Liberty Ships

There were 2,751 Liberty Ships were built during the pivotal World War II years in shipyards throughout the United States.  This extensive shipbuilding program was undertaken by the United States Maritime Commission.  The Liberty Ships were the heart of this huge shipbuilding effort.

The Liberty cargo ships were British in conception, but the United States decided to adopt the design because they were economical and easy to build.  The speed at which these ships were completed came to symbolize the ability of the United States to produce a substantial wartime industrial output.  Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by German U-boats, Liberty Ships were purchased for lend-lease to Britain as well as for the US fleet.

Seventeen American shipyards produced 2,751 Liberties between 1941 and 1945.  This was the largest number of ships built to a single design.  The need for the United States to protect her maritime interests was of obvious importance before the attack on Pearl Harbor.  However, after December 7, 1941 and the declaration of war, it was even clearer that a vast number of cargo ships would be needed to transport food and material across the oceans.  America needed ships that could be built quickly in large numbers and capable of transporting tons of cargo.

Liberty Ships filled this need.  Many credit these ships with saving the Allied cause.  There had been serious concern that the war might be lost if the Allied lifelines were stretched beyond their limit due to an insufficient number of ships to bring supplies from America.  The thousands of Liberty Ships built ensured that problem would be overcome.

After the war, the United States sold some of its Liberty Ships to her allies.  Others were operated privately for the U.S. Government.  The vast majority of these ships, however, became part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet.  Still others became radar picket ships, technical research ships, and the like.  As the Liberty Ships aged, the U.S. undertook efforts to extend their usefulness.  The “Liberty Ship Conversion and Engine Improvement Program” began in 1953 which added years to the life of many Liberty Ships.

Asbestos Exposure on Liberty Ships

These 2,751 ships were powered by steam reciprocating engines.  These engines and the steam powered auxiliary machinery all used asbestos insulation.  The shipyards where these ships were built  worked at a fast pace to complete these ships as quickly as possible.  The shipyard workers constructing these ships were exposed to the asbestos dust from the many insulation products used on these ships, including pads, felt, cloth, pipe covering, cement, gaskets and packing–all of which contained asbestos.

The ship’s crew ranged from 45 to over 80 men who were involved in the operation and maintenance of these ships.  These crewmen had to routinely remove and replace the asbestos insulating products unknowingly exposing themselves to this deadly dust.

The shipyard workers and crewmen who worked on these Liberty Ships are at risk of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma because of their exposure to asbestos.  The Liberty Ships that remained in service for years after the war put many more crewmen at risk of asbestos-related diseases.