The 'Generals' Class Ships
The 'Generals' were a class of 30 troopships built during World War II by Kaiser Co. in Richmond, California. Each vessel was named after an American World War I general, with construction spanning from late 1942 through early 1945. These versatile vessels would go on to serve in three distinct roles: as wartime troopships, post-war refugee transport vessels, and Korean War troopships.
Construction and Initial Service
The first ship of the class, General G O Squier, was launched on November 11, 1942, with subsequent vessels following at roughly monthly intervals until the final ship, General Stuart Heintzelmann, was launched in April 1945. All ships were built to the C4-S-A1 design specification.
World War II and Immediate Post-war Period
All thirty vessels survived their World War II service in the Pacific theater. Following the war in 1945, five ships were assigned to the US Reserve Fleet, while the remainder continued serving with the US Army. These ships transported occupation forces to Japan and facilitated the repatriation of American troops from various Pacific bases.
Refugee Transport Operations
Beginning in 1947, several of the class were allocated to the International Refugee Organization, playing a crucial role in transporting displaced persons from Europe to Australia and New Zealand. The General Stuart Heintzelmann carried the first group of Baltic refugees (Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians) from Bremerhaven to Fremantle, arriving on November 28, 1947. The ships operated from multiple European ports:
- Regular sailings from Bremerhaven and Naples
- Five voyages from Venice
- Single voyages from Genoa and Marseilles
- The General Langfitt transported Polish refugees from Mombasa
- One voyage originated from Samar in the Philippines
Initially carrying 800-900 refugees per voyage, capacity was later increased to 1,300. The vessels maintained strictly segregated quarters for men and women during these operations.
Korean War and Final Years
The class was recommissioned for military service during the Korean War in 1950. Between 1967 and 1970, the ships were sold for commercial conversion, being modified into either dry cargo vessels or container carriers.
Key Facts
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Builder | Kaiser Co., Richmond, California |
| Class | C4-S-A1 |
| Gross Tonnage | 10,645 |
| Length | 523 ft (159.3 m) |
| Beam | 71 ft (21.7 m) |
| Service Speed | 17 knots |
| Troop Capacity | 3,000 |
| Crew | 256 |