Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass-produced on an unprecedented scale, the Liberty ship came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output.
SS Jeremiah O'Brien is a Liberty ship built during World War II and named after the American Revolutionary War ship captain Jeremiah O'Brien (1744–1818).
Type C1 was a designation for cargo ships built for the United States Maritime Commission before and during World War II. Total production was 493 ships built from 1940 to 1945. The first C1 types were the smallest of the three original Maritime Commission designs, meant for shorter routes where high speed and capacity were less important. Only a handful were delivered prior to Pearl Harbor. But many C1-A and C1-B ships were already in the works and were delivered during 1942. Many were converted to military purposes including troop transports during the war.
SS A. B. Hammond was a liberty ship built by California Shipbuilding Corporation of Los Angeles, and delivered in February 1944, to the War Shipping Administration (WSA).
SS A. Mitchell Palmer (MCE-2436) was an EC2-S-C1 Type Liberty ship design cargo ship, named after U.S. Attorney General Alexander Mitchell Palmer. The ship's keel was laid by Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation of Savannah, Georgia, on 17 December 1943, commissioned as part of the Second World War effort by the War Shipping Administration (WSA). It was launched 12 February 1944. It was scrapped in 1968 in Taiwan.
SS George E. Badger was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after George Edmund Badger, a North Carolina Senator from 1846 to 1855 and Secretary of the Navy in 1841.
SS Clara Barton was a standard Liberty ship, Type EC2-S-C1, built by the California Shipbuilding Corporation, Terminal Island, for the United States Maritime Commission and delivered to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) for operation as allocated by WSA during World War II. She was named after Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. The ship survived the war only to suffer the same fate as nearly all other Liberty ships that survived did; she was scrapped in 1970.
California Shipbuilding Corporation built 467 Liberty and Victory ships during World War II, including Haskell-class attack transports. California Shipbuilding Corporation was often referred to as Calship.
The SSGreece Victory was the second Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on February 3, 1944, and completed on April 14, 1944. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2- S- AP3, hull number 2. SS Greece Victory served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. The new 10,500-ton Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle.
The SS U.S.S.R. Victory was the third Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on February 26, 1944. The ship was completed and delivered to the wartime operator of all United States oceangoing shipping, the War Shipping Administration (WSA), on April 26, 1944. U.S.S.R. Victory, official number 245247, was assigned to Moore-McCormack Lines, Inc., under a standard WSA operating agreement at that time. That agreement continued until the ship's sale on March 7, 1947. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 3 (V-3). U.S.S.R. Victory served in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II.
The SS New Zealand Victory was the sixth Victory ship built during World War II. She was launched at Terminal Island by the California Shipbuilding Company on March 20, 1944 and completed on May 13, 1944. She was built in 109 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 6 (V-6). SS New Zealand Victory served in the Pacific Ocean during WW2. SS New Zealand Victory was sixth of the new 10,500-ton class ship to be known as Victory ships. Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for WW2. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure and had a long raised forecastle.
The SS Sapulpa Victory was the 14th Victory ship built for the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The vessel was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on April 29, 1944, and completed on June 19, 1944. The ship's US Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 14 (V-14). The Sapulpa served in the Pacific Theater during World War II and was operated by the Alcoa SS Company.
The SS Gainesville Victory was the 22nd Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on June 9, 1944, and completed on July 22, 1944. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 22 (V-22). She was operated by the Seas Shipping Company. SS Gainesville Victory served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. SS Gainesville Victory was number one of the new 10,500-ton class of ships, known as Victory ships. Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for WW2, while Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ships differed from the Liberty ships in that they were faster, longer, wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure, and had a long raised forecastle.
SS Luxembourg Victory was a Victory ship built for the United States during World War II. She was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on February 28, 1944, and was completed on April 5, 1944. The ship's US Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 90 (V-90). She was built in 101 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor, the Lykes Brothers SS Company, for operation until the end of World War II hostilities. She was operated under the US Merchant Marine Act for the War Shipping Administration.
California during World War II was a major contributor to the World War II effort. California's long Pacific Ocean coastline provided the support needed for the Pacific War. California also supported the war in Europe. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, most of California's manufacturing was shifted to the war effort. California became a major ship builder and aircraft manufacturer. Existing military installations were enlarged and many new ones were built. California trained many of the troops before their oversea deployment. Over 800,000 Californians served in the United States Armed Forces. California agriculture, ranches and farms were used to feed the troops around the world. California's long coastline also put the state in fear, as an attack on California seemed likely. California was used for the temporary and permanent internment camps for Japanese Americans. The population grew significantly, largely due to servicemen who were stationed at the new military bases/training facilities and the mass influx of workers from around the U.S. in the growing defense industries. With all the new economy activity, California was lifted out of the Great Depression. Over 500,000 people moved to California from other states to work in the growing economy. California expanded its oil and mineral production to keep up with the war demand.
SS Albert Gallatin was an American Liberty ship that operated during World War II. She was named for Albert Gallatin (1761–1849), an American politician, diplomat, ethnologist, and linguist who served as the United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1801 to 1814. She was sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-26 in the Arabian Sea in 1944.
SS Benjamin Contee was an American Liberty Ship type EC2-S-C1 built in 1942 by the Delta Shipbuilding in New Orleans, Louisiana as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding Program for World War II. She was laid down on February 2, 1942, launched on June 15, 1942, and completed on August 7, 1942. She was operated by the Mississippi Shipping Company for the War Shipping Administration as a United States Merchant Marine ship. She was a Maritime Commission design. Like other Liberty ships, she was 441 feet (134 m) long and 56 feet (17 m) wide, carried 9000 tons of cargo and had a top speed of 11 knots (20 km/h). Most Liberty ships were named after prominent deceased Americans. She was converted from a cargo ship to a troop transport ship. She is named after Benjamin Contee, an American Episcopal priest and statesman from Maryland. He was an officer in the American Revolutionary War, a delegate to the Confederation Congress, and a member of the first United States House of Representatives.
The SS Alamo Victory was the 42nd Victory ship built during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. She was launched by the California Shipbuilding Company on July 13, 1944, and completed on August 18, 1944. The ship’s United States Maritime Commission designation was VC2- S- AP3, hull number 42 (V-32), she worked as merchant marine for all of her career. SS Alamo Victory served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II and was operated by the Isthmian Steamship Company. The 10,500-ton Victory ships were designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used just for World War II. Victory ships were designed to last longer and serve the US Navy after the war. The Victory ship differed from a Liberty ship in that they were: faster, longer and wider, taller, had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure, and had a long raised forecastle.
SS Skagway Victory was a Victory ship built for the United States during World War II. She was launched by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on June 21, 1944, and was completed on July 15, 1944. The ship's US Maritime Commission designation was VC2-S-AP3, hull number 116 (V-116). She was built in 64 days under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Maritime Commission turned her over to a civilian contractor, the Alcoa, for operation until the end of World War II hostilities. She was operated under the US Merchant Marine Act for the War Shipping Administration.
World War II United States Merchant Navy was the largest civilian Navy in the world, which operated during World War II. With the United States fighting a world war in all the world oceans, the demand for cargo and fuel was very high. Cargo and fuel was needed around the world for the United States Navy, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Army Air Forces, United States Coast Guard and the support of the allied nations of the United States. American steamship companies chartered ships from the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration to meet the demand. Many United States Merchant Marine ships were newly built in the Emergency Shipbuilding Program, other ships were older World War I ships that were put back in service, or private ships acquired under Emergency war requisitions. The Merchant Navy operated in the Pacific War and European war. Over 200 US Merchant ships took part in the D-day Normandy landings. To make a Normandy breakwater Harbor, called Mulberry harbour, 33 merchant ships were sunk 1,000 yards from shore. Some of the ghosts merchant ships used were damaged and others were deemed too old.
United States