Today only a few of more than the 2,700 Liberty class vessels that comprised the "Atlantic Bridge" survive. The Savannah firm of Southeastern Shipbuilding constructed 87 Liberty ships during the war. During peak construction in 1943, a Liberty ship could be completed in 40 days. The design for "Liberty Ships" could be rapidly produced using welded component construction and assembly line production techniques. , Today, remains of the Savannah-built vessel provide habitat as an artificial reef at the Papahanaumokuakea Maritime National Monument.īefore the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, President Roosevelt and Congress authorized a ship building program to construct a fleet of transport vessels that could carry American supplies to England. Army, the Quartette struck Pearl and Hermes Atoll northwest of the Hawaiian Islands. Under charter to the Military Sea Transport Service and in route from Galveston, Texas to Pusan, South Korea with a cargo consigned to the U.S. By 1952, the ship was owned by Standard Steamship Company of Wilmington, Delaware and operated as the Quartette. One of those was launched in Savannah in 1944 by Southeastern Shipbuilding as the USS James Swan. Many were lost after the war in merchant marine service. , SS James Swan a Liberty Ship Still Serving, Approximately 200 Liberty ships were sunk during World War II. The heavily loaded Oglethorpe was severely damaged by a torpedo fired by U-91 and sank the following day. Five days later, a pack of eight German U-boats attacked the convoy. On March 11, 1943, The Savannah-built Liberty vessel sailed from New York City with the 40 ship convoy designated Halifax 229. , Launching SS James Oglethorpe, The first vessel launched at Southeastern Shipbuilding was the James Oglethorpe on November 20, 1942. Brown is berthed in Baltimore where it was launched in 1942. The SS Jeremiah O'Brien is homeported in San Francisco and the SS John W. Two have been restored to World War II operating condition. Brown, Today, few Liberty ships survive. Each Liberty ship launched by Southeastern Shipbuilding cost the United States approximately two million dollars., Restored Liberty Ship SS John W. Welding was much faster and less labor intensive than riveting and was one of the critical factors in production. Sections of the hull and superstructure were fabricated and then fitted together by welding.
Not entirely unprotected, Liberty ships were equipped with a three-inch gun and two 37 mm Bofors cannons on the bow, four or five-inch stern guns and six 20 mm Oerlikon machine guns., Liberty Ship on the Ways at Southeastern Shipbuilding, The Southeastern Shipbuilding yard was laid out according to a standard design that permitted work to progress on six vessels simultaneously. The five holds of a Liberty ship could carry the contents of 300 railroad cars, 2,840 jeeps or 440 Sherman tanks. The 2,500 hp triple expansion steam engine pushed a Liberty ship at speeds of approximately 11 knots with 10,000 tons of cargo aboard. Their length was 441 feet and the beam measured 56 feet. Today only a few of more than the 2,700 Liberty class vessels that comprised the "Atlantic Bridge" survive., Liberty Ship Design, One of the critical factors in Liberty ship production was design standardization. , Before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, President Roosevelt and Congress authorized a ship building program to construct a fleet of transport vessels that could carry American supplies to England. Savannah's Liberty Ships and the Atlantic Bridge.