Design and Construction
Alameda was laid down on 16 December 1918 as SS Alameda at Philadelphia, by William Cramp and Sons for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). She was one of four Design 1128 tankers built by Cramp, all of which served as United States Navy oilers. Alameda was launched on 15 July 1919, sponsored by Helen Mull Widdows, daughter of Cramp's president, J. H. Mull.
As built, the ship was 430 feet (131.1 m) in length (overall), 58 feet 2 inches (17.73 m) abeam, and had a depth of 31 feet 5 inches (9.58 m). She drew 25 feet 9 inches (7.85 m) with 8 feet (2.4 m) of freeboard. She was powered by a single triple-expansion steam engine (also manufactured by Cramp) with cylinders of 27, 45½, and 76 inches (69, 115, and 190 cm) diameter with a 51-inch (130 cm) stroke. Operating at 190 pounds per square inch (1,300 kPa), her three boilers had a grate area of 186 square feet (17.3 m2) and heating surface of 8,095 square feet (752.1 m2). The engine generated 565 horsepower (421 kW), and could move the ship with a top speed of 11 knots (20 km/h).
Read more about this topic: USS Alameda (AO-10)
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