Liberty Ships
After going through my accumulation recently I found the following cover which piqued my interests and started me on some research.
The SS Archigetis was constructed as the William Leroy Gable at the Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation, Savannah, Georgia with hull number 2895. The ship was built as a EC2-S-C1 Type and completed in January 1945.
In 1945 The William Leroy Gable was operated by the War Shipping Administration for the Union Sulphur Company, and then in 1946 for Grace Line Inc. In 1947 she was purchased by Cia.de Nav.San Leonardo, Panama and renamed the Cimon.
Renamed Archigetis in 1955 and purchased by Sierra Cia.Nav. and operated by John C. Hadjipateras & Sons, London. In 1960 she was purchased by the Pan Norse SS Co. and renamed Western Venture.
The Western Venture continued sailing for various operators and owners until she was scrapped in Taiwan in 1969.
The characterstics of the SS Archigetis are:
Tonnage: 7,251 GRT; 10,865 DWT
Displacement: 14,245 long tons
Length: 441’6”
Beam: 56’10¾”
Draft: 27’9¼”
Brief History of Liberty Ships 1
Liberty Ships, also known as EC2-S-C1, were a class of cargo ships built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although 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.
Background
The urgent need for large numbers of new cargo vessels came at a time when domestic facilities for building ships and producing their marine equipment were already fully engaged in a massive naval expansion program. The Allies needed ships by the hundreds to replace these losses and to increase the flow of supplies to England and, later, the Soviet Union.
Construction and Design
Liberty Ships were designed to be simple and easy to build. They were constructed of riveted steel and had a distinctive “ugly duckling” appearance. The ships were powered by steam turbines and had a top speed of around 11 knots.
Production
Between 1941 and 1945, an astounding 2,710 Liberty Ships were built. The first Liberty Ship, SS Patrick Henry, was launched on September 27, 1941. By 1944, the average time to build a ship was 42 days.
Use in World War II
Liberty Ships played a crucial role in the Allied war effort. They transported troops, supplies, and equipment to all parts of the world. They were also used to evacuate refugees and prisoners of war.
Legacy
After the war, many Liberty Ships were sold for scrap or converted to other uses, such as barges and oil tankers. A few Liberty Ships have been preserved as museum ships.
The Liberty Ships are a testament to the industrial might of the United States during World War II. They helped to ensure the Allied victory and played a vital role in the postwar economic recovery.
Sources and Notes:
Mariners. (2024). http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsW.html
American Merchant Marine at War. (2024). http://www.usmm.org/l/southe.html
United States Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. (2024).https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/5284
John C Hadjipateras & Sons, Fleet History. (2024). https://hadjipateras.co.uk/fleet-history/
City of Vancouver Archives. (2024)https://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/s-s-archigetis-at-dock
Liberty ship. (2024, November 5). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_ship
-
Text Generated by Google’s Gemini AI using the prompt “Can you provide a history of Liberty Ships” ↩