SS William S . Ladd SS " William S . Ladd " ( MC hull number 2084 ) was an American Liberty ship built during World War II , one of the 2 , 710 type ' EC2 - S - C1 ' ships that carried all kinds and types of dry cargo during the war . SS " William S . Ladd " was named for William S . Ladd an American politician and businessman in Oregon . He twice served as Portland , Oregon ’ s mayor in the 1850s . " Ladd " was one of the 2 , 710 Liberty Ships that carried all kinds and types of dry cargo during the war . " William S . Ladds " keel was laid August 29 , 1943 and 15 days later , on September 13 , the hull was launched . " William S . Ladd " was fitted out in seven days , and was delivered to the US Navy on September 20 . The Navy placed " Ladd " under charter to Weyerhaeuser Steamship Co . " William S . Ladd " came under attack on December 10th , 1944 while anchored off Leyte , Philippines unloading her cargo of gasoline and ammunition . A Japanese Kamikaze crashed into the ship , and after a two - hour fire - fighting battle , " Ladd " sank . " Ladd " was the last of the ships built in the Pacific Northwest to fall to enemy action . Construction and design . " William S . Ladd " was powered by two oil - fired boilers and a single vertical type , triple - expansion reciprocating steam engine . Using the color - coded image at the left , The machinery space ( dark blue in the picture ) was located at the middle of the ship . The single propeller was driven through a long propeller shaft that ran through a tunnel ( lower green area in the picture ) under the aft cargo holds . The propeller rotated at 76 rpm , giving a speed of about . There were two decks running the full length of the ship , with seven watertight bulkheads dividing the machinery space and five cargo holds ( light blue in the picture ) , three ahead of the machinery space and two aft . Crew accommodations were provided in a large three - deck structure located in the middle of the ship ( medium blue in the picture ) directly above the machinery space , and in a small structure ( medium blue in the picture ) located at the stern . The bridge , radio room and Captain ' s quarters were located on the top deck ( yellow in the picture ) of the three - deck structure . The fuel for the boiler was carried in several tanks ( red in the picture ) located throughout the ship . Ship ' s storage ( light green in the picture ) was located at the bow and above the machinery space . Gun crew quarters and the ship ' s hospital were located in the stern structure . < / ref > When armed , the gun ' tubs ' ( white in the picture ) were located at the bow , stern and above the bridge . These could be any mixture of , , , , and / or caliber guns . The ship ' s steering was by a contrabalanced rudder ( black , at left in the picture ) , with its associated steering gear located in a compartment ( green in the picture ) above the rudder and below the aft structure . Steam - powered generators provided electric power for radios , navigation equipment , refrigeration compressors , pumps , lighting , and degaussing . An evaporator produced fresh water for the boilers and for the crew . Large hatches above the cargo holds allowed steam winches and booms rigged to three centerline masts to quickly load or unload cargo . Liberty ships carried weapons , ammunition , food , tools , hardware , vehicles , and other things needed for the war effort . They could also be equipped to carry a large number of troops by rigging bunks in the holds similar to those used by the Armed guard . History . Like many Liberty Ships , " William S . Ladd " transported war materials between the United States and the rear areas of the Pacific Front , often calling at Pearl Harbor , Australia , Guadalcanal , Hollandia and Manaus . The SS " William S . Ladd " was the last ship to be sunk while laying at anchor off Leyte , in the Philippines Islands . Before she went down in Leyte Gulf , she established a record of four Japanese planes destroyed . She accounted for the first one plane on the afternoon of December 5 and knocked down three on December 10 . It was one of these three planes crashed into her sending her to the bottom . The attack . " William S . Ladd " was preparing to unload 500 barrels of gasoline and 150 - tons of ammunition when a Japanese Kamikaze smashed into the ship ’ s after mast . The shredded plane continued on to hit the mid ship house , then falling toward the stern and into the # 4 cargo hold . The plane ’ s bombs exploded once inside of the hold , shattering the engine room bulkhead . A number of explosions in No . 4 and No . 5 holds followed . Fires started throughout the ship , and with fire lines severed by the blast , they soon raged out of control . At 1750 the after - guns were secured and the men manning them were ordered to abandon ship . At 1830 , after a 2 - hr futile battle to save the ship , Captain Nels F . Anderson of Silverdale , Washington ordered all hands off the ship as it settled by the stern . At 1840 forward guns No . 1 to 5 were ordered secured and the Armed Guards were ordered to abandon ship . At 1930 the last Navy personnel and ship ’ s officers abandon the doomed vessel . No one was killed , eight Armed Guards were wounded and hospitalized on Leyte . Today , SS " William S . Ladd " lies at the bottom Leyte Gulf at approximately 10° 15 ' N / 125° 10 ' E .