SS Roger B. Taney

History
United States
Name	Roger B. Taney
Namesake	Roger B. Taney
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	Waterman Steamship Corp.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 17
Awarded	14 March 1941
Builder	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland
Cost	$1,421,123
Yard number	2004
Way number	4
Laid down	21 June 1941
Launched	6 December 1941
Completed	9 February 1942
Identification	Call sign: KTXS
Fate	Sunk by German submarine U-160, 8 February 1943
General characteristics
Class and type	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length	441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam	57 feet (17 m)
Draft	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine,  (manufactured by General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3 inches (76 mm)/50 caliber gun Stern-mounted 4 inches (102 mm)/50 caliber gun 2–8 × single 20 millimeters (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37 millimeters (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

SS Roger B. Taney was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Roger B. Taney, who was the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, holding that office from 1836 until his death in 1864. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Taney served as the United States Attorney General and United States Secretary of the Treasury under President Andrew Jackson.

Construction

Roger B. Taney was laid down on 21 June 1941, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 17, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; and was launched on 6 December 1941.

History

She was allocated to Waterman Steamship Corp., on 29 January 1942.

On 8 February 1943, she was attacked by German submarine U-160, at 22°0′S 7°45′W. A torpedo wake had been spotted at midnight 20 yd (18 m) ahead of the bow of the unescorted Roger B. Taney. The ship made a 90° turn but U-160 was able to maneuver into position to fire another torpedo that struck Roger B. Taney in the starboard side at the engine room. Her Armed guards, while remaining onboard while the crew abandoned ship, fired five rounds in the direction the torpedo had come from. Around 02:30 another torpedo struck the #4 hold causing a tremendous explosion. The Armed guard abandoned ship after this last attack.

U-160 then surfaced, and after questioning the survivors, left the area.

In total, eight officers, twenty-nine crewmen, one passenger, and nineteen Armed guards had managed to abandon the ship in two lifeboats before it sunk.

One officer and two crewmen had been killed in the initial attack. While the two boats tried to stay together, after 36 hours they became separated. The British MV Penrith Castle was able to rescue one of the boats on 1 March 1943, and dropped the crew off at Bahia, 6 March 1943. On 22 March 1943, the Brazilian merchant ship Bagé was able to rescue the other lifeboat 10 mi (16 km) off the coast of Brazil. The boat had traveled more than 2,000 mi (3,200 km) from the sinking location.

Bibliography

• "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "Roger B. Taney". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
• Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
• "SS Roger B. Taney". Retrieved 13 February 2020.
• "Roger B. Taney". Retrieved 13 February 2020.