May, 1944
PUBLISHED FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SHIPBUILDING COMPANY
Vol. 2, No. 9
AM PROGRAM ENLARGES OUR PART IN WAR
10 C-2 Ships
Bought By
Large Lines
Action Shows They
Prefer Vessels
We Build
Ten of the C-2 type ships
we've built have been purchased
outright by two famous steam
ship lines the Grace Line and
the Mississippi Shipping com
panyfrom the War Shipping
administration.
Ordinarily when we deliver a
vessel to the Maritime commis
sion the commission at once de
livers it to War Shipping ad
ministration which simultan
eously allocates it to an estab
lished shipping company for
operation. The line's role in its
operation is that of an agent.
However, when a company buys
one of the ships outright it
shows that it prefers our craft
and has a great deal of confi
dence in our ability as ship
builders. It also means that
these ships are destined for long
range service and are practical
ly assured a place in the post
war days of the American Mer
chant Marine.
Six of the ships have been or
will be acquired by the Grace
Line, whose headquarters are in
New York. They are the Napier,
our hull No. 104, launched De
cember 31; the Santa Rita, hull
No. 117, launched March 25;
the Santa Leonor, hull No. 118,
launched March 31 ; the Santa
Catalina, hull No. 121, launched
April 22; the Santa Elisa, hull
No. 123, launched May 6, and the
Santa Ines, hull No. 125, to be
launched in the near future.
Five of the above ships are
to be completed by the Newport
News Shipbuilding and Dry
Dock company as refrigerated
cargo vessels. The Napier has
already been converted at our
parent company's yard and is
now in service.
All ships of the Grace Line
are now in war service. ; The
Grace Line, serving as operating
agent for the WSA, is manag
ing all of its own ships except
those turned over to the Army
and Navy, plus its share of the
new ships built as a war meas
ure for the government's own
account..
Prior to the war, Grace Line
ships were in service from New
York to the west coast repub
lics of South America; to the
Caribbean and north coast of
South America; from gulf ports
to the west coast of South
America, ; and from the west
coast of the United States to
the west coast of South Amer-
The Mississippi Shipping com
pany, whose home office is New
Orleans, has purchased the Fly
ing Eagle, our hull No. 95 ; the
Talisman, hull No. 110; the
Sturdy Beggar, hull No. Ill and
the Memnon, hull No. 112. These
ships were launched on October
12, 1943, February 15, February
21 and February 26, 1944, re
spectively. .
The ' Mississippi Shipping
company, which is well-known
in snipping circles and was
established in 1919, operates
(Continued on page 5)
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FIRST Mrs. Homer L. Ferguson crashes the champagne against the bow of the S. S. Black
Warrior in perfect form as she sponsors her first ship. Looking on are Bishop Thomas C. Darst,
who blessed the C-2 vessel, Mr. and Mrs. Storer P. Ware and Mr. Ferguson, chairman of the board
of our company and president of the. .Newport News Shipbuilding . and Dry. JDock company. .
Mrs. Ferguson Christens Her
First Ship Here On April 8
Husband Is Considered
Dean Ol America's
Shipbuilders
Although her husband is dean
of American shipbuilders and
she has attended scores of
launchings, Mrs. Homer L. Fer
guson, of Newport News, Va.,
christened her first ship here
when she sponsored the S. S.
Black Warrior on April 8.
Her matron of honor for the
occasion was her daughter, Mrs.
Storer P. Ware, of Wilmington,
who christened one of our earlier
Liberty ships.
Before the handsome C-2 ves
sel slid down the ways it was
blessed by the Right Rev,
Thomas C. Darst, of Wilming
ton, bishop of the East Carolina
diocese of the Episcopal church.
Chairman of the board of di
rectors of the company and
president of the parent com
pany, the Newport News Ship
building and Dry Dock company,
Mr. Ferguson's career as the
nation's No. 1 shipbuilder dates
back to the tjme he entered the
United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis at the age of 15.
He specialized on the technical
side and graduated third in the
class of 1892. He completed his
training in Glasgow, Scotland,
. a . -t ;
unaer tne great marine ; arcm
tect. Sir John H. Biles.
Upon his return to the United
States, he was assigned to duty
as an assistant constructor in
the Navy. The ability with
which he carried on this work
attracted the attention of the
Newport News management and
in 1905 he joined the company
in an executive capacity.
Mr. Ferguson brought to the
company expert technical know
(Continued on page 6)
National Maritime
Day Set For May 22
: National Maritime day
will be observed on May 22
in keeping with a proclama
tion issued by President
Roosevelt in conformity
with an act of congress
passed in May, 1933.
The President selected
this date because of the
fact that it marked the be
ginning of the first success
ful transoceanic voyage un
der steam propulsion from
Savannah, Ga., in 1819.' Ob
servance this year will be
marked with emphasis on
the . part that the nation's
shipyards and Merchant
Marine are taking in help
ing achieve victory in the
war.
Chamber Of Commerce Honors Yard
Our part in war produc
tion was recognized by the
Greater Wilmington Cham
ber of Commerce at its an
nual dinner meeting a few
days ago at which the com
pany was . honored and its
excellent record reviewed in
the report to the members
of the civic organization.
Among the guests of
honor at the meeting were
several officials of the yard.
The principal speaker was
Clyde R. Hoey, 0f Shelby,
former governor of North
5th Hi-Mate Show
Is Well Received
Plays To Large Houses;
Radio Program Aired
From Stage
Presenting a wide and varied
range of talent in music, com
edy and dancing in colorful, fast
moving and well staged style,
-Lthe yard's Fifth edition of the
J-TT H r 1 T- 1 T-fc 1 1 A
ni-iviate itaaio nevue piayea to
large and appreciative audiences
at New Hanover High school on
April 19 and 20.
In addition to the regular
show, the second performance
included broadcast of the week
ly Shipyard radio program from
the stage, the first time such an
arrangement had been carried
out here.
The show continued the high
entertainment standards set by
previous Hi-Mates and, m addi
tion, laid greater stress on the
shipbuilding theme. The first
act reached its climax with the
"launching" of the S. S. Hi-Mate
under the sponsorship of Miss
(Continued on page 8)
Carolina and a candidate
for the U. S. Senate. He
spoke ' very highly of our
accomplishments and : the
important place we have
won in the state's industrial
picture.
On April 28, the day fol
lowing the meeting, mem
bers of the Chamber of
Commerce were guests of
the yard at the launching
of the S. S. Sirocco, our
158th vessel, under the
sponsorship . of Mrs. C. J.
Robinson, of Alexandria, Va.
Navy Needs
Ships Soon
As Possible
First Scheduled To
Be Launched In
Few Weeks
With a number of keels
laid and the first launching
to take place on schedule
within a few weeks, we're
now constructing AKA's
(Cargo Ships, Attack) with
the result that our respon
sibilities in the War effort
are greater than at any
time since the yard was
placed into operation.
These ships are needed
as soon as it is humanly pos
sible to build them.
- Later we'll discuss their great
importance but right now let's
not only read but study this ex
cellent evaluation of our new
assignment as given by Rear
Admiral H. L. Vickery. vice
chairman of the U. S. Maritime
commission, in a recent letter
o Captain Roger Williams,
president:
"The North Carolina yard, in
recognition of its splendid past
performance, has been entrust
ed with a difficult and exacting
task in the construction of the
highly-important type of ship
for which the plant has been
converted. These vessels have
an indispensable role in the
United Nations' plans for vic
tory, and in order for these
plans to be carried out, the ships
MUST be ready on time. The
men and women in this great
shipyard, therefore, carry the
vital responsibilities of perform
ing their individual jobs better
and faster than ever before.
"Their part in tomorrow's bat
tles is being fought today."
Carry Ihe Attack
We especially like that last
sentence. When we delivered
Liberty s and then C-2's, we were
doing the most we could in the
war. They were the vessels
that transported the supplies to
the men hitting the enemy. Now,
with the AKA, we're producing
ships that will carry the attack.
We re nearer the fight today
than we've ever been and every
man and woman here should be
proud that we've been given a
larger part in preparing the
knockout blow for the Germans
and the Japanese. Our tasks
are greater and accomplishment
of the goal will require the in
dividual, patriotic effort of all.
' The war is not won and only
a fool would hazard a guess as
to when it will end. . True, the
United States and her allies are
strengthening their advantages,
in Lurope and the Pacific, week
ly but we ve still a long, bloody
road to travel. The longer it
takes to gain unconditional sur
render, the more men - it .will
cost. These AKA's are needed
as soon as possible because the
Navy, has a definite place for
them. The quicker they are de
livered and go against the Axis,
the more lives we will save. Re
member that. More effort on
(Continued on page 6)