Site 1: The Design of the James Eagan Layne
Like most Liberty ships the James Eagan Layne was built using the standard or basic design for carrying dry cargo Type EC2-S-C1
Hull
100% welded, 43 miles of welding to build one ship (Sawyer)
7176 tons gross, 4380 tons net
422ft 8in long, beam 57ft, depth 34ft 8in, draught 27ft 8 7/8 in
Hull has transverse frames
Two complete decks, the upper deck and the second deck, additional cargo space on deck
Second deck was continuous throughout the ship
Seven watertight bulkheads extending to the upper deck
Five cargo holds, three forward and two aft. Centreline bulkheads in the holds, clear of the hatches
No 1 forward to No 5 aft, No 1 has deep tanks under it for dry cargo or salt water ballast. Deep tank number 3 was aft of the machinery space.
Holds 4 and 5 have the shaft tunnel running through it
Fore and aft peak tanks
Inner bottom tanks, six on either side were for carrying fuel oil or water ballast
Propelling Machinery
two boilers and engine housed in a single midships machinery space compartment
Oil fired triple expansion engine from Joshua Hendy Iron Works in Sunnyvale, California, weighing 135 tons
Two boilers making
11 knots
Single screw, Balanced rudder
Superstructure
The midships superstructure housed the accomodation and storerooms on three decks, upper deck, boat deck and bridge deck.
Cargo Handling
Cargo handling three steel masts with accompanying mast houses, forward SWL 30 tons, mid 10 tons, aft 15 tons
Five cargo booms on the forward mast, two booms were fitted to the centre mast and 5 booms on the aft mast. 10 steam driven cargo winches
Armament
Single 5 in gun mounted on a gun platform aft
Single 3in gun mounted on a gun platform on the bows
eight 20mm guns, one either side of the forward cargo mast, four on the superstructure and two on the aft gun platform
Crew
Launching the
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