On September 19, 1942, Liberty Ship SS Stephen Hopkins, a.k.a. “Ugly Duckling,” set out from Cape Town Harbor, Africa. The 441-foot long freighter was bound for Dutch Guiana (Surinam) at the northeast end of South America. Once in harbor, the vessel was tasked with loading a vital cargo of bauxite, to be refined into aluminum in the United States. The seas had been relatively calm as the ship crossed the Atlantic at a maximum speed of 11 knots (12.7 mph). But in the early morning hours of September 27, the ocean was covered in a blanket of heavy mist. At about 9:30 am, two unidentified ships emerged from a sudden rain squall. They were barely two miles away! Captain Paul Buck was immediately called to the bridge.
As the vessels moved in closer, it became apparent that they were heavily armed. Captain Buck ordered a general alarm and a change of course, away from the two ships. However, the Liberty Ship with its four-inch gun mounted at the stern, a dual 37 mm at the bow and several machine guns located on its superstructure was not well armed for combat. But instead of striking his ship’s colors and surrendering to the overwhelming force, Captain Buck chose to fight the approaching enemy ships.
The two German ships had barely shown their colors when they began firing their guns. A first shell landed in the sea, just a short distance from the Stephen Hopkins’ bow but the second struck the ship’s superstructure taking the lives of two of its men. The battle was on! Captain Buck ordered his vessel turned so that their four-inch stern gun could be brought to bear on the enemy.
The first shot from the Liberty’s stern gun fell short of the Stier, the smaller German vessel, but the next one was a hit. Smoke billowed from its waterline, yet there was still an exchange of fire from both enemy ships. Shortly thereafter, a shell penetrated Liberty’s hull taking out its boilers. Dead in the water, her crew continued to return fire. A short time later, Stephen Hopkins began to sink by the stern. Captain Buck sounded “Abandon ship” and moments later, an enemy shell hit the bridge, taking the Captain’s life. A lifeboat was lowered and of the 46 Liberty’s crewmen, the 19 survivors boarded the small boat. They were somehow able to create a small sail and with wind and currents, they made their wat toward the shores of South America. Luckily, during the second day at sea, they came across two abandoned rafts that had some supplies of food and water. But it would be nearly a month before they managed to get ashore at the village of Barro do Itabapoana, on Bazil’s coast. During the long trip, four of the survivors had succumbed to their injuries.
The German vessel Steir had also been swallowed by Atlantic waters. Many of her crew and prisoners aboard were rescued by the larger enemy ship, Tannenfies. It then they sailed to Bordeaux, France for repairs. Throughout the war, the Stier was the only German vessel to be sunk by a Liberty ship.
Liberty ships were built in response to the British supply needs during World War ll. Speed of construction was urgent. In January 1941, President Roosevelt announced a $350 million program to build freighters and military ships, but when shown the design plans for Liberty ships, he found them quite unattractive. He is said to have described the ship as “a dreadful looking object,.” but it would serve its purpose well. Liberties were soon dubbed “Ugly Duckling.” The vessels also earned another nickname, “Kaiser Coffins.” A Liberty without cargo and insufficient ballast rolled and pitched horrendously, to the discomfort of even seasoned sailors. Some of them were lost to storms.
To hasten their construction, the Liberties were mass produced, using 30,000 identical parts built by a host of U.S. manufacturers. Between 1941 and 1945, 18 shipyards were involved in producing Liberty ships. Once delivered to a shipyard, the sections were welding together, rather than applying time-consuming rivets. During that entire period, 2,710 Liberties were successfully launched. As the war progressed, along with cargo, troops were also transported in convoys aboard the “Ugly Ducklings.” Liberties were also used in the Pacific theater. During World War ll, a total of 200 Liberty ships were lost to enemy action. Following the war, many of the Liberty ships were sold as freighters to various countries and private shipping companies. A number were also assigned to the U.S. Reserve Fleet, making them available for future deployment. A few of them were used during the Korean War. In the post war years, a number of “Ugly Ducklings” were intentionally sunk in the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic to serve as artificial reefs. They were scuttled after having removed their superstructure and any pollutants. The wrecks then became habitat for various marine animals including many species of fish.
As a result of the heroism displayed aboard the “Ugly Duckling,” SS Stephen Hopkins was designated “Galant Ship” by the Maritime Administration. Two Liberty Ships were later named, Stephen Hopkins and the Paul Buck. On September 27, 1942, Captain Paul Buck and cadet-midshipman O’Hara were posthumously awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal. The Captain’s wife, LT Gertrude Buck, an Army nurse, received the medal in his name. LTJG Willet was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
There are only two remaining, fully functional Liberty ships: they are open for tours. Liberty Ship John W. Brown is located in Baltimore, MD http://www.ssjohnwbrown.org/ and Liberty Ship Jeremiah O’Brien, moored at San Francisco, CA: liberty@ssjeremiahobrien.org.