USS William Ward Burrows (AP-6)

USS William Ward Burrows (AP-6) on 6 July 1942. Her 3"/23 guns have been replaced with 3"/50 guns and the sponson in the forward well deck for the 50-foot motor launches has been removed. (Navy photo collection Photo No. 19-N-32040)
History
Name:	Santa Rita (1929) William Ward Burrows (1940)
Namesake:	William Burrows
Builder:	Burmeister & Wain
Launched:	1929
Acquired:	6 February 1940
Commissioned:	15 May 1940
Decommissioned:	16 May 1946
Struck:	15 August 1946
Honors and awards:	Four battle stars for World War II service
Fate:	Sold for scrap, delivered National Metal & Steel 18 May 1957
Notes:	U.S. O/N: 228577
General characteristics
Tonnage:	4,576 GRT
Displacement:	8,450 long tons (8,590 t)
Length:	386 ft 2 in
Beam:	53 ft
Draft:	9 ft 6 in
Propulsion:	2 x Diesel, twin propellers
Speed:	12.5 knots
Complement:	178
Armament:	4 × 3" guns 5 × .50 cal 4 × .30 cal machine guns

USS William Ward Burrows, built as MV Santa Rita for the Grace Steamship Company launched in 1929 at Copenhagen, Denmark, by Burmeister & Wain, was a transport ship that saw service with the United States Navy in World War II. As a Grace liner Santa Rita served the New York—South American West Coast trade from 1929 until 1939. As William Ward Burrows the ship served in the Pacific. From October 1940 she assisted in the buildup of Central Pacific bases, being caught in transit from Hawaii to Wake Island when news of the attack on Pearl Harbor came. She later saw service in the South Pacific and West Pacific. On 29 June 1946 the ship went into reserve at Olympia, Washington until removed for scrapping 18 May 1957.

Santa Rita was a twin-screw, steel-hulled, passenger and cargo motorship launched in May 1929 at Copenhagen, Denmark, by Burmeister & Wain built for the Grace Steamship Company, Inc., and operated between New York and ports in South America and on the west coast of the United States, carrying passengers and freight. The ship was the second Grace Line ship of the name and two more would follow.

The design was for four passenger decks with accommodations for 80 first and 48 intermediate class passengers in beds rather than berths in all outside rooms. The recreational facilities included a swimming tank, golf practice area along with social hall, smoking room, lounge and verandah cafe. Cargo capacity was 5,100 tons handled by four extra large hatches and nine electric winches. Insulated chambers were provided for carrying of fruit and other perishables.

The diesel engines driving the twin screws developed 4,500 horsepower for a service speed of 14 knots (16 mph; 26 km/h).

Santa Rita followed Santa Inez in inaugurating Grace Line's service between New York through the Panama Canal to Buenaventura, Colombia and Guayaquil, Ecuador, the first direct passenger service to those ports, with Santa Inez departing on 20 April and Santa Rita due to depart 8 June. The planned run between New York and Buenaventura was eight days and Guayaquil twelve days. After those initial ports the ships were to call at South American West Coast ports as far south as Valparaiso.