The John Sergeant was the first cargo ship in the world to be powered exclusively by a gas turbine .
history
The ship was built as a Liberty freighter with hull number 2050 at the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard in Baltimore. The delivery took place in September 1942.
After the end of World War II, the United States Maritime Commission had several Liberty ships rebuilt to find out how best to adapt them to post-war requirements. As part of this Liberty Ship Conversion & Engine Improvement Program , the John Sergeant was equipped in 1956 at the Newport News Shipbuilding yard with a gas turbine built by the General Electric Company in Schenectady . The turbine gave its power to a reduction gear. In addition, the ship received a controllable pitch propeller system , as gas turbines cannot be reversed. In addition to some other smaller modifications, the forecastle was lengthened by around 20 feet in order to adapt the ship's lines to the higher performance and to be able to achieve a better top speed. In the period that followed, the ship was initially driven for around 9700 hours of operation with normal diesel oil and later around 7000 hours with heavy fuel oil. The results of the operation flowed into the further development of the marine gas turbine. The John Sergeant was later first in the James River - Reserve Fleet launched and canceled in Portsmouth 1,972th
The Future of Gas Turbines - The "John Sergeant," the First Merchant Vessel Exclusively Propelled by a Gas Turbine. In: The Motor Ship . Vol. 37, No.434 . Temple Press, London July 1956, pp.124-126 .
GTV "John Sergeant" runs Trials. In: The Motor Ship . Vol. 37, No.437 . Temple Press, London October 1956, pp.251 .
Gas Turbine Ship Performance - Transatlantic Crossing of the GTV "John Sergeant" Converted Liberty Ship with Open-cycle Gas Turbine Installation. In: The Motor Ship . Vol. 37, No.438 . Temple Press, London November 1956, pp.296-299 .
Special Ships of 1956. In: The Motor Ship . Vol. 37, No.440 . Temple Press, London January 1957, pp.392 .
