Newcomb Lifeboat Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | 1 February 1916 in Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Founder | A. D. Newcomb |
| Fate | Renamed and incorporated as The Hampton Shipbuilding & Marine Railway Corp in April 1918; shipyard sold at auction in April 1921 |
| Headquarters | Hampton, Virginia , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Lifeboats, submarine chasers, cargo ships |
Number of employees | 707 (1918) |
The Newcomb Lifeboat Company operated as a shipbuilding facility in Hampton, Virginia throughout World War I.
History
A. D. Newcomb, the company's founder, engineered a lifeboat featuring a fully enclosed design that supplied breathable air through compressed oxygen tanks. Established in February 1916 in Richmond, Virginia, the firm obtained a contract from the United States government prior to the nation's entry into the conflict. In March 1917, Congress approved $115 million for wartime production, including funds for torpedo boat destroyers. Among 33 private and six naval shipyards tasked with constructing SC-1-class submarine chasers, Newcomb received an order for five such vessels.
Because of inadequate facilities in Richmond, Newcomb purchased the former Chesapeake Gas Engine Corporation location in Hampton, which included a railway system capable of accommodating multiple ships simultaneously. Although plans called for four slipways, only three were completed. The company also secured a contract to construct a marine railway and install propulsion systems on twenty wooden hulls; this project was later abandoned due to the high expenses associated with soil dredging.
In June 1917, Newcomb was awarded a contract by the US Shipping Board's Emergency Fleet Corporation to produce four Design 1001 cargo vessels at $367,563 apiece. Workforce numbers expanded from 212 in July 1917 to 707 by July 1918. In April 1918, the enterprise was rebranded as The Hampton Shipbuilding & Marine Railway Corp and incorporated in Hampton.
By 1918, all five submarine chasers (SC-218 through SC-222) had been delivered to the US Navy. In August of that year, Charles H. Tenney & Company assumed control of the shipyard and committed to finishing the ships under construction. Prior to the November Armistice, three Design 1001 hulls had been laid down; after hostilities ceased, urgent demand for shipping declined. Consequently, the Emergency Fleet Corporation canceled the contract in December 1918 but agreed to fund completion of two vessels (61% and 82% complete) on a cost-plus-fee basis; the third hull, only 21% finished, was scrapped.
The cargo ship Luray was launched on April 17, 1919, followed by Kohoka (also spelled Kahoka) on July 1, 1919. The shipyard itself was sold at auction in April 1921.
| Image | Hull | Ship Name | Design | O/N Number | Owner | Type | Gross Tonnage | Delivery Date | Notes and disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USS SC-218 | SC-1-class | US Navy | Submarine chaser | 110 | 1918 | Commissioned Feb 9, 1918; sold July 21, 1921 to Henry A. Hitner and renamed Hiwal; returned to USN as YP-355 in 1942; sold to MARAD in 1947 | |||
| USS SC-219 | SC-1-class | US Navy | Submarine chaser | 110 | 1918 | Commissioned Feb 19, 1918; destroyed by explosion Oct 9, 1918 | |||
| USS SC-220 | SC-1-class | US Navy | Submarine chaser | 110 | 1918 | Commissioned Mar 13, 1918; sold June 24, 1921 | |||
| USS SC-221 | SC-1-class | US Navy | Submarine chaser | 110 | 1918 | Commissioned Mar 13, 1918; sold June 24, 1921 | |||
| USS SC-222 | SC-1-class | US Navy | Submarine chaser | 110 | 1918 | Commissioned Mar 13, 1918; sold May 11, 1921 | |||
| SS Luray | 1001 | US Shipping Board | Cargo Ship | 2,559 | 1919 | Launched Apr 17, 1919 | |||
| SS Kohoka | 1001 | US Shipping Board | Cargo Ship | 2,559 | 1919 | Launched Jul 1, 1919 |