Wooden Ship Kits

S.S. JEREMIAH O'BRIEN: Liberty Cargo shipKit

 
The construction of Liberty cargo ships was authorized by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. An act designed to rebuild the merchant fleet of the United States. Production was somewhat slow in the first years. But when Britain went to war with Germany, and British ships were being destroyed by enemy submarines faster than her shipyards could replace them, British officials came to America in September of 1940 to seek shipbuilding assistance. After considerable controversy, America answered the British request by increasing shipyard production. Shortly thereafter, Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan and the U.S. entered the war. It was evident that vast numbers of cargo ships would be needed. Mass production of Liberty ships began. Over 2,500 were built in a three-year period. The Liberty ships gave tremendous and gallant service throughout World War II, often sustaining and surviving terrific punishment under the most extreme conditions. After the war, The United States found itself again, the leading maritime nation, a position she wished to maintain. However, the abundance of Liberty ships was overwhelming. America allocated enough ships for a sufficient peacetime U.S. Merchant Marine fleet and, with the Merchant Ship Sales Act of 1946, sold many Liberty ships to her allies and also to her former foe, Italy; the remaining ships went to the scrap yard. A few of these remarkable war heroes still remain; one of them, the S.S. JEREMIAH O'BRIEN, has been restored to operating condition and is open to the public in San Francisco, California. We consider our true-to-scale model of the Liberty ship a memorial to the several million men and women who not only built the Liberty ships, but also sailed, defended, repaired, and supplied them during World War II. The standardization of these vessels allows the modeler to build the Liberty of his choice.

#167-889-2 Blue Jacket: Block hull construction
All the brass and pewter fittings necessary are provided to achieve the same intricate detailing of the original. You will receive cotton and wire rigging line, along with a variety of chain; wood blocks and dowels for the deckhouse, masts, and booms, skylights, and more. Noted warship historian and modeler Alan Raven has done a fine job creating precisely drawn plans and a clearly written English instruction manual.
Dimensions: Length:27-1/2" Scale: 1/16" = 1'
Price: US$345.00 on Special: US$334.95

Please note: Our minimum order is US$25.00

This page was last updated Nov 15th 2010.