The SS Fairport was a Type C2-S-E1 cargo ship constructed by Gulf Shipbuilding in Chickasaw, Alabama, marking the first vessel built at this shipyard. Launched on November 15, 1941, under a United States Maritime Commission contract (MC hull number 849) for the Waterman Steamship Company of Mobile, Alabama, the ship was completed in April 1942. As a relatively new vessel, she was registered in Mobile and armed for wartime service with a 4-inch (100 mm) deck gun and six machine guns, manned by 14 Naval Armed Guardsmen. Designed as a cargo carrier, the SS Fairport was equipped to transport large quantities of military materiel. She carried approximately 8,000 long tons of cargo, including tanks, self-propelled guns, and other supplies, along with 66 passengers. Her service record includes her departure from New York on July 13, 1942, as part of convoy WS 4 headed for the Persian Gulf. She was positioned as the second ship in the port column during her voyage, which was protected by three destroyers escorting six merchant ships. On July 16, 1942, about 500 nautical miles northwest of the Virgin Islands, the Fairport was attacked by the German U-boat U-161, commanded by Korvettenkapitän Albrecht Achilles. She was struck by two torpedoes; the first hit her #4 cargo hold on the port side, igniting a fire that was quickly suppressed, while the second created a large hole near the #1 hold. The attack forced the crew to secure the engines and abandon ship within five minutes. Despite the extensive damage, all 123 personnel aboard—including officers, crew, armed guardsmen, and passengers—were rescued by the destroyer USS Kearny and safely landed in New York on July 21. The sinking of the SS Fairport highlights the dangerous wartime conditions faced by Allied merchant ships and underscores their vital role in transporting crucial military supplies across perilous waters.

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