Location: Upper Deck

The Ship

During the early years of World War II, enemy mine fields, aerial assaults and U-Boat attacks seriously crippled the Allied capability for carrying equipment, supplies and troops.  In order to build ships faster than the enemy could sink them, President Roosevelt instituted a shipbuilding program.  Between 1941 and 1945, more than 2,648 Liberty ships were produced in 18 shipyards on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf Coasts.  One-third of the labor force in these yards were women.  More than two-thirds of the war material that left the United States during the war was transported in Liberty ships.

SS Jeremiah O’Brien was built between May and June in 1943, being completed in 56 days at New England Shipbuilding Company in South Portland, Maine.  She was 441 feet, six inches long, drew 27 feet of water, and could handle 8,500 long tons of cargo.  She was powered by a triple-expansion steam engine delivering 2,500 horsepower for a top speed of 11 knots.

The SS JEREMIAH O’BRIEN is one of two remaining fully functional Liberty ships of the 2,710 built and launched during WWII. The O’BRIEN has the distinction of being the last unaltered Liberty ship and remains historically accurate. Moored at Pier 45, Fisherman’s Wharf, she is a premier San Francisco attraction.

The Model

Scale:  3/16”
Solid model, built by J. Berger
Case:  H 23”  L 55”  W 15 ½”
The port side is painted to show wear and rust, and starboard side looks freshly painted.