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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAT Zebulon B. Vance
ex
 USAHS John J. Meany (1944 - 1945)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Hospital Ship / Transport:
  • Laid down, 22 May 1941, as SS Zebulon B. Vance, a type EC2-S-C1 "Liberty Ship" under Maritime Commission Contract (MCE-135) at North Carolina Shipbuilding, Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 6 December 1941
  • Delivered to the War Shipping Administration, 17 February 1942
  • Assigned by the War Shipping Administration to American Export Lines under a bare bottom charter, 17 February 1942
  • While operating under the control of the War Shipping Administration, SS Zebulon B. Vance survived floating mines and a near miss by a torpedo and took part in the invasion of North Africa
  • Chartered under a General Agency Agreement, 27 July 1942, by American Export Lines
  • Purchased by the War Department, 22 November 1943
  • Converted to a Hague Convention hospital ship completed in July 1944 by Bethlehem Steel, Co. Boston, MA.
  • Upon completion of conversion SS Zebulon B. Vance was commissioned USAHS John J. Meany
  • USAHS John J. Meany served in the Mediterranean from August to December 1945 and made additional trips to England, France and Germany
  • Named in honbor of MAJ. John J. Meany USAAF, killed in action in North Africa, 20 March 1943.
  • Withdrawn and decommissioned from service at New York as a hospital ship in January 1946
  • The ship under went alterations at Bethlehem Steel's 56th St. Yard at New York in January 1946 to carry military dependents
  • Renamed USAT Zebulon B. Vance she operated between Europe and the United States until December 1948
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 10 December 1948, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Declared surplus by the Army, 16 September 1949
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 27 February 1970 (PD-X-857 dated 22 January 1970), to Cantieri Navali, S. A., Italy in a four ship lot for $470,000.00. Delivered to her buyers, 27 March 1970
    Hospital Ship Specifications:
    Displacement 7,933 gross tons
    Length 441'6"
    Beam 56'10"
    Draft 24'
    Speed 11 kts.
    Complement
    Merchant Marine, 36 to 52
    Enlisted, unknown
    Patient Capacity 589
    Fuel Capacities unknown
    Cruise Radius 21,000 nm
    Propulsion
    two boilers
    one triple expansion reciprocating steam engine, 2,500hp Ship's Service Generators
     three recip-drive 20Kw 120V D.C.
     one turbo-drive 60Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    War Shipping Administration
    Zebulon B. Vance 73k
    Namesake
    Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was a Confederate military officer in the American Civil War, the 37th and 43rd Governor of North Carolina, and U.S. Senator. A prolific writer, Vance became one of the most influential Southern leaders of the Civil War and postbellum periods.     		Tommy Trampp
    John J. Meany
    30080708    		 145k Launching of SS Zebulon B. Vance, 6 December 1941, at North Carolina Shipbuilding, Wilmington, N.C.
    Photo from picryl.com - Library of Congress     		John Spivey
    Zebulon B. Vance
    30080709    		 87k SS Zebulon B. Vance launching, 6 December 1941, the first ship to be completed at North Carolina Shipbuilding, Wilmington , N.C.
    30080709 Library of Congress
    30080702 Pennington Flying Service, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
    30080701 Pennington Flying Service, University of North Carolina at Wilmington     		30080709-John Spivey
    30070802-Univ of N.C.
    30080701-Univ of N.C.
    Zebulon B. Vance
    30080702    		 332k
    Zebulon B. Vance
    30080709    		 53k
    USAHS John J. Meany
    John J. Meany 97k USAHS John J. Meany underway date and location unknown.  
    John J. Meany
    30080706    		 75k USAHS John J. Meany loading litter patients from a British LCM, Noth Africa, 1944.
    FLICKR, U.S. Army Transportation Museum     		John Spivey
    John J. Meany
    30080705    		 115k USAHS John J. Meany at anchor in an Italian port, 1944.
    FLICKR, U.S. Army Transportation Museum     		John Spivey
    John J. Meany
    30080707    		 74k USAHS John J. Meany underway, date and location unknown.
    Photo from www.flickr.com by State Archives of North Carolina     		John Spivey
    USAT Zebulon B. Vance and USAHS John J. Meany histories are from "Troopships of World War II", by Roland W. Charles, Published by The Army Transportation Association, Washington, D.C., 1947
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    FLICKR - USAHS John J. Meany
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The US Army Ship Index Back To The US Army Transport Photo Index Back To The US Army Hospital Ship Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 20 September 2024