SS Robert J. Banks

History
United States
Name	Robert J. Banks
Namesake	Robert J. Banks
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 2392
Builder	J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia
Cost	$852,457[1]
Yard number	177
Way number	1
Laid down	21 November 1944
Launched	20 December 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. George Buchanan
Completed	30 December 1944
Fate	Loaned to Norway, 30 December 1944
Norway
Name	Vadsø
Namesake	Town of Vadsø
Operator	Nortraship
Acquired	30 December 1944
Fate	Sold to the Netherlands, 9 October 1946
Netherlands
Name	Libreville
Namesake	City of Libreville
Acquired	9 October 1946
Fate	Scrapped, 1967
General characteristics [2]
Class & type	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Tonnage	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length	441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa 416 feet (127 m) pp 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam	57 feet (17 m)
Draft	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine,  (manufactured by General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3-inch (76 mm)/50-caliber gun Stern-mounted 4-inch (102 mm)/50-caliber gun 2–8 × single 20-millimeter (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37-millimeter (1.46 in) M1 AA guns

SS Robert J. Banks was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after Robert J. Banks.

Robert J. Banks was laid down on 21 November 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2392, by J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia; she was sponsored by Mrs. George Buchanan, and launched on 20 December 1944.^[3][1]

She was turned over to Nortraship, on 30 December 1944, reflagged for Norway and renamed Vadsø, after the town of Vadsø, Norway. On 9 October 1946, she was sold for $580,118.63, to the Netherlands. She was reflagged and renamed Libreville after the city of Libreville, French Equatorial Africa, now Gabon. She was scrapped in 1967.^[4][5]