The MV Missourian was a prominent early American motor cargo ship constructed in 1921 by the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation in Chester, Pennsylvania. She measured 461 feet 8 inches (140.72 meters) in overall length, with a beam of 59 feet 10 inches (18.24 meters) and a depth of 39 feet (11.89 meters). Her draft was 28 feet 7 inches (8.71 meters), and she was assessed at 7,899 gross register tons (GRT), 7,712 net register tons (NRT), and had a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 11,450 tons. Her displacement was approximately 16,500 tons. Propulsion was provided by two Burmeister & Wain four-stroke, single-acting diesel engines, each with six cylinders of 29+1/8 inches (74 cm) diameter and a 45+1/4 inches (115 cm) stroke, driving twin screws. Built by William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia, these engines produced 2,250 indicated horsepower (ihp) at 115 rpm, enabling her to reach a service speed of around 12 knots. She had five cargo holds with a total capacity of 650,000 cubic feet (18,000 m³), covered by seven hatches, and equipped with various derricks, including one 30-ton, one 10-ton, eleven 5-ton, and eight 3-ton derricks, facilitating extensive cargo handling. Launched in December 1921 and delivered in June 1922, Missourian initially operated between U.S. ports, Europe, and New York, making her maiden voyage from New York to California in July 1922. She was notable for being the largest motor vessel afloat at her launch and completed over 20,000 nautical miles on her early voyages. Throughout her service, she experienced routine repairs and operational changes, including a shift to routes along the U.S. coasts and transatlantic voyages. In 1940, she was sold to the British Ministry of War Transport, renamed Empire Swan, and participated in convoys during World War II, carrying cargo such as ammunition and scrap metal. In 1942, she was transferred to the Belgian government, renamed Belgian Freighter, and managed by the Compagnie Maritime Belge, continuing wartime service across Atlantic routes. Post-war, she was sold to the Italian company Cogedar in 1948, rebuilt as a passenger vessel, and renamed Genova, later Flaminia in 1955 after engine upgrades that increased her service speed to 14.5 knots. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Flaminia served on routes between Italy, Australia, and other destinations, carrying migrants, troops, and passengers. She was involved in notable events such as transporting the 25,000th assisted emigrant from Malta to Australia and participating in military troop movements during the Malayan Emergency. In 1964, she was sold to Saudi Lines and renamed King Abdelaziz. Her maritime career concluded with her scrapping in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 1970. Her service record underscores her versatility and significance in both commercial and wartime maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.