The Liberty Ships

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29 800KER 1 1 ASHINGTON PHE SEP First Liberty sh delivered December 30 AZ 1991 85026 Chis lalle LIBERTY SHIPS LAUNCHED

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THE LIBERTY SHIPS First Day of Issue: September 3, 1991 First Issue Location: Phoenix, Arizona A host of logistical problems faced America in the early years of the Second World War. Not the least of these was crossing the thousands of miles of open ocean to supply a steady flow of matériel to the battlefields. The vast waters teemed with deadly traps: German U-boats prowled be- low and floating mines promised tragedy. Consequently, the United States needed able ships and needed them posthaste, for they were often destroyed as quickly as they were built. The well-known industrialist Henry J. Kaiser was contracted to supervise the mass production of hun- dreds of merchant-marine freighters aptly tagged “Liberty Ships." Kaiser had proven himself as a leading industrial mind early on, having played key roles in the construction of such monumental projects as Hoover and Shasta dams. Under his direction, the time it took to build one ship was cut from one hundred fifty days to — in one remarkable case — four and a half days. During the war, Kaiser built and operated seven shipyards, where his men mass pro- duced a total of 1,490 ships. No. 91-66 ©1991 The Maximum Card Collection A division of Unicover Corporation Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 ® Original painting for the Maximum Card by Chris Calle