Information on the Liberty class:
The basic hull model for the vessels was based on the SS Dorington Court, a British steamer built in the 30's with raked stem, cruiser stern, single screw and balanced rudder. The main propulsion unit was a three cylinder, triple expansion, reciprocating steam engine whose design dated back to 1896.
Because Britain had no domestic oil at the time, it was to be powered by coal-fired scotch or Fire-tube boilers. It was 441 feet long, with a beam of 57 feet and displaced about 7,500 tons. It could carry 9,150 tons of cargo in its five holds. The cruising range would be 8,000 miles at 11 knots.
The United States Maritime Commission made a number of alterations to the Ocean class design. Some were made to conform to American manufacturing and shipbuilding standards, others to accommodate the scarcity of certain materials, and then some to meet the need to build as rapidly and as cheaply as possible. This resulted in the designation EC2-S-C1, originally referred to as 'emergency ships'.
One of the more common nicknames was Ugly Duckling inspired by their utilitarian appearance, but in 1941, after President Franklin D Roosevelt told the country that these ships would bring liberty to Europe, they became known as Liberty Ship.
Below are the merchant vessels of the Liberty class:
You can click on any of the header below to sort by that header.
| Loss date | | Name of ship | Tons | Nat. | U-boat | Commander |
|---|
| 20 May 1942 | | George Calvert | 7,191 |  | U-753 | Alfred Manhardt von Mannstein |
| 28 Jun 1942 | | Sam Houston | 7,176 | | U-203 | Rolf Mützelburg |
| 29 Jun 1942 |  | Thomas McKean | 7,191 | | U-505 | Axel-Olaf Loewe |
| 3 Jul 1942 | | Alexander Macomb | 7,191 | | U-215 | Fritz Hoeckner |
| 4 Jul 1942 | | William Hooper | 7,177 | | U-334 | Hilmar Siemon |
| 4 Jul 1942 | | Christopher Newport | 7,191 | | U-457 | Karl Brandenburg |
| 5 Jul 1942 | | Daniel Morgan | 7,177 | | U-88 | Heino Bohmann |
| 6 Jul 1942 | | John Witherspoon | 7,191 | | U-255 | Reinhart Reche |
| 21 Jul 1942 | | William Cullen Bryant (d.) | 7,176 | | U-84 | Horst Uphoff |
| 18 Aug 1942 | | John Hancock | 7,176 | | U-553 | Karl Thurmann |
| 30 Aug 1942 | | Star of Oregon | 7,176 | | U-162 | Jürgen Wattenberg |
| 13 Sep 1942 | | Oliver Ellsworth | 7,191 | | U-408 | Reinhard von Hymmen |
| 24 Sep 1942 | | John Winthrop | 7,176 | | U-619 | Kurt Makowski |
| 8 Oct 1942 | | John Carter Rose | 7,191 | | U-201 | Günther Rosenberg |
| 26 Oct 1942 | | Anne Hutchinson (t.) | 7,176 | | U-504 | Hans-Georg Friedrich Poske |
| 1 Nov 1942 | | George Thatcher | 7,176 | | U-126 | Ernst Bauer |
| 4 Nov 1942 | | William Clark | 7,176 | | U-354 | Karl-Heinz Herbschleb |
| 7 Nov 1942 | | Nathaniel Hawthorne | 7,176 | | U-508 | Georg Staats |
| 20 Nov 1942 | | Pierce Butler | 7,191 | | U-177 | Robert Gysae |
| 27 Nov 1942 | | Jeremiah Wadsworth | 7,176 | | U-178 | Hans Ibbeken |
| 1 Jan 1943 | | Arthur Middleton | 7,176 | | U-73 | Horst Deckert |
| 23 Jan 1943 | | Benjamin Smith | 7,177 | | U-175 | Heinrich Bruns |
| 27 Jan 1943 | | Julia Ward Howe | 7,176 | | U-442 | Hans-Joachim Hesse |
| 27 Jan 1943 | | Charles C. Pinckney | 7,177 | | U-514 | Hans-Jürgen Auffermann |
| 2 Feb 1943 | | Jeremiah Van Rensselaer | 7,177 | | U-456 | Max-Martin Teichert |
| 8 Feb 1943 | | Roger B. Taney | 7,191 | | U-160 | Georg Lassen |
| 24 Feb 1943 | | Nathanael Greene (d.) | 7,176 | | U-565 | Wilhelm Franken |
| 24 Feb 1943 | | Jonathan Sturges | 7,176 | | U-707 | Günter Gretschel |
| 28 Feb 1943 | | Daniel Carroll (d.) | 7,176 | | U-371 | Waldemar Mehl |
| 28 Feb 1943 | | Wade Hampton | 7,176 | | U-405 | Rolf-Heinrich Hopman |
| 1 Mar 1943 | | Fitz-John Porter | 7,176 | | U-518 | Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann |
| 2 Mar 1943 | | Meriwether Lewis | 7,176 | | U-634 | Eberhard Dahlhaus |
| 3 Mar 1943 | | Harvey W. Scott | 7,176 | | U-160 | Georg Lassen |
| 8 Mar 1943 | | James B. Stephens | 7,176 | | U-160 | Georg Lassen |
| 9 Mar 1943 | | George G. Meade (d.) | 7,176 | | U-510 | Karl Neitzel |
| 9 Mar 1943 | | Tabitha Brown (d.) | 7,176 | | U-510 | Karl Neitzel |
| 9 Mar 1943 | | Mark Hanna (d.) | 7,176 | | U-510 | Karl Neitzel |
| 9 Mar 1943 | | James K. Polk (t.) | 7,177 | | U-510 | Karl Neitzel |
| 9 Mar 1943 | | Joseph Rodman Drake (d.) | 7,181 | | U-510 | Karl Neitzel |
| 9 Mar 1943 | | James Smith (d.) | 7,181 | | U-510 | Karl Neitzel |
| 9 Mar 1943 | | Thomas Ruffin (t.) | 7,191 | | U-510 | Karl Neitzel |
| 10 Mar 1943 | | Richard D. Spaight | 7,177 | | U-182 | Asmus Nicolai Clausen |
| 10 Mar 1943 | | James Sprunt | 7,177 | | U-185 | August Maus |
| 10 Mar 1943 | | Richard Bland (t.) | 7,191 | | U-255 | Reinhart Reche |
| 10 Mar 1943 | | Lawton B. Evans (d.) | 7,197 | | U-221 | Hans-Hartwig Trojer |
| 11 Mar 1943 | | William C. Gorgas | 7,197 | | U-757 | Friedrich Deetz |
| 12 Mar 1943 | | Thomas Hooker | 7,176 | | U-653 | Gerhard Feiler |
| 16 Mar 1943 | | Benjamin Harrison | 7,191 | | U-172 | Carl Emmermann |
| 17 Mar 1943 | | James Oglethorpe | 7,176 | | U-758 | Helmut Manseck |
| 17 Mar 1943 | | William Eustis | 7,196 | | U-435 | Siegfried Strelow |
| 17 Mar 1943 | | Molly Pitcher (d.) | 7,200 | | U-167 | Kurt Sturm |
| 18 Mar 1943 | | Walter Q. Gresham | 7,191 | | U-221 | Hans-Hartwig Trojer |
| 18 Mar 1943 | | Molly Pitcher | 7,200 | | U-521 | Klaus Heinrich Bargsten |
| 29 Mar 1943 | | William Pierce Frye | 7,176 | | U-610 | Walter Freiherr von Freyberg-Eisenberg-Allmendingen |
| 6 Apr 1943 | | John Sevier | 7,176 | | U-185 | August Maus |
| 11 Apr 1943 | | Matt W. Ransom (d.) | 7,177 | | U-117 | Hans-Werner Neumann |
| 11 Apr 1943 | | Edward B. Dudley | 7,177 | | U-615 | Ralph Kapitzky |
| 11 Apr 1943 | | James W. Denver | 7,200 | | U-195 | Heinz Buchholz |
| 19 Apr 1943 | | Robert Gray | 7,176 | | U-108 | Ralf-Reimar Wolfram |
| 7 May 1943 | | Samuel Jordan Kirkwood | 7,191 | | U-195 | Heinz Buchholz |
| 28 May 1943 | | Cardinal Gibbons (d.) | 7,191 | | U-154 | Oskar-Heinz Kusch |
| 30 May 1943 | | Flora MacDonald (t.) | 7,177 | | U-126 | Siegfried Kietz |
| 6 Jun 1943 | | William King | 7,176 | | U-198 | Werner Hartmann |
| 27 Jun 1943 | | Sebastian Cermeno | 7,194 | | U-511 | Fritz Schneewind |
| 3 Jul 1943 | | Elihu B. Washburne | 7,176 | | U-513 | Friedrich Guggenberger |
| 7 Jul 1943 | | James Robertson | 7,176 | | U-185 | August Maus |
| 7 Jul 1943 | | Thomas Sinnickson | 7,176 | | U-185 | August Maus |
| 9 Jul 1943 | | Samuel Heintzelman | 7,176 | | U-511 | Fritz Schneewind |
| 10 Jul 1943 | | Alice F. Palmer | 7,176 | | U-177 | Robert Gysae |
| 10 Jul 1943 | | Matthew Maury (d.) | 7,176 | | U-371 | Waldemar Mehl |
| 14 Jul 1943 | | Robert Bacon | 7,197 | | U-178 | Wilhelm Dommes |
| 16 Jul 1943 | | Richard Caswell | 7,177 | | U-513 | Friedrich Guggenberger |
| 28 Jul 1943 | | John A. Poor (d.) | 7,176 | | U-119 | Horst-Tessen von Kameke |
| 30 Jul 1943 | | William Ellery (d.) | 7,181 | | U-197 | Robert Bartels |
| 23 Aug 1943 | | Pierre Soulé (d.) | 7,191 | | U-380 | Josef Röther |
| 26 Aug 1943 | | Richard Henderson | 7,194 | | U-410 | Horst-Arno Fenski |
| 26 Aug 1943 | | John Bell | 7,242 | | U-410 | Horst-Arno Fenski |
| 28 Aug 1943 | | Albert Gallatin (d.) | 7,176 | | U-107 | Volker Simmermacher |
| 20 Sep 1943 | | Theodore Dwight Weld | 7,176 | | U-238 | Horst Hepp |
| 20 Sep 1943 | | Frederick Douglass (d.) | 7,176 | | U-238 | Horst Hepp |
| 20 Sep 1943 | | Frederick Douglass | 7,176 | | U-645 | Otto Ferro |
| 21 Sep 1943 | | Cornelia P. Spencer | 7,176 | | U-188 | Siegfried Lüdden |
| 21 Sep 1943 | | William W. Gerhard | 7,176 | | U-593 | Gerd Kelbling |
| 23 Sep 1943 | | James Gordon Bennett (d.) | 7,176 | | U-952 | Oskar Curio |
| 26 Sep 1943 | | Christian Michelsen | 7,176 |  | U-410 | Horst-Arno Fenski |
| 15 Oct 1943 | | James Russell Lowell (t.) | 7,176 | | U-371 | Waldemar Mehl |
| 24 Nov 1943 | | Melville E. Stone | 7,176 | | U-516 | Hans-Rutger Tillessen |
| 16 Dec 1943 | | John S. Copley (d.) | 7,176 | | U-73 | Horst Deckert |
| 27 Dec 1943 | | José Navarro | 7,244 | | U-178 | Wilhelm Spahr |
| 16 Jan 1944 | | Sumner I. Kimball | 7,176 | | U-960 | Günther Heinrich |
| 25 Jan 1944 | | Penelope Barker | 7,177 | | U-278 | Joachim Franze |
| 26 Jan 1944 | | Walter Camp | 7,176 | | U-532 | Ottoheinrich Junker |
| 26 Jan 1944 | | Andrew G. Curtin | 7,200 | | U-716 | Hans Dunkelberg |
| 26 Jan 1944 | | Samouri | 7,219 |  | U-188 | Siegfried Lüdden |
| 3 Feb 1944 | | Chung Cheng | 7,176 |  | U-188 | Siegfried Lüdden |
| 22 Feb 1944 | | George Cleeve (t.) | 7,176 | | U-969 | Max Dobbert |
| 22 Feb 1944 | | Peter Skene Ogden (t.) | 7,176 | | U-969 | Max Dobbert |
| 10 Mar 1944 | | William B. Woods | 7,176 | | U-952 | Oskar Curio |
| 19 Mar 1944 | | John A. Poor | 7,176 | | U-510 | Alfred Eick |
| 16 Apr 1944 | | Thomas G. Masaryk (t.) | 7,176 | | U-407 | Hubertus Korndörfer |
| 16 Apr 1944 | | Meyer London | 7,210 | | U-407 | Hubertus Korndörfer |
| 30 Apr 1944 | | William S. Thayer | 7,176 | | U-307 | Friedrich-Georg Herrle |
| 29 Jun 1944 | | H.G. Blasdel (t.) | 7,176 | | U-984 | Heinz Sieder |
| 29 Jun 1944 | | James A. Farrell (t.) | 7,176 | | U-984 | Heinz Sieder |
| 29 Jun 1944 | | John A. Treutlen (t.) | 7,198 | | U-984 | Heinz Sieder |
| 29 Jun 1944 | | Edward M. House (d.) | 7,240 | | U-984 | Heinz Sieder |
| 24 Jul 1944 | | William Gaston | 7,177 | | U-861 | Jürgen Oesten |
| 24 Jul 1944 | | Samneva (t.) | 7,219 | | U-309 | Hans-Gert Mahrholz |
| 8 Aug 1944 | | Ezra Weston | 7,176 | | U-667 | Karl-Heinz Lange |
| 23 Aug 1944 | | Louis Kossuth (d.) | 7,176 | | U-989 | Hardo Rodler von Roithberg |
| 28 Aug 1944 | | John Barry | 7,176 | | U-859 | Johann Jebsen |
| 12 Sep 1944 | | George Ade (d.) | 7,176 | | U-518 | Hans-Werner Offermann |
| 29 Sep 1944 | | Edward H. Crockett | 7,176 | | U-310 | Wolfgang Ley |
| 29 Sep 1944 | | Samsuva | 7,219 | | U-310 | Wolfgang Ley |
| 23 Nov 1944 | | William D. Burnham (t.) | 7,176 | | U-978 | Günther Pulst |
| 10 Dec 1944 | | Dan Beard | 7,176 | | U-1202 | Rolf Thomsen |
| 21 Dec 1944 | | Samtucky (d.) | 7,219 | | U-806 | Klaus Hornbostel |
| 24 Dec 1944 | | Robert J. Walker | 7,180 | | U-862 | Heinrich Timm |
| 29 Dec 1944 | | Black Hawk (t.) | 7,191 | | U-322 | Gerhard Wysk |
| 29 Dec 1944 | | Arthur Sewall (t.) | 7,176 | | U-322 | Gerhard Wysk |
| 30 Dec 1944 | | Tbilisi (t.) | 7,176 |  | U-956 | Hans-Dieter Mohs |
| 3 Jan 1945 | | Henry Miller (t.) | 7,207 | | U-870 | Ernst Hechler |
| 9 Jan 1945 | | Jonas Lie | 7,198 | | U-1055 | Rudolf Meyer |
| 14 Jan 1945 | | Martin Van Buren (t.) | 7,176 | | U-1232 | Kurt Dobratz |
| 21 Jan 1945 | | George Hawley (t.) | 7,176 | | U-1199 | Rolf Nollmann |
| 27 Jan 1945 | | Ruben Dario (d.) | 7,198 | | U-825 | Gerhard Stoelker |
| 5 Feb 1945 | | Henry B. Plant | 7,240 | | U-245 | Friedrich Schumann-Hindenberg |
| 6 Feb 1945 | | Peter Silvester | 7,176 | | U-862 | Heinrich Timm |
| 14 Feb 1945 | | Horace Gray (t.) | 7,200 | | U-968 | Otto Westphalen |
| 17 Feb 1945 | | Thomas Scott | 7,176 | | U-968 | Otto Westphalen |
| 17 Feb 1945 | | Michael J. Stone (d.) | 7,176 | | U-300 | Fritz Hein |
| 20 Mar 1945 | | Horace Bushnell (t.) | 7,176 | | U-995 | Hans-Georg Hess |
| 20 Mar 1945 | | Thomas Donaldson | 7,210 | | U-968 | Otto Westphalen |
| 21 Mar 1945 | | James Eagan Layne (t.) | 7,176 | | U-399 | Heinz Buhse |
| 21 Mar 1945 | | John R. Park | 7,194 | | U-1195 | Ernst Cordes |
| 7 Apr 1945 | | James W. Nesmith (t.) | 7,176 | | U-1024 | Hans-Joachim Gutteck |
| 12 Apr 1945 | | Will Rogers (d.) | 7,200 | | U-1024 | Hans-Joachim Gutteck |
| 18 Apr 1945 | | Cyrus H. McCormick | 7,181 | | U-1107 | Fritz Parduhn |
Legend:
(t.) means the ship was declared a total loss.
(d.) means the ship was damaged in the action.
138 instances of Liberty class ships hit by U-boats.
If you miss a certain ship from this listing please let us know, we probably just mislabeled her class.
