Ship Model, Tanker Type T2-SE-A1
Ship Model, Tanker Type T2-SE-A1
Usage conditions apply
- Description
- Although dry cargo freighters like the Liberty and Victory ships are probably the best-known emergency vessels of World War II, oil tankers were also mass produced in American shipyards and played an important role in the Allied victory. This model represents the most common type of tanker, T2-SE-A1, a commercial design that before the war started was already being constructed by the Sun Shipbuilding Company for Standard Oil. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Maritime Commission recognized that wet cargo like oil and machine lubricants would be just as necessary as guns and ammunition. The commission ordered this design to be built, in addition to the dry cargo designs.
- Like the Victory ship, the T2 tanker was outfitted with a steam turbine engine that gave the vessel a speed of over 14 knots. Tankers were also built at some of the same shipyards as the other merchant vessels, and experienced a similar construction time average of about 70 days. But unlike the Victory or Liberty ships, no T2 tankers have survived to become museum ships, and only one remains afloat in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, mothballed in Beaumont, Texas.
- Object Name
- Ship, Single-screw tanker
- ship model, single-screw tanker
- model, ship
- Other Terms
- Ship, Single-screw tanker; Ship, Single Crew; Maritime; Tanker
- date made
- early 1940s
- built tankers typical to this model
- Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company
- purchased tankers typical to this model
- Standard Oil
- Physical Description
- maroon (overall color)
- black (overall color)
- wood (overall material)
- brown (overall color)
- Measurements
- approx: 14 1/2 in x 65 in x 8 1/2 in; 36.83 cm x 165.1 cm x 21.59 cm
- ID Number
- TR.313036
- catalog number
- 313036
- accession number
- 173712
- Credit Line
- Transfer from U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Maritime Commission (through J. M. Winston)
- World War II
- The Great Depression and World War II
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Maritime
- Engineering, Building, and Architecture
- On the Water exhibit
- Transportation
- Exhibition
- On the Water
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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Comments
Hello...............Many years ago [I think 1990] when I became fascinated with half hulls, my wife and I bought a half hull in Virginia Beach. It was about 10 1/2' long and we were told it was used in the construction of T2 tankers. Later I would learn it was a plating half hull and at a ratio of one inch to four feet it could have been used to build the first six T2 tankers with their length of 501' 6 or 8".. If you're interested in my findings, I would be glad to share. Just let me know.
Bob Matthews
Wed, 2017-05-17 16:40
Lynne Leonard
Fri, 2020-03-06 07:59