During World War II, 173 Liberty ships were launched at Savannah and Brunswick. They hauled trucks, tanks, ammunition, crated aircraft, heavy machinery and a wide range of other supplies, along with a singular priceless commodity, the promise of eventual victory.
Nationwide, 2,710 Liberty ships were produced at 18 shipyards. They were constructed to a specific size, 441-feet in length, and speed, 11.5 knots at full steam. In 1941, it required 244 days to complete one: By 1945, that had been sliced to 44 days. At sea, they formed, ship by ship, a lifeline to America’s allies.
On March 15, 1945, just six days after the Georgia Ports Authority was created by the Georgia General Assembly, Brunswick launched its last Liberty ship — the SS Patrick B. Whalen. Through the course of the war, Savannah produced 88 Liberty ships, Brunswick 85. Of the 2,170 launched nationwide, only two have survived.