The P2 transport was a United States Maritime Commission design for a passenger ship which could be readily converted into a troop transport. Three variants of the design were built, the P2-SE2-R1 (Admirals), P2-S2-R2 (Generals), and P2-SE2-R3 (Presidents).

Quick Facts Class overview, General characteristics ...

USS Admiral R. E. Coontz (AP-122)
Class overview
Name	Admiral-class
Builders	Bethlehem Alameda Works
Operators	United States Navy
Built	1942–45
In commission	1944–91
Planned	10
Completed	8
General characteristics [1]
Type	P2-SE2-R1
Tonnage	17,001 GT 8,750 DWT
Displacement	12,650 long tons (12,853 t)
Length	609 ft (186 m) o/a
Beam	75 ft 6 in (23.01 m)
Draft	25 ft (7.6 m)
Depth	43 ft 6 in (13.26 m)
Installed power	19,000 hp (14,168 kW)
Propulsion	Turbo-electric transmission; twin screw propellers
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range	12,000 nmi (22,000 km; 14,000 mi)
Capacity	100,000 cu ft (2,800 m3)
Troops	5,200

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Ten P2-SE2-R1 ships were ordered by the Maritime Commission in World War II. The ships were laid down by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Alameda, California. The intended use of these ships after the war was trans-Pacific service. As ordered, the ships were named after U.S. Navy admirals. Only eight ships were completed as troop transports for the navy, with the last two ships canceled on 16 December 1944. Despite being canceled, the last two ships were completed after the war to the P2-SE2-R3 design as civilian ships.

In 1946 the ships were all decommissioned by the navy and transferred back to the Maritime Commission, and from there to the United States Army. The army operated them with civilian crews as part of the Army Transport Service and renamed them after generals of the United States Army. In 1950 the ships were transferred back to the navy, but not recommissioned. Instead they were assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service, manned by a civil service crew, and keeping the names the army had given them.

Quick Facts Class overview, General characteristics ...

USS General H. W. Butner (APA-113)
Class overview
Name	General-class
Builders	Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Kearny, New Jersey
Operators	United States Navy
Built	1942–45
In commission	1943–70
Completed	11
General characteristics [1]
Type	P2-S2-R2
Tonnage	17,951 GT 8,200 DWT
Displacement	11,450 long tons (11,634 t)
Length	623 ft (190 m) o/a
Beam	75 ft 6 in (23.01 m)
Draft	29 ft (8.8 m)
Depth	51 ft 6 in (15.70 m)
Propulsion	C3-type geared turbines, 18,000 hp (13,423 kW), 2 shafts
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range	15,000 nmi (28,000 km; 17,000 mi)
Capacity	36,000–48,000 cu ft (1,000–1,400 m3)
Troops	4,500 to 4,800

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Eleven P2-S2-R2 ships were ordered by the Maritime Commission in World War II. The ships were laid down by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Kearny, New Jersey. The intended use of these ships after the War was for South American service. As ordered, the ships were all named after United States Army generals.

Unlike the Admirals, the Generals did not have a relatively uniform life after World War II. Three were transferred to the Army as the Admirals had been, of which one was disposed of by the Army and converted to a passenger liner before the Korean War. Five were retained by the Navy and were transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service in October 1949 to be manned by civilian crews, and two others were transferred to American President Lines with the intent of being converted to a passenger liners, but ended up being chartered troop ships that in the Korean War were rejoined to military control as part of the Military Sea Transportation Service.

As noted above, the last two Admirals were canceled in 1944 while under construction. They were completed to the P2-SE2-R3 design and operated by American President Lines as the SS President Cleveland (ex-USS Admiral D. W. Taylor) and the SS President Wilson (ex-USS Admiral F. B. Upham). The President Wilson was later renamed SS Oriental Empress when sold to C.Y. Tung in 1978.