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Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive

Liberator (ID 3134)


Cargo Ship: Built in 1918 as Wichita by the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA; Acquired by the Navy and commissioned Liberator (ID 3134), 2 July 1918. After passing through the Panama Canal, the ship loaded at New York and in mid-August began the work of carrying cargo across the Atlantic to France. Once the First World War's fighting stopped in November, Liberator was converted to a troop transport and made five voyages to return veteran servicemen to the United States from France. Decommissioned, 4 October 1919 and returned to the United States Shipping Board. Sold to a commercial operator in 1933, the ship remained active until the mid-1940s. The SS Liberator was sailing enroute from Galveston, Texas to New York, carrying 11,000 tons of sulphur. She was traveling alone approximately 3 miles west of Diamond Shoals. She carried a 4" deck gun as protection against U-boats. At 1019 (Eastern War Time) EWT, 19 March 1942 a torpedo struck the port side on the aft end of the engine room. The engine room was demolished and five crew members were killed in the explosion. The ship sank 21 minutes later. The 31 survivors were picked up by the USS UMPQUA (ATO-25) at 1125 EWT. They were taken to Morehead City, North Carolina. The night before, on the evening of March 18th, while rounding Cape Lookout, the gun crew of the Liberator mistakenly fired two shots in to the bridge of the USS DICKERSON (DD-157). The Dickerson was on anti-submarine patrol and running blacked-out and steaming at nearly full speed. The friendly fire killed three crew of the destroyer instantly. The commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander J. K. Reynold was mortally wounded and died 10 minutes before the Dickerson docked safely the next morning at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia. This was approximately the same time the Liberator was being torpedoed and sunk by the U-332. The crew of the Liberator later reported that before their own sinking, they had engaged a U-boat in battle and and sunk the German submarine.

Specifications: Displacement 7,951 t.; Length 410'; Beam 56'; Draft 30' 6"; Speed 10.5 kts.; Complement unknown; Armament unknown (one 4" deck gun in 1942).


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Size Image Description Source
Liberator 74k Probably photographed just after completion, already painted in World War I "dazzle" camouflage.
US Navy Photo NH 102006
Naval Historical Center

There is no DANFS History currently available for Liberator (ID 3134) at the Hazegray & Underway Web Site, the main archive for the DANFS Online Project.
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