A Scale Model Of The S.S. President Coolidge

ANONYMOUS; AMERICAN, 20TH CENTURY

Details

A Scale Model Of The S.S. President Coolidge
Anonymous; American, 20th century
This is a fine scale model of this President Line ship. The model is built up from the solid and detailed with hull plating across the surface of the entire hull. The hull of the model is painted with a dark rust red bottom, a white waterline and white topsides. The decks of the model are from basswood veneer which has been scored to replicate deck planking and has beed stained a teak color. The decks of the model are well detailed and include the following: anchors, ventilators, anchor windlass, cargo hatches, forward mast with crow's nest and cargo booms, bridge with binnacle, ship's wheel fire buckets, deck railings, life boats on davits, 2 funnels painted in President Line's livery, swimming pool, docking bridge, aft mast with cargo booms, propellers, rudder, and other details.
45 x 9¾ x 15¾ in. (114.3 x 24.7 x 40.0 cm.) cased dimensions.

Lot Essay

Launched on February 21 1931 by the widow of the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, she was the largest and finest merchant ship ever built by an American shipyard with an LOA of 654 ft and a GRT of 21,936 tons. In 1941, with the likelihood of America entering the European War, the Coolidge went into service with the American Army as a transport ship for reinforcing Pacific garrisons. On the morning of 26th October 1942, an explosion struck the aft fire room - an explosion from a mine, one of many scattered in a deadly mine field across the channel. Thirty seconds later a second explosion hit the engine room - the ship was mortally wounded. Immediately, life boats and nets, Jacob's ladders and ropes were lowered and the abandon ship order issued. Fifty five minutes after the ship was beached, at 10:55, the great vessel gave a shuddering lurch and slid backwards into the oily water, disappearing to her grave at the edge of the Segond Channel.

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