Between 1941 and 1945, eighteen American shipyards built 2,710 Liberty ships. The design was chosen for its “simple, low-cost construction.” The ships were made “assembly-line style, from prefabricated sections.” Joshua Smith of the American Merchant Marine Museum notes that they were throwaway ships with a five-year life expectancy. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the ship “a dreadful looking object.” Time magazine called it the “Ugly Duckling.”
Early Liberty ships suffered cracks in the hull and deck. Three Liberty ships broke in half. Some ships sailed far longer than their five-year design life.