History
United States
Name	William L. Watson
Namesake	William L. Watson
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	Black Diamond Steamship Co.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2310
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida
Cost	$1,042,645[1]
Yard number	51
Way number	1
Laid down	6 June 1944
Launched	13 July 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. John Simon
Completed	26 July 1944
Identification	Call Signal: WRQA [1]
Fate	Sold for commercial use, 17 December 1946
Italy
Name	Panormus
Owner	Salvatore Tagliavia, Palermo, Italy
Acquired	27 December 1946
Fate	Sold, 1952
Italy
Name	Panormus
Owner	Transmediterranea Soc. di Nav. per Azioni, Palermo, Italy
Acquired	1952
Fate	Sold, 1962
Lebanon
Name	Al Kheir
Owner	San Antonio, Inc.
Operator	Cia. Armatoriale Italiana, Venice, Italy
Acquired	1962
Fate	Scrapped, 1967
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 William L. Watson was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after William L. Watson, the first Agricultural Agent for Duval County, Florida, also active in the Florida 4-H club.

Construction

William L. Watson was laid down on 6 June 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2310, by J.A. Jones Construction, Panama City, Florida; she was sponsored by Mrs. John Simon, and launched on 13 July 1944.^[3][1]

History

She was allocated to Black Diamond Steamship Co., on 26 July 1944. On 6 June 1946, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, in the Hudson River Group. On 17 December 1946, she was transferred to the Italian Government, which in turn sold her to Salvatore Tagliavia, Palermo, Italy, on 27 December 1946. She was renamed Panormus. In 1952, she was sold to Transmediterranea Soc. di Nav. per Azioni, Palermo. In 1962, she was sold to San Antonio Inc, reflagged for Lebanon, and renamed Al Keheir. In 1966, she was laid up in Spezia, after developing cracks in her hull. She was scrapped the following year in Spezia.^[4][5]