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Long before container ships put Savannah on the maritime map, another kind of ship had a huge impact here — not only for the area’s economy but for a country at war.
On Nov. 20, 1942, the SS James Oglethorpe “slid down the ways” at Southeastern Shipbuilding in Savannah, marking the launch of the first Liberty Ship built in Savannah.
Liberty Ships — the name given quickly constructed wartime freighters designed to bring supplies and equipment overseas — are widely credited with turning the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II.
The Oglethorpe — the first of 88 Liberty ships that would be constructed at Southeastern Shipyard on the Savannah River — would later set sail from New York Harbor in a supply-laden convoy bound for Liverpool, England.
The Oglethorpe was torpedoed in the North Atlantic by several German U-boats on March 16, 1943, and was lost the next day, along with 44 of her 74-man crew.
“Few people today are aware of the intensity and importance of the Battle of the Atlantic as the Allies struggled to keep vital supply routes open for food, equipment and men in one of the most serious engagements of the war,” said Savannahian Nick Farley, a native of London who served in the British merchant navy.
At its height from 1940 through 1943, the battle pitted German U-boats and aircraft against Allied merchant shipping.
Considered a strategic victory for the Allies in that the German blockade failed, the six-year battle exacted a huge toll. Nearly 3,000 merchant ships were sunk and 50,000 mariners gave their lives.
In a late afternoon ceremony Wednesday, the Georgia Historical Society and the Georgia International and Maritime Trade Center dedicated a historical marker to the SS James Oglethorpe and the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Among the dignitaries on hand to watch as the marker was unveiled on the river side of the trade center was Dorothy Wise, whose father, Anthony Van Dolteren, helped build the Oglethorpe and then sailed on the Liberty Ship’s maiden voyage. Van Dolteren was killed when the Oglethorpe was hit by a torpedo, as was Danny Dix, whose nieces Eleanor Dix Parker and Cynthia Dix were in attendance.
Also on hand were Savannah Mayor Pro Tem Van Johnson, Chatham County Commission Chairman Al Scott, and County Commissioners Tony Center and Helen Stone.
The Liberty Ship-building program marked Georgia’s most important contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic. It produced 173 ships built in yards in Savannah and Brunswick and mobilized nearly 62,000 workers statewide.
