SS ''Patrick Henry'' was the first
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...
launched. It was built by the
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at their
Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard in
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, Maryland. She was named after
, an
American attorney, planter, and
Founding Father
The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...
as well as the
first and sixth post-colonial
Governor of Virginia
The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The Governor (United States), governor is head of the Government_of_Virginia#Executive_branch, executive branch ...
, from 1776 to 1779 and 1784 to 1786.
Background
Liberty ships initially had a poor public image and to try to assuage public opinion, 27 September 1941, was designated
Liberty Fleet Day, and the first 14 "Emergency" vessels were launched that day. The first of these (with MC hull number 14) was ''Patrick Henry'', launched by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
. Other "Emergency" vessels launched that day, in various yards around the country included: , , , , , and .
Launching
In the speech delivered at the launching, Roosevelt referred to
's "
Give me Liberty or give me Death!" speech of 23 March 1775. Roosevelt said that this new class of ships would bring liberty to Europe, which gave rise to the name "Liberty ship". ''Patrick Henry'' was sponsored by
Ilo Browne Wallace, wife of Vice President
Henry A. Wallace, with Mrs.
Robert H. Jackson, wife of the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and Madame Bruggmann, wife of the Minister of Switzerland Karl Bruggmann and sister of the vice president. Ilo Wallace christened the ship. The ship's fitting was completed on December 30, 1941.
Service history
Her maiden voyage was to the Middle East. During World War II she made 12 voyages to ports including
Murmansk
Murmansk () is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far Far North (Russia), northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of a modest fjord, Ko ...
(as part of
Convoy PQ 18), Trinidad,
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, Naples, and Dakar.
She survived the war, but was seriously damaged when she went aground on a reef off the coast of
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, , in July 1946. The ship was laid up at
National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of Ship, ships of the United States, mostly Merchant ship, merchant vessels, that have been Reserve fleet, mothballed but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during nationa ...
,
Mobile, Alabama. On 18 September 1958, she was sold to
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Until its closure in 2003, it was one of the world's largest steel-producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its success ...
, for $76,191. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 22 October 1958, and was scrapped at Baltimore.
References
Bibliography
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External links
Liberty Ship SS ''Jeremiah O'Brien'' Web site.
Liberty Ship SS ''John W. Brown''Web site.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patrick Henry
1941 ships
Liberty ships
Ships built in Baltimore
World War II merchant ships of the United States
Maritime incidents in 1946
Mobile Reserve Fleet