O. L. Bodenhamer

Historikk:

The ”Liberty” ship 0.L. Bodenhamer, named after U S. Army Major (ret.), former National Commander of the American Legion, and Arkansas businessman O.L. Bodenhamer, was built as hull number 2800 by Delta Shipbuilding Company in New Orleans for the U S . Army Transportation Service. The EC2‐S‐C1type freighter (E for emergency; C for cargo; 2 indicating size or capacity by the index of appropriate waterline length, 400 to 450 feet; 8 for steam propulsion; and C1 for the particular design) was laid down on June 20, 1944, launched on August 2, and completed later that month, which was representative of just how fast these vessels could be produced in World War II. The Bodenhamer was 441.5 feet long, 56.7 feet wide, and displaced 7,176 tons. After a brief service in World War II, the freighter was laid up at Mobile, Alabama. Eventually deemed obsolete, the superstructure of the O.L. Bodenhamer was razed and she was scuttled in 380 feet of water off Miami on May 14, 1976. Due to the extensive scrapping of the vessel, she n o w resembles a giant canoe on the bottom; the Bodenhamer offers little aside from her depth to attract the interest of technical divers.