Italy. First class seaman Calvin Stoddard O'Rourke received commendations for his performance on 24 June 1944 when this ship was under repeated bombardment from hostile shore batteries and aircraft throughout an eight-day period. Despite the prolonged danger of shrapnel, machine-gun fire and bombs, the gun crew fought back, setting up a deadly barrage of shellfire. They shot down five German planes and contributed to the success of the landing operations.[9]

Gunner Calvin "Jiggs" O'Rourke aboard Lawton B. Evans in 1943
Launching of the S.S. Lawton B. Evans

Scrapped

The ship was scrapped in Baltimore Harbor in Maryland in 1960.[10]

The 2021 motion picture, The Rebels of PT-218, featured a Merchant Marine vessel named the SS Lawton B. Evans under the command of Lieutenant William Snow, played by Eric Roberts about the Battle of Anzio and PT-218.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Davies, James (2012). "Liberty Cargo Ships" (PDF). ww2ships.com. p. 23. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Liberty Ships built by Alabama Drydock & Shipbuilding Company, Mobile, Alabama EC2-S-C1 Type American Merchant Marine at War, www.usmm.org". Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Ships Launched at ADDSCO during WWII" (PDF). South Alabama Education. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  4. ^ Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company
  5. ^ "Convoy HX 228". Gudmundur Helgason uboat.net. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  6. ^ "Lawton B. Evans (American Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII". Gudmundur Helgason uboat.net. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  7. ^ "Ships hit by U-221". Gudmundur Helgason uboat.net. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  8. ^ "Liberty ship design". globalsecurity.org Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Pers-68-MH MM/822 62 83" (PDF). Bureau Of Naval Personnel Retrieved 30 November 2016. 24 June 1944.
  10. ^ "Liberty Ships History". Mariners-l.Co.UK Liberty Ships. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  11. ^ navsource, PT-218
  12. ^ imdb.com, The Rebels of PT-218
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Lawton_B._Evans
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