Sun Shipbuilding History Log From 1940 thru 1949

Subject: Paper Presented by Robert Haig to SNAME on 11/12/43

Date Last Revised: 10.22.01

Transcribed By: D.Kavanagh (33M)

File: 43_his_01.wpd

Note: This information has been compiled from numerous sources. Comments, additions or corrections are welcome. Leave information at sunshiporg@home.com

Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. by Robert Haig, Honorary Vice-President

In 1916, the Sun Oil Company of Philadelphia found it difficult, owing to World War 1 then raging in Europe, to purchase either in this country, or in Europe, new tankers for the transportation of their oil products from their oil fields in Texas and other southern ports to their refinery in Marcus Hook, PA, and also for the further movement of their refined oils to other parts of the world. Under the circumstance which developed, and their inability to secure tankers, they decided to start a shipyard to build tankers to relieve the pressing demands for new tanker capacity in their business.

In the spring of 1916 the Sun Shipbuilding Company was formed, acquired the necessary land at Chester, PA, and started operation of a shipbuilding concern to relieve the scarcity of ships brought about by the shipping losses being caused by the World War which was then in progress.

A well-designed shipyard was erected at Chester, consisting of five building ways of the latest design and capable of building vessels up to 500 feet in length, with machine shops, boiler shops, copper shops, we basins and other facilities equipped with cranes, locomotives and with all that goes to make up a modern and compact shipbuilding unit.

At that time because of the war conditions it was practically impossible to obtain machine tools for engine building purposes; to meet that situation the well-known Robert Wetherill Engine Works at Chester, PA, was acquired by the Sun Shipbuilding Company and later equipped with special tools to meet the demand for building large reciprocating engines and other engineering work necessary for shipbuilding purposes.

In 1917 the first keep was laid for contract No.1, a 10,500 ton single screw tanker. The vessel was launched on October 30th, 1917 and named the Chester Sun. She was delivered in December 1917 to the owners, the Sun Oil Company.

The Yard continued to build tankers and other cargo vessels for the United States Shipping Board and private interests and established a well-developed shipbuilding and engineering corporation.

In 1920 the shipyard facilities were further extended by building three additional ways, capable of building ships upward of 600 feet in length, and also by constructing two large floating dock with necessary wet basins and other equipment, thus establishing a well-balanced dry dock business capable of handling large dry dock repairs, which has become a very valuable asset for this class of work on the Delaware River.

In January 1923 the company was incorported as the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company of Pennsylvania and continued to develop a shipbuilding and dry dock repair business.

In May 1941 the United States Maritime Commission requested the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company to extend further it's shipbuilding capacity and ground south of its present yard was purchased by the company. Four additional building ways were erected (capable of building ships up to 20,000 tons deadweight) equipped with fabricating ships, wet basins, and all the necessary equipment, cranes, locomotives, etc. Work was pushed with utmost dispatch to secure the necessary materials required in building a new shipyard and later the Suns Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company entered upon a shipbuilding contract with the Maritime Commission for a large number of oil tankers. This new shipyard was designated the South Yard.

On May 27, 1941, the Maritime Commission placed an order consisting of 92 large oil tankers with the Suns Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, and again called for further extension of its shipbuilding facilities. In May 1941, a contract was entered into to build eight additional building ways extending north of our original shipyard. This new yard was designated the North yard and composed a complete arrangement of shops, railway connections, cranes and other necessary facilities for a complete shipbuilding establishment including three additional wet basins. The new yard has been completed and is now in full operation.

Again, the Maritime Commission requested the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company to consider a further extension of their shipyard for the purpose of constructing a large number of special type single-screw cargo vessels, and in February 1942 contracts for building another shipyard of eight additional ways were entered into. This new yard, which has been constructed and is now engaged in the building of large cargo ships, is adjacent to and just north of the present North Yard and is termed No.4 Yard.

With these several extensions the present shipyard comprises 28 large building ways, capable of building ships up to 20,000 tons deadweight, equipped with the most modern facilities of wet basins and shipbuilding cranes. There is one crane of 90 tons capacity over the No.1 wet basin, which is the principal outfitting basin for installation f heavy weights and is in the original layout of the Central Yard.

The complete yard now consists of four distinct shipbuilding units, as follows:

The Main Yard, or what in now termed the Central Yard, consisting of 8 ways and shops and all facilities complete as an individual yard.

The South Yard, which consists of 4 ways with its individual shops, cranes railroad facilities and one large wet basin.

The North Yard, consisting of 8 ways equipped with complete fabricating shops, railroad facilities, cranes, three wet basins, and other building and fabricating equipment.

The No.4 Yard, consisting of 8 shipbuilding ways, equipped with fabricating shops, railroad facilities, cranes and other equipment to make up a complete shipbuilding unit. In connections with the No. 4 Yard there are three wet basins equipped with the usual traveling cranes required for outfitting purposes.

An extensive forging department is located n the Central Yard area equipped with forging presses, furnaces and power forging and blacksmith hammers capable of handling all classes of heavy ship and engine forgings, shafting, rudder stocks, etc.

Adjacent to the fabricating ship for each of these yards are the material yards the material is received, through railroad and trucking transportation, and so placed as to feed into the fabricating shops where the extensive welding and other fabricating process are carried on.

The electrical department is equipped with the latest and most complete equipment not only to handle the designing and installations of complete electric units on the new ships building and the work in the repair department but also the very extensive electric outfit necessary to cover the electric welding in every department of the four shipyards.

The main office is located at Chester on the ground of the plant and contains drawing offices for all departments, as well as the clerical, time-keeping and accounting offices. Two modern dry docks lie between the Main Yard and the South Yard with extensive wet basin area for handling and operating the ships for outfitting and repairs. The waterfront of ll the shipyards extends 1.8 miles north and south on the Delaware River with deep water for handling large ships. The yards are served by the Pennsylvania and Reading railroads with direct freight connections into the stock yard of the shipyards.

When the yard started in 1916, J. Howard Pew was president. In 1917 J. N. Pew became president and in 1919, J. N. Pew became chairman of the board of directors and John G. Pew became president.

The present staff is as follows: Robert Haig, vice-president; Richard L. Burke, vice-president; John G. Pew Jr, vice-president; William Craemer, secretary and treasurer; John W. Hudson, naval architect and J. H. G. McConechy, chief engineer.

From the beginning of the yard up to January 1, 1943, the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company has build a total of 250 ships, as follows:

Tankers, steam.......................................92

Tankers, Diesel......................................32

Cargo, steam.........................................13

Cargo, Diesel.........................................18

Passenger, Steam...................................1

Passenger, Diesel...................................5

Bay Steamer............................................1

Oil Barges, Steam...................................1

Oil Barges, Diesel..................................21

Oil Barges, non-propelled......................25

Mine Sweepers, Steam...........................3

Carfloats, non-propelled........................18

Ferryboats, Steam...................................3

Grain Barges, non-propelled...................3

Cable ship, Steam...................................1

Dredges, Steam......................................4

Dredges, non-propelled..........................1

Sternwheel Towboat, Steam..................1

Steam Tug..............................................1

Derrick Barge, non-propelled.................1

Seatrains, Steam....................................4

Total......................................250