Tampa Ship
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | 1942 |
| Founder | Matthew H. McCloskey |
| Headquarters | Tampa , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Type N3 cargo vessels, C1-S-D1 concrete ships |
Number of employees | 6,000 (1940s) |
McCloskey & Company Shipyard was a shipbuilding enterprise based in Tampa, Florida. Established in 1942 by Matthew H. McCloskey, who also founded McCloskey & Company construction—recognized for projects such as the Philadelphia Convention Hall and the Washington D.C. Stadium—the shipyard manufactured 38 Type N3 cargo vessels during World War II. It additionally produced type C1-S-D1 concrete ships. Today, the former Tampa facility operates as Tampa Ship LLC, under the ownership of Edison Chouest Offshore.
Shipyard
In response to the heightened shipbuilding requirements during World War II, McCloskey & Company launched a shipyard at Hookers Point in Tampa on property leased from the Tampa Port Authority. Facing steel shortages typical of wartime, the company began constructing 24 self-propelled concrete ships in July 1943 through a contract with the Maritime Commission. At its operational height, the yard employed approximately 6,000 personnel across 13 slipways. These concrete ships measured 366 feet in length with a deadweight capacity of 5,000 tons and were primarily utilized for sugar transportation. Starting in April 1945, McCloskey shifted to building 38 steel-hulled Type N3 coastal cargo ships.
Following the war, ownership transferred to the City of Tampa in January 1948, which leased the facility to Tampa Ship Repair & Dry Dock Company. From 1956 until 1960, operations were conducted by Tampa Fabricators. After a period of inactivity during the 1960s, the yard was sold in 1972 to American Ship Building Company, renamed Tampa Shipyards, and underwent expansion with two large drydocks added before filing for bankruptcy in 1995. Subsequently, it was acquired by Tampa Shipbuilding Company for two years before becoming Tampa Bay Shipbuilding & Repair Company in 1997. In 2008, Edison Chouest Offshore purchased the facility and rebranded it as Tampa Ship.
Tampa Ship
Currently, Tampa Ship manages a comprehensive ship repair complex spanning 62 acres on Tampa Bay in Hillsborough County. The company provides vessel conversion services and maintains four expansive drydocks alongside seven repair piers located on McCloskey Boulevard near Sparkman Channel. Its core expertise includes constructing Platform supply vessels and Harbor Tugs. Since Edison Chouest Offshore's acquisition in 2008, significant enhancements to operational capabilities have been implemented.
- Drydock dimensions:
- 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 | Feet | Delivered | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 244546 | Vitruvius | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Dec-43 | Breakwater at Normandy | |
| 2 | 244258 | David O. Saylor | C1-S-D1 | 4,826 | 350 | Nov-43 | 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 in 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 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 1947 | |
| 20 | 246758 | Willard A. Pollard | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Nov-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 21 | 246759 | William Foster Cowham | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Nov-44 | Breakwater at Kiptopeke VA | |
| 22 | 246877 | Edwin Clarence Eckel | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Dec-44 | Scuttled 1946 | |
| 23 | 246881 | Thaddeus Merriman | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Nov-44 | Breakwater at Powell River BC | |
| 24 | 246878 | Emile N. Vidal | C1-S-D1 | 4,680 | 350 | Dec-44 | Breakwater at Powell River BC |
Two concrete C1-S-D1 ships—SS Vitruvius and SS David O. Saylor—were converted into breakwaters for the Mulberry harbours established during the Normandy invasion in June 1944; these artificial ports facilitated rapid unloading of cargo for Allied forces. These breakwaters were colloquially termed Corncobs and Gooseberries, with both vessels stationed off Utah Beach.
Post-war efforts saw nine ships utilized as breakwaters within Chesapeake Bay’s Kiptopeke State Park in Virginia to support maritime operations. Furthermore, ten concrete vessels are anchored off Powell River in British Columbia serving as a breakwater protecting a lumber mill; this group is collectively referred to as The Hulks.
See also
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage
- Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat
- Walt Disney World Railroad
- USS Volans
- Tampa Shipbuilding Company