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These American-built ships are considered ugly but efficient and sturdy, and (like the later "Liberty Ship") more or less define the "average" freighter of the period.

Length 401', beam 54' 1", displacement 4037 tons.

Speed 11 kts max from oil-fired triple-expansion steam engine; range 15000 nautical miles at 10 kts.

Crew: 38 (captain, 8 officers, 29 seamen); 6 cabins for 2 passengers each.

Over a hundred of these vessels were built for the US Shipping Board from 1918 to 1921, and mostly sold to commercial owners in the early Twenties. In the Great War and WW2, these ships are fitted with a few 3" and 5" guns. There are five cargo hatches -- two forward, two aft, and one just behind the bridge (but ahead of the funnel). When sold by the government after the Great War, these vessels went for various prices (some heavily subsidized) from $100,000 to $500,000.

Hog Island was the location of the shipyard where they were built; this is the "A" class (cargo) -- the "B" class (passengers) is less common.

These plans have been simplified and reduced in size a bit for gaming purposes. This version has eight cabins for passengers, only two lifeboats, etc.:

the bridge deck:

the boat deck:

the upper deck:

the main deck: