Victory Ship

Description

The Victory ship was a type of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace shipping losses caused by German submarines. Together with an earlier design, the Liberty ship, about 2400 were built in the United States and over 300 were built in Canada.

The Victory ships ultimately were slightly over 455 feet long and 62 feet wide. Like the Liberty ships, each had five cargo holds, three forward and two aft. The Victories could carry 10,850 deadweight tons (the weight of cargo a ship can carry) or 4,555 net tons (the amount of space available for cargo and passengers), a larger load than the Liberties could manage. Victory ships typically carried a crew of 62 civilian merchant sailors and 28 naval personnel to operate defensive guns and communications equipment. The crew quarters were located amidships.

The Victory ships were different from the Liberty ships primarily in propulsion, the triple-expansion marine steam engine of the latter giving way to more modern, faster turbines or diesels. The AP1 Victory ship was powered by a 5,500-hp steam engine; the AP2 Victory by a 6,000-hp steam engine; the AP3 by a 8,500-hp steam engine; and the AP4 by a diesel engine. Their cruising speed was 15-17 knots (approximately 18.5 miles per hour).

Victory Ships made their appearance late in WWII and were designed to replace the Liberty Ships which were created as an immediate response to the emergency. Larger and equipped with more powerful, modern engines than the Liberty Ships, more than 500 were built. Victory Ships formed the backbone of the post-war U.S. Merchant Marine. The intermediate to advanced modeler will create an unusual and beautiful model cargo ship from this kit.