The ''Crater''-class cargo ship were converted EC2-S-C1 type,

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

cargo ships, constructed by the

United States Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

(USMC) for use by the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The designation 'EC2-S-C1': 'EC' for Emergency Cargo, '2' for a ship between long ( Load Waterline Length), 'S' for steam engines, and 'C1' for design C1. The class was named for the lead ship of its type, , with most ships in the class being named for astronomical bodies. Its 65 hulls were among the largest US Navy cargo ship classes. The ships were propelled by a reciprocating steam engine using a single screw with a power of shaft.

Notable incidents

* USS ''Aludra'' (AK-72) Lost in action from Japanese torpedo on 23 June 1943 south of

Makira The island of Makira (also known as San Cristobal and San Cristóbal) is the largest island of Makira-Ulawa Province in the Solomon Islands. It is third most populous island after Malaita and Guadalcanal, with a population of 55,126 as of 202 ...

island. * USS ''Deimos'' (AK-78) Damaged by torpedo, 23 June 1943, then abandoned and scuttled south of Makira island.navsource.org USS Deimos (AK-78)
/ref>

References

External links

��Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940–1945. Auxiliary ship classes of the United States Navy Crater class cargo ship {{US-mil-ship-stub