When 700 Ships were Abandoned | Atlantic Cemetery Fleet

[@ITSHISTORY]

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[@jerryodell1168]

After WW2 there were several of the old WW2 Liberty ships that were rebuilt with the engine and part of the engine room area removed and the stern reconfigured so that pinned tugs could be mated with them. By do so, they were converted to barges. Some of those types of ships are still in service as tug/barge combinations in the Great Lakes.

[@jaycooper2812]

There is an oil service terminal in Nikiski, Alaska that was constructed by beaching 5 old Liberty ships and filling them with gravel. These ships had been used here in Alaska for decades until they were no longer repairable so they were beached as they were all sinking from the wear and tear of heavy use in the icy waters of Alaska. They were all brought to Nikiski by an oilfield service company called "Rig Tenders". The ships were beached and filled with gravel and concrete forming a large dock area. The facility is now known as "Offshore Systems Kenai" or OSK Dock. They were turned into the dock in the mid 1970s and are still there today. The dock area has expanded several times but you can still see the outlines of 4 of the ships.

[@bryansimon4072]

I am a native of the Wilmington area. My grandfather worked in the shipyard. My father worked in the reserve fleet cleaning out and preparing the ships for scraping while in college . As a child I remember seeing the last of these ships, mostly landing ships being towed away for scraping. I drive by the area now and on foggy days can almost see the “ ghost fleet “ of old . Thanks for covering this.

[@dermotanthonydavidkyne1019]

The appropriate word is "scrapping." Not "scraping." In fact, (in fact), the correct "Nautical" term would be 'ship breaking." Not "scrapping." Motor vehicles are scrapped. Not ships. And (and), the next time you become "misty eyed" at the thought of those useless old hulks, which cost millions and millions of 1940 FRN's to build, consider how many homeless people could have been housed with that money. Consider how many poor people could have been helped with that money. How many orphans could have been helped, to find work, learn a trade, earn an education. With that money. Instead, millions of tons of steel, iron, cement (some "Liberty" ships had cement hulls), were squandered to build all that sub par maritime junk. Which was then towed away (if the could still float), and were broken up for scrap. How much did the American government (that is, the American Taxpayer) recover from breaking and scrapping all those ships? I doubt if 0.25 cents on the dollar was ever recovered. This was an criminal and irresponsible waste of money. But (but), at least we "beat Hitler." (sic) Indeed.

[@susiepittman601]

Thanks for sharing that story. I've been to Wilmington many times but didn't know that.

[@patrickgomes2213]

Seeing the reserve fleet in Suisun Bay was amazing. There’s almost nothing left now, and it was time for them to go, but there’s still a misty feeling seeing the fleet disappear.

[@JeepWrangler1957]

When in the area I’d buy a large cup of coffee and just look out at the ships there. You’re 💯. Almost all are gone

[@AVSSharky]

My dad and I used to fish by them, great striper fishing 🎣. His ship from ww2 was mothballed there ( USS Rocky Mount )

[@LFMotorhead]

Been in the Bay Area for 50 years. Always looked forward to seeing the fleet as I crossed the bridge. Use to volunteer on the USS Hornet and we would get access to the mothball fleet to collect parts and items for the Hornet. Always wished I could go on one of those treasure hunt missions. Would have been a blast climbing through those ships.

[@JamesJohnson-fb8wv]

I appreciate you doing this history on the Brunswick River Fleet. I grew up and still reside in Brunswick County, my parents were raised in Wilmington. I love this kind of history local to me.

[@hinnantp]

❤️ Hometown, Came back when I retired from the Navy in 2005. My Paternal Grandparents worked at the Shipyard.

[@boataxe4605]

They were literally the opposite of being as your title says “Abandoned”. They were in reserve and being maintained.

[@louismillevolte8020]

Moth bald was term used

[@edwardcanavan]

@@louismillevolte8020 Moth Ball

[@elnet1]

They had the equivalent on the West Coast of US at Suisun Bay. I worked at a Naval Shipyard nearby @ Mare Island Naval Shipyard. During the early days of the gulf war, they took one of the ships that was held in a rapid restoration condition to use. They put out a call at the shipyard if anyone knew how to light the boilers as with newer technology, this was a lost skill. I worked directly with some that were in liberty ships in WW2.

[@gordonking4360]

As a young child I remember the ships lined up on both sides of the river; as a teenager we would go to the ships remaining in the river ahd climb up the anchor chain to explore the ships, they were well persiversd in the inside of the hull and engine rooms.Remenber when some were scrapped on the old building ways at the state port,ships were ful of all kinds of stuff.

[@Tclans]

Liking the new tame intro. No longer ‘rip headphone users’ As always great video and history, very informative!

[@ITSHISTORY]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@Eolafan1008]

My father was a merchant, marine officer who graduated from Kings point merchant, Marine Academy on Long Island, and later, served in the US Navy during world war two so this video touched my heart, and brought back memories of some stories that he shared with me as I was growing up.

[@robertbrouillette6767]

A lot of Victory ships were used for the Vietnam Sealift. When I got on my first merchant ship in 1979, I was 32 years old. “Who’s that kid in the engine room.” I’ve heard a gazillion stories one of them from a guy who got his first ship carrying supplies to fight the Nationalists ( Francisco Franco forces ) in the Spanish Civil War 1936-39.

[@Ramzi1944]

Thank you for sharing, also, what is the Vietnam sealift?

[@rogerpenske2411]

Who is still gallantly fighting to remain dead!

[@jetsons101]

Always great to see a video about the Greatest Generation, the ones that pulled together during WWII to fight for our Freedoms. But now it's up to us, today, to protect those Freedoms from those that would be more than happy to take them away. Thanks to Ryan for another fine watch................

[@newtagwhodis4535]

Define "protect". Not joking.

[@jetsons101]

Not to let the woke democrats take them away. @@newtagwhodis4535

[@ritaloy8338]

The Ready Reserve Fleet was then and still is maintained by the United States Maritime Administration, was a branch of the Department of Commerce and now a branch of the Department of Transportation.

[@neoclassic09]

I was literally on the boat at this exact location yesterday. Didn't catch any fish lol

[@robbieshock5004]

I worked at Newport News shipyard building ford class aircraft carriers

[@TheKeeperMadz]

It's so sad that at lest one of each kind was preserved. We can never replace them EVER so take care of things to start with.

[@robertwalton7307]

Worked with a man who served on a Navy supply /cargo ship in the Pacific during WW2.After peace was declared they were told to get to San Fransisco "with all available speed" So the Captain had all cargo new -trucks, weapons, ammunition hoisted up and over the side!

[@ericsissenwein3601]

Plenty of them on the Hudson in NY. I saw them through the 50’s and I believe into the 60’s. They called them the “Mothball Fleet”.

[@warrensmith2902]

Man I bet they wished they had some of those ships today. They would make great vertical launch tub ships to support the fleet against mass drone attacks. Great cargo holds in those old ships, put lot of missile, Tomahawk, and drone launchers in them.

[@geckoproductions4128]

Really nice job of research and presentation, thanks

[@stevefranklin9920]

I was born in '63 in eastern North Carolina and have never heard of this. Thanks for sharing!

[@scottweisel3640]

I recently watched another presentation on Liberty Ships. These ships were hastily built due to the urgent need and like all machines of war, were not built to last. They had a very limited estimated lifespan, so it’s unsurprising they were quickly abandoned once the war was over. I’m surprised it took 20 years to scrap them.

[@Kf0-friend]

To anyone who is interested. You can go to Tampa Florida and explore one of these Liberty class ships this one in particular is named American victory. I thought it was really cool and I really like the preserved of the ship. The other one I believe is in San Francisco

[@LP64000]

Love this channel; especially when it does ships. ♥️🙏

[@danielsprouls9458]

Going off on a tangent here. After Christmas I drove through Chisum mn on the way home. Highway 169 follows along side a miles long open pit iron mine. When you get to the end of the mine the highway curves and you can see the pit from the west end. As you look east you see miles and miles of the mine with a lake on the bottom. I like to think I know where the iron for all those ships came from. Of course it's more complicated than that but it gives me a feeling of looking at the history of our country.

[@marcm4268]

What is a cargo hose (at 8:15). I have 2 garden houses, I have seen a fire hose and once I saw a house fly….but never ever a cargo hose.

[@robertaviles8451]

I've seen an "Air Hose" ! 😂

[@gboojie8846]

Love the content. Idk, but I'm so used to it being said as sub-Mare-in-er opposed to submarine-er

[@gagamba9198]

Prior to WWII the US had world's second largest merchant fleet. But it had been shrinking in contrast to Britain's. Eighty years earlier America's fleet was almost the same size as Britain's in gross registered tonnage (GRT). By 1939 America's economy was significantly larger than Britain's yet Britain had 33% of the world's merchant fleet (20.6 million tons including Commonwealth in June 1939) whereas the US was just 16% (8.9 million tons). Moreover, America's fleet was old; the last surge of construction was during WWI and many of these ships were unneeded post war. Some too were mothballed like the ones at Wilmington after WWII. Not until 1936, when the United States Maritime Commission was set up to establish a Government-subsidised building program, was shipbuilding revitalised. It was this that built the new shipyards. For comparison, the modern and new ships (less than 5 years old) of Britain and the US respectively amounted to 22.8 per cent and 7.7 per cent of their merchant fleets. More than two-thirds of America's imports and exports were carried aboard cheaper, often faster, foreign-flagged vessels. Little Norway had the world's fourth largest fleet and it was modern - it also had an enormous number of large oil tankers (262) that proved vital to Britain in 1940 and 1941. Japan with the world's third largest fleet dominated the Pacific trade and in the 1930s it was scrapping old ships for new ones in preparation for war. In 1939, 37 per cent of Japan's fleet was less than 5 years old, and it still had about two more years of peacetime shipbuilding to replace further its oldest ships. What happened before WWII to cause America's decline?

[@Mtlmshr]

I had no idea! I’ve been to Wilmington many times and I live in Sonoma Ca, so just like there, I had no idea how Mare island had a effect on the outcome of the war but as I learned many things happened there. So now I’m on a quest to find out more about Wilmington!

[@rogerpenske2411]

I did some deliveries (I am a drayage driver) A few years ago. The abandon cranes are still up, and some of the ship. It appears as if this is going to be reused into a gentrified neighborhood. Wild was perfectly good office buildings are sitting there abandon, and not turned into condos or townhomes, it’s a mystery to me, but then again it’s California. The farting fly must have a habitat somewhere. I walked around a little park there! A very cool place for anyone in the Sacramento/San Francisco megalopolis for which to visit!

[@jamessullivan5650]

Can you do a video of sundry dock and shipping in Pennsylvania?

[@funken079]

Another great video .....thanks Ryan. I recently visited the USS Massachusetts and it has a whole section dedicated to the Liberty class ships.

[@ITSHISTORY]

Thanks for the info!

[@jamesdillard3930]

Higgins boats

[@asn413]

my dad served on the radar picket ship uss investigator (agr 9) thanks fot the featurette

[@mitchellminer9597]

Interesting and impressive.

[@jamessimms415]

Similar reserve fleet @ Mobile, AL (Tensaw River) & many other places

[@rogerpenske2411]

Same in Philly years ago.

[@JM-ec9kp]

Do a video on the USS Liberty

[@dr.floridaman4805]

Never forget Even as it happens again soon

[@jetsons101]

Thanks Ryan for another great watch..... America needs to start building "Things" again and cut back on offshoring jobs and decouple from china. Thanks for your time, work and posting........

[@ITSHISTORY]

Thank you, it means a lot to me!

[@cliffcorson4000]

Not all the ships were Liberty ships, many were Victory class ships. They were more modern versions of cargo vessels

[@J.A.Smith2397]

One the best narrator in KZbin land

[@Windrose86]

"Small Government and neglect" Ooof.

[@MrBook123456]

cool

[@GeorgeRuffner-iy7bm]

Very interesting history. And, no AI! Thanks for sharing your research and for creating a very interesting and entertaining video. 🙈🙉🙊 😎 🇺🇸

[@ITSHISTORY]

My pleasure!

[@joebufford2972]

God bless America and those who keep us free

[@christopher-v9c8b]

One of the Boulder Class Victory ships still exist, the SS Red Oak Victory, which is today a museum ship in Richmond California, parked in the Kaiser Ship yard complex about a mile away from it was built. www.youtube.com/@redoakvictoryak235

[@wildcolonialman]

Fabulous history, remarkable. I often wondered about those ships? Now I know. Often wonder how many the likes of Onassis, might have picked up. I own a Red Duster, NZ Merchant Navy, full size, and NZ men did that Murmansk run.

[@cmkeelDIM]

It's Panama City, FL. Check your sources closer.

[@johnwilliams-gz4ss]

Couldn't hear a thing.

[@sotm6078]

Not at all about 700 abandoned ships or a cemetery of ships -"Bait and switch" title just to get clicks!!

[@GaryNumeroUno]

Looks like the policy makers have learned nothing from history...,we are blindly heading into a third world war and yet again, there are no reserve ships! 😂

[@mikeschumacher9715]

648 is NOT 700 ships. And I came here to learn about where the ships went, not the backgrounds on a handful. First experience with your channel and disappointed.

[@jaycooper2812]

You need to stay on topic. It is very irritating to have you bounce back and forth in your narrative.