Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation

The Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation (also operating as Todd Pacific) was an American corporation which built escort carriers, destroyers, cargo ships and auxiliaries for the United States Navy and merchant marine during World War II in two yards in Puget Sound, Washington. It was the largest producer of destroyers (45) on the West Coast and the largest producer of escort carriers of various classes (56) of any United States yard active during World War II.

History
The Todd Corporation, just having established itself in New York, acquired the Seattle Construction and Drydock Company (a.k.a. The Moran Brothers Shipyard of Klondike Gold Rush fame) in Seattle Harbor during World War I some time in 1916. The yard was acquired in 1918 by Skinner & Eddy, which had quickly risen to become a major force in Northwest Pacific shipbuilding. Todd moved his Seattle operation to nearby Harbor Island where a repair facility was constructed. In 1917 the company also set foot in Tacoma, where the first work on facilities of an entirely new yard was underway in January 1917 and the first ship, the Tacoma, was launched on March 28, 1918.

3 of 10 Omaha-class cruiser light cruisers and 23 cargo ships of 7,500dwt were built in the Tacoma yard (including SS Jacona (1918), which survived till at least 1971), the Caldwell-class destroyer USS Gwin (DD-71) and the N-class submarines USS N-1 (SS-53), USS N-2 (SS-54) and USS N-3 (SS-55) as well as 14 cargo ships of mostly 7,500dwt also were built in Seattle.

In addition to the government contracts, the Tacoma yard built 2 cargo ships (named Red Hook and Hoboken after 2 of Todd's New York Harbor locations), 1 diesel freighter, 2 passenger ships and 6 barges. The Red Hook found its way into Imperial Japanese Army service as Naruo Maru and was sunk in 1944.

Shipbuilding ceased in the Seattle yard in 1920 and in the Tacoma yard in 1924. William H. Todd died May 15, 1932. John D. Reilly became president of Todd Shipyards.

In 1939, the old Tacoma shipyard in Commencement Bay was revived (from scratch ) by Todd and Kaiser Shipbuilding, initially with two slipways, with the aid of some $15 million in capital provided by the U.S. Government this was eventually increased to eight.

"Todd Affiliates to build C-1's at Tacoma Yard

TODD Shipyards Corporation announces the award of five C- 1 Type B Diesel propelled vessels to the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, of Seattle, Washington, at a price of $2,127,000 each. Associated with them is the General Construction Co. of Seattle and its affiliates. R. J. Lamont, president of the Todd Seattle Dry Docks Inc., of Seattle, is also president of this company; J. A. McEachern, of the General Construction Co., being vice-president.

This marks the culmination of negotiations with the Maritime Commission to bring a restoration of the shipbuilding industry to the Pacific Northwest. The cooperation of Seattle and Tacoma labor was an important factor in securing the award. The plan involves the rehabilitation of the Todd Tacoma plant for the construction of the hulls, the completion and outfitting of the vessels to be performed at the plant of the Todd Seattle Dry Docks Inc., in Seattle."

Following the enactment of the Two-Ocean Navy Act, Seattle-Tacoma was awarded contracts to build 25 destroyers. The government invested $9 million in a new destroyer construction facility on Harbor Island which was then built starting October 15, 1940 next to the existing repair dock founded in 1918.

In February 1942 Todd bought out Kaiser's holding and sold the companies own interests in Permanente Metals and on June 1, 1944 the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation was renamed to Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc.. Todd sold the Tacoma shipyard to the Navy after the war ended, which in turn sold the site to the Port of Tacoma in 1959. Today the site is set for redevelopment as part of the Port's Commencement Bay Industrial Development District.

Robert Moran, great-granduncle of the company, died in 1943.

The "Plant A" destroyer facility produced a single civilian ship, the luxury ferry Chinook, launched in 1947, but by 1952 oil terminals had been established in the spot.

The original repair yard continued to be part of the Todd Corporation, now building new civilian and military ships and it remains active to this day as a facility of Vigor Shipyards.

Tacoma yard


in Commencement Bay (47.27949°N, -122.40705°W)

Escort carriers (56)


 * 37 of 45 Bogue-class escort carriers (C3-S-A1)
 * several were completed / fitted out at Willamette Iron and Steel Works, Portland, Oregon
 * 19 of 19 Commencement Bay-class escort carriers
 * USS Commencement Bay (CVE-105) ... USS Tinian (CVE-123)
 * 3 completed at Commercial Iron Works in Portland, Oregon (CVE-110, CVE-126, CVE-121)
 * 1 completed at Willamette Iron and Steel Works in Portland, Oregon (CVE-108)

Auxiliaries (14)


 * 2 of 2 Frederick Funston-class attack transports (C3-S1-A3)
 * USS Frederick Funston (APA-89), USS James O'Hara (APA-90)
 * ordered October 23, 1940
 * 4 of 4 Kenneth Whiting-class seaplane tenders (C3 Mod.)
 * USS Kenneth Whiting (AV-14) ... USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17)
 * 5 of 23 Patapsco-class gasoline tankers (T1-MT-M1)
 * USS Patapsco (AOG-1) ... USS Susquehanna (AOG-5)
 * 3 of 6 Shenandoah-class destroyer tenders
 * USS Shenandoah (AD-26), USS Yellowstone (AD-27), USS Grand Canyon (AD-28)

Cargo (5)


 * 5 of 95 C1-B (5 of 10 diesel variant C1-B)
 * ordered: 10 September 1939
 * first keel laying on 5 March 1940
 * MS Cape Alava (MC-119) launched August 1, 1940, delivered to American Mail Lines April 3, 1941
 * MS Cape Flattery (1940) (MC-120) launched September 28, 1940, delivered to American Mail lines May 29, 1941
 * Cape Cleare (MC-121) launched November 29, 1940, renamed MS Oregon, delivered to Pacific-Atlantic Steamship Corporation, sunk 1941
 * MS Cape Fairweather (MC-122) launched April 11, 1941
 * Cape Douglas (MC-123) launched June 10, 1941, renamed MS Idaho delivered to Pacific-Atlantic Steamship Corporation
 * 2 Hooven-Owens-Rentschler 6-cylinder diesel engines with magnetic coupling and single reduction gears (2.55:1)
 * 2 Washington Iron Works auxiliary diesels

Ships of World War II produced before 1924 (incomplete)


 * SS Empire Antelope – torpedoed November 1942 on Atlantic convoy duty (SC 107)
 * Empire Wagtail – torpedoed December 1942 on Atlantic convoy duty (ON 154)
 * SS Berury – torpedoed September 1941 on Atlantic convoy duty (SC 42)
 * SS Otho – torpedoed off the coast of Virginia April 1942
 * SS Caterina – sunk by aerial torpedo as part of an Italian convoy
 * El Coston
 * Empire Mallard
 * Empire Tiger
 * Empire Elk – survived
 * Willimantic (built in Seattle)
 * Empire Gazelle – survived

Description of the plant as of January 1940: Photograph of the plant in the initial 2-ways stage (launch of the Cape Alava):

Seattle yard


on Harbor Island (47.58903°N, -122.3481°W) in 2 separate facilities at the north end of the island. In 1918 Todd moved out of the seattle waterfront and opened a repair facility on the northwestern corner. In 1940 additional slipways were added on the northeastern end. The expansion had all 5 building ways upon initial completion (2 destroyers each). In June 1945, 5 destroyers were building, the unfinished USS Seaman (DD-791) was about to be laid down and 2 destroyer tenders (USS Isle Royale (AD-29) and USS Great Lakes (AD-30) - eventually aborted) were using up 1 full slipway each.

Although the Seattle yard produced the largest number of destroyers on the West Coast, Union Iron Works was slightly more productive overall with 4 Atlanta-class cruisers, 9 Benson-class destroyers, 18 Fletchers, 6 Sumners, 3 Gearings and 12 Buckley-class destroyer escorts.



Contracts awarded


 * NOD1502 7/40 destroyers $29,406,000 (= 5 Gleaves)
 * NOD1511 9/40 destroyers $109,726,000 (= 15 Fletcher)
 * NOD1502S 12/40 destroyers $29,406,000 (= 5 Gleaves)
 * NOD1760 3/41 gasoline tankers aog $10,700,000 (= 5 Patapsco, built in Tacoma)
 * OBS315 8/42 destroyers $40,799,000 (= 6 Fletcher)
 * OBS329 8/42 destroyers $107,535,000 (= 15 Sumner)
 * OBS10215 8/44 ship repairs $2,081,000
 * total: $329,653,000

45 of 415 destroyers


 * 10 of 66 Gleaves-class destroyer
 * (May 1, 1941 - September 7, 1942)
 * USS Carmick (DD-493) ... USS Frankford (DD-497)
 * USS Baldwin (DD-624) ... USS Welles (DD-628)
 * 21 of 175 Fletcher-class destroyer
 * (March 8, 1942 - June 6, 1944)
 * USS Franks (DD-554) ... USS Wren (DD-568)
 * USS Jarvis (DD-799) ... USS Rooks (DD-804)
 * 5 of 58 Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer (as Todd Pacific according to some sources)
 * USS Zellars (DD-777) ... USS Robert K. Huntington (DD-781)
 * 9 of 98 Gearing-class destroyer (as Todd Pacific according to some sources)
 * USS Rowan (DD-782) ... USS Shelton (DD-790)
 * 1 additional, USS Seaman (DD-791), was launched incomplete and never commissioned

1 of 6 Shenandoah-class destroyer tenders


 * USS Isle Royale (AD-29)
 * USS Great Lakes (AD-30) - canceled incomplete

For the first 30 ships the allocation based on keel laid and launch dates can only be


 * Slip A: Carmick, Franks, Rowe
 * Slip B: Doyle, Haggard, Smalley
 * Slip C: Endicott, Hailey, Stoddard
 * Slip D: McCook, Johnston, Watts
 * Slip E: Frankfort, Laws, Wren
 * Slip F: Baldwin, Longshaw, Jarvis
 * Slip G: Harding, Morrison, Porter
 * Slip H: Satterlee, Pritchett, Calhoun
 * Slip I: Thompson, Robinson, Gregory
 * Slip J: Welles, Ross, Little

None of the 10 Gearings could have occupied the slip where Isle Royale was built.

None of the 5 Sumners or Rooks could have been built at G, H, I, J.

Rowan must have been built on G.

At least 2 Gearings must have been built following a Gearing and no 3 Gearings could have been built on the same slip.

Assuming a slip was not left unoccupied for 82 days only to build another destroyer, no more destroyers were built on H. The same is true for I (54 days gap) and J (40 days gap). Even then Gurke must have followed Rooks with a 25-day gap and the purely analytical approach can't account for that. Ship repairs may be responsible and could cause any length of gap.

What is certain is that destroyer production slowed down in 1944. In the Union Iron Works yard, no new keels were laid after April 1944 and slipways apparently went unused by September 1944.

Todd Dry Dock, Inc.


TODO: this facility was very active in the interwar period, including some big conversion jobs.

WW2 conversions of ... (incomplete)


 * USS Harris (AP-8), USS Zeilin (AP-9)
 * see also Two-Ocean Navy Act
 * USS Kane (APD-18)
 * USS Grumium (AK-112)
 * USNS Sgt. Charles E. Mower (T-AP-186)
 * SS Cape Cleare to troop transport (1943) (a different Cape Cleare from the one launched in Tacoma in 1940)

TODO: this yard became one of two big cold war era shipyards in Seattle, the other being Lockheed.

Todd Dry Dock and Construction Company
Of the 6 steel shipyards building for the Shipping Board in Puget Sound, Todd Construction was the only one not located in Elliott Bay. This yard was located in the same rectangular area on the Hylebos Waterway as the World War II era yard and it also had 8 slipways.

Description of the plant including a map:

Historical trivia: Five ships (listed below) built in the yard where acquired from the USSB in the early 30s by Swayne & Hoyt and given Point names, In addition, Point Ancha (ex-Delight), Point Bonita (ex-Sacramento), which were built in Seattle. The Red Hook and Hoboken were never USSB property though. TODO: Show how this naming scheme started in Portland by Albina Engine & Machine Works, from where Swayne & Hoyt picked it up.

The Kennecott was somewhat unusual for its time and one of only 7 diesel motor ships of more than 1,000 tons built in the United States in 1921 and one of 82 built or newly converted worldwide.

In 1920 the yard took part in a program to convert Japan-built ships to oil burners on USSB account: SS Eastern Guide, SS Eastern Gale, SS Eastern Victor, SS Eastern Admiral, SS Eastern Tempest, SS Eastern Importer for a total of $384,352.

Pacific Reserve Fleet, Tacoma
After the war the United States Navy took over the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding shipyard and for use as part of the United States Navy reserve fleets, also called a mothball fleet. The Pacific Reserve Fleet, Tacoma was used to store the now many surplus ships after World War II. Some ships in the Commencement Bay Reserve Fleet were reactivated for the Korean War. The Navy sold the shipyard to the Port of Tacoma in 1959. The ships stored at Pacific Reserve Fleet, Tacoma were either scrapped or moved to other reserve fleets.


 * Example ships:
 * USS Lunga Point was placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Tacoma in 1946 and removed in June 1955 and recommissioned as CVU-94.
 * USS Kwajalein was placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Tacoma in 1946 and removed in June 1955 and recommissioned as CVU-98 a utility aircraft carrier.
 * USS Tinian (CVE-123) a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier, was stored at Reserve Fleet, Tacoma, being completed in 1946, too late for World War II. On June 12, 1955, the ship was reclassified as an escort helicopter aircraft carrier and re-designated CVHE-123.

Shipbuilding in Puget Sound

 * Elliott Bay
 * Seattle waterfront
 * Skinner & Eddy No. 1 47.58939°N, -122.34125°W
 * Moran Brothers Shipyard 47.59498°N, -122.3375°W
 * Moran Company
 * Seattle Construction and Drydock Company
 * Skinner & Eddy No. 2
 * Nielson & Kelez 47.5861°N, -122.34184°W
 * West Seattle
 * Seattle North Pacific Shipbuilding Corporation 47.56523°N, -122.35135°W
 * Ames Shipbuilding and Drydock Company 47.57561°N, -122.36191°W
 * Harbor Island
 * Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding 47.58903°N, -122.3481°W
 * Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company 47.5766°N, -122.3581°W
 * Associated Shipbuilders
 * Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company
 * J. F. Duthie & Company 47.57428°N, -122.34644°W
 * Commencement Bay
 * Todd Construction and Drydock Company 47.27949°N, -122.40705°W
 * Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding
 * Western Boat Building Co
 * Tacoma Boatbuilding Company
 * Bainbridge Island
 * Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Company 47.62218°N, -122.5136°W
 * Bremerton
 * Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 47.5585°N, -122.6442°W
 * Everett
 * Everett-Pacific Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company 47.98678°N, -122.22115°W
 * Lake Union
 * Lake Union Dry Dock Company 47.63327°N, -122.32758°W
 * Lake Washington
 * Lake Washington Shipyard 47.65659°N, -122.20726°W