History
United States
Name	David B. Johnson
Namesake	David B. Johnson
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 1511
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$1,347,352[1]
Yard number	127
Way number	5
Laid down	23 November 1943
Launched	13 January 1944
Sponsored by	Mai Rutledge Johnson
Completed	24 January 1944
Identification	Call Signal: KVMB [1]
Fate	Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, Texas, 18 November 1948 Laid up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, California, 2 July 1952 Sold scrapping, 2 January 1968
General characteristics [2]
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 David B. Johnson was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after David B. Johnson, the founder and first president of Winthrop University.

Construction

David B. Johnson was laid down on 23 November 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1511, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia;^[3] she was sponsored by Mai Rutledge Johnson, widow of David B. Johnson, and was launched on 13 January 1944.^[3]

History

She was allocated to the Wilmore Steamship Company, on 24 January 1944. On 18 November 1948, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Beaumont, Texas. On 2 July 1952, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Suisun Bay, California. On 2 January 1968, she was sold to the Nicolai Joffe Corp., for $49,576, for scrapping. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 17 January 1968.^[4][5]