The SS Hawaiian Shipper was a 7,775 GRT Modified Type C3 cargo vessel constructed in 1941 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey. Designed as a cargo liner for the Matson Navigation Company, she measured approximately 492 feet in length overall, with a beam of 69 feet 6 inches, and a depth of 33 feet 6 inches at the freeboard deck. Her draught was 28 feet 7 3/16 inches. The ship’s propulsion system consisted of two steam turbines, supplied by two Foster Wheeler D-type boilers, rated at a maximum of 9,350 shp, driving a single cast bronze four-blade propeller 21 feet 8 inches in diameter. This configuration enabled her to reach speeds of up to 16.5 knots and maintain a range of about 12,000 nautical miles. Her cargo capacity was distributed across five holds, with Hold 1 providing 115,435 cubic feet and Hold 3 the largest at 189,845 cubic feet, supported by various hatch sizes and tank capacities, including tanks capable of holding over 1,600 tons of fuel and water. The vessel was divided into eight watertight compartments by seven bulkheads, ensuring structural integrity. Launched on 12 April 1941 and completed in May of the same year, Hawaiian Shipper was initially registered in San Francisco, with Official Number 240590 and Code Letters WHEQ. Her service began with voyages from New York to Hawaii, calling at Panama, Los Angeles, and Sydney. During World War II, she was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport, renamed Empire Fulmar, and engaged in numerous wartime convoy operations across key strategic routes, including the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean theaters. In 1942, she returned to US control and was renamed Hawaiian Shipper, later converted into a troopship for the U.S. Navy in 1943. Throughout her wartime service, she transported troops, military equipment, and supplies, participating in convoys such as UGF 5, UGF 7, and others, supporting Allied operations across the Pacific, Europe, and Africa. After the war, she returned to commercial service, undergoing multiple renamings: America Transport (1946), Washington (1958), Michigan (1960), and Morning Light (1969). Her operational life concluded when she was scrapped in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 1973. The SS Hawaiian Shipper was a significant vessel due to her extensive wartime service and adaptability, exemplifying the critical role of C3-type ships in mid-20th-century maritime logistics and military support.

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