GENERAL WILLIAM O. DARBY

BUILT: 1945	BEAM: 75'-6"	DRAFT: 26'-6"
LENGTH: 608'-11"	CARGO [cu ft]: 36,720	PASS [troop ship]: 4,971
PROPULSION: Turbine-elec 2	RADIUS [miles]: 15,000	TONS: 17,000
TYPE: P2	SPEED [knots]: 19	DEPENDENTS TO JAPAN: Yes

Named in honor of Adm William Snowden Sims, USNA Class 1880, Cdr U.S. Naval Forces European WW I. Did not participate in wartime operations. Renamed USNS Gen Wm. O. Darby.

Ref: http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22127.htm

Gen. William O. Darby [ex. Adm. W. S. Sims]

In 1950 the Gen. Darby was rebuilt to serve the Navy with a crew of 294
civilians and 26 naval personnel, a troop capacity of 1,307,and cabin
facilities for 250 adults, 181 children or 132 infants. As time passed,
the work for moving troops was given to the Military Sea Transportation
Service. Greater care was given to make the ships more attractive.
Eventually , aircraft supplanted the ships for all troop movements and
the P-2s were laid up. [Bill Poole]