SS Francis Preston Blair
21°48′S 153°42′E / 21.8°S 153.7°E
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Francis Preston Blair |
| Owner | War Shipping Administration. |
| Operator | Sudden & Christenson Company |
| Launched | 3 January 1943 |
| Fate | Wrecked 15 July 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type |
|
| Tonnage | |
| Displacement | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 57 feet (17 m) |
| Draft | 27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
| Complement | |
| Armament |
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SS Francis Preston Blair was an American Liberty ship, 7,196 tons stranded on Saumarez Reef in the Coral Sea during a cyclone in 1945. The ship has since deteriorated into a rusty heap. The wreck was used by Royal Australian Air Force F-111 aircraft for target practice during the 1980s.
The bronze propeller was salvaged by unknown persons between 1964 and 1970. Wreck was visited by Wild Kingdom who made a TV episode hosted by Marlin Perkins for USA and world distribution in 1971.
Francis Preston Blair was operated during World War II by Sudden & Christenson Company under charter ships from the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. She was unloading troops and supplies at off Queensland, Australia before the grounding.
See also
References
- ^ Davies 2004, p. 23.
- ^ mariners-l.co.uk, ships F
Sources
- Davies, James (May 2004). ""Liberty" Cargo Ship – Feature Article" (PDF). ww2ships.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
External links
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in July 1945 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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