Royal Belgian Institute of Marine Engineers
Royal Belgian Institute of Marine Engineers John W. Brown returning to New York on March 18, 1944, at the end of her third voyage, where she shuttled between ports in the Mediterranean Theater for five months before returning home. The ship carried a varied cargo outbound that "required a manifest 61 pages long to list the more than 2,500 items, ranging from TNT, Sherman tanks, and a locomotive, to Purple Heart medals, cigarettes and skirts for female officers." The design and construction of WWII Liberty cargo ships revolutionized shipbuilding by overhauling the blueprint process and standardizing on commonality of parts, welding, pre‐ fabrication and assembly line construction. By Patricia Keefe Give me Liberty, or give me death!" a rallying cry of of the American Merchant Marine at War website the Revolutionary War, got a second act in World (usmm.org). Hence, "If it made a one‐way voyage, it War II. paid for itself." It's estimated the Liberties delivered This time the call was more like, "Give me Liberty 75% of the cargo used in the war. ships, and make it quick]," as the country, desperate The full scantling type Liberty had a range of 17,000 to build up its outdated flotilla of cargo ships and miles, a carrying capacity of about 10,800 tons, devastated naval fleet, bet big on a homely vessel steam‐operated winches and was propelled by an that touched off a ship‐building revolution and 1870's engine design ‐ a triple expansion became key to winning the war reciprocating steam engine fueled by two oil‐fired "Built by the mile and chopped off by the yard," boilers, single screw, 2500 HP, running at a top speed Roosevelt promised the nofrills Liberties would form of 11 knots.
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