McCloskey & Company Shipyard
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | 1942 |
| Founder | Matthew H. McCloskey |
| Headquarters | Tampa, Florida , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Type N3 cargo vessels, C1-S-D1 concrete ships, ship repair services, platform supply vessels, harbor tugs |
Number of employees | 6000 |
| Parent | Edison Chouest Offshore (as Tampa Ship LLC) |
McCloskey & Company Shipyard was a prominent ship construction firm located in Tampa, Florida. Established in 1942 by Matthew H. McCloskey, the enterprise produced 38 Type N3 cargo vessels during World War II and also manufactured type C1-S-D1 concrete ships. Initially founded in Philadelphia, McCloskey & Company gained recognition for significant construction endeavors such as the Philadelphia Convention Hall, the Philadelphia Sheraton Hotel, and Washington D.C.'s Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.
Currently, the Tampa shipyard operates under the name Tampa Ship LLC, a subsidiary of Edison Chouest Offshore.
Shipyard
To address wartime production needs, McCloskey & Company established a shipbuilding facility at Hookers Point in Tampa on property leased from the Tampa Port Authority. Due to steel shortages during the conflict, the company constructed 24 self-propelled concrete vessels under a Maritime Commission contract beginning in July 1943. At its operational height, the yard employed approximately 6,000 personnel and maintained 13 active shipways. These concrete ships measured 366 feet in length with a deadweight capacity of 5,000 tons and were primarily used for sugar transportation. Starting in April 1945, McCloskey transitioned to fabricating 38 steel-hulled Type N3 coastal cargo ships.
Following the war, ownership of the yard transferred to the City of Tampa in 1948, which leased it to Tampa Ship Repair & Dry Dock Company. From 1956 until 1960, operations were managed by Tampa Fabricators before the facility became idle during the 1960s. In 1972, American Ship Building Company acquired the site, renaming it Tampa Shipyards and adding two large drydocks before declaring bankruptcy in 1995. Subsequently, the yard experienced several ownership changes: it was run by Tampa Shipbuilding Company until 1997 and then operated as Tampa Bay Shipbuilding & Repair Company. Since 2008, ownership has been held by Edison Chouest Offshore, which rebranded it as Tampa Ship.
Tampa Ship
Situated on a 62-acre site in Hillsborough County, Florida, Tampa Ship offers comprehensive ship repair services. The facility includes four large drydocks and seven repair piers located off McCloskey Blvd near Sparkman Channel in Hillsborough Bay. The company focuses on vessel conversions and constructs platform supply vessels as well as harbor tugs. Under Edison Chouest Offshore's management since 2008, Tampa Ship utilizes its advantageous location and infrastructure to serve a broad range of maritime sectors.
- Drydocks:
- 535 ft (163 m)
- 907 ft (276.4 m)
- 746 ft (227.4 m)
- 414 ft (126.2 m)
World War 2 ships
| Hull # | Ship # | Name | Type | Gross tons | Length (ft) | Delivered | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 244546 | Vitruvius | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Dec-43 | Used as breakwater at Normandy | |
| 2 | 244258 | David O. Saylor | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Nov-43 | Used as breakwater at Normandy | |
| 3 | 244542 | Arthur Newell Talbot | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Feb-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 4 | 245070 | Richard Lewis Humphrey | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Mar-44 | Sold to Mexico | |
| 5 | 245069 | Richard Kidder Meade | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Mar-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 6 | 245071 | Willis A. Slater | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Feb-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 7 | 245336 | Leonard Chase Watson | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | Jun-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 8 | 245335 | John Smeaton | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Apr-44 | Breakwater at Powell River BC | |
| 9 | 245579 | Joseph Aspdin | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | May-44 | Wrecked and lost in 1948 | |
| 10 | 245773 | John Grant | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Jun-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 11 | 245771 | M. H. Le Chatelier | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | Jul-44 | Breakwater at Powell River BC | |
| 12 | 245774 | L. J. Vicat | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | Jul-44 | Breakwater at Powell River BC | |
| 13 | 246010 | Robert Whitman Lesley | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | Jul-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 14 | 246120 | Edwin Thacher | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | Jul-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 15 | 246257 | C. W. Pasley | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | Aug-44 | Breakwater at Newport OR | |
| 16 | Armand Considere | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | Sep-44 | Breakwater at Powell River BC | ||
| 17 | Francois Hennebique | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | Sep-44 | Breakwater at Newport OR | ||
| 18 | P. M. Anderson | C1-S-D1 | 4,690 | 350 | Sep-44 | Breakwater at Powell River BC | ||
| 19 | 246727 | Albert Kahn | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Oct-44 | Abandoned and lost in 1947 | |
| 20 | 246758 | Willard A. Pollard | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Nov-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 21 | William Foster Cowham | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Nov-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA |
| Hull # | Ship # | Name | Type | Gross tons | Length (ft) | Delivered | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Edwin Clarence Eckel | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Dec-44 | Scuttled in 1946 | ||
| 23 | Thaddeus Merriman | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Nov-44 | Breakwater at Powell River BC | ||
| 24 | Emile N. Vidal | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Dec-44 | Breakwater at Powell River BC |
| Hull # | Ship # | Name | Type | Gross tons | Length (ft) | Delivered | Fate | } |
|---|
Two concrete C1-S-D1 ships—SS Vitruvius and SS David O. Saylor—were converted into breakwaters supporting the Allied Normandy invasion during World War II. These vessels formed part of the Mulberry harbour, a temporary artificial port facilitating rapid unloading of cargo during the June 1944 landings. Known colloquially as Corncobs and Gooseberries, these breakwaters played a vital role in enhancing logistical operations on Utah Beach.
Other concrete ships were deployed as breakwaters in strategic locations including Kiptopeke State Park in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia (nine vessels), and Powell River in British Columbia (ten vessels). At Powell River, these ships supported lumber mill activities and are collectively referred to as The Hulks. This repurposing demonstrates effective utilization of maritime assets to bolster critical infrastructure throughout wartime and subsequent years.
See also
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage
- Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat
- Walt Disney World Railroad
- USS Volans
- Tampa Shipbuilding Company