SS William S. Ladd 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 of Leyte Gulf at approximately . 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. She
SS William S. Ladd 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. 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 lying