SS William Ellery Channing
From Our Contribution
 5 Aug 1943 AWM photo 304127 taken from flying boat. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SS William Ellery Channing |
| Owner | American - Hawaiian Steam Ship Company |
| Builder | California Shipbuilding Corporation |
| Yard number | Terminal Island |
| Launched | 1942 |
| In service | December 1942 |
| Fate | sold for scrap |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Liberty AEC2-S-C1 Type - dry cargo |
| Tonnage | 10,685 tons |
| Length | 417.6 ft (134.6m) |
| Beam | 56.8 ft (17.3m) |
| Depth | draft 27.75 ft (8.5m) |
| Propulsion | Single screw |
| Speed | 12.5 knots |
| Capacity | 38 - 62 crew plus 21 - 40 Naval personnel to man guns. |
Remarks
Sailed from San Francisco on 14 Sec 1942 for Sydney and thereafter saw service carrying military produce and troops between Australian ports and those in allied occupied islands to the north. In 1943 she was converted in Australia into an Army assault troop carrier with landing craft (LCIs and LCVs) and troops. The ship was reconverted for cargo once the Navy was given exclusive responsibility for amphibious assault operations.
She was armed with a 3 inch AA gun fore and aft, and 20mmOerlikon AA guns abreast the bridge and abaft the funnel and aft.