SS Valencia - Liberty Ship EC2-S-C1

In The Hesperus Prophecy, the military’s top-secret report concludes the SS Valencia is the prototype EC2-S-C1 Liberty ship presumed lost during seaworthiness trials. The government report also describes the SS Valencia’s journey to South Georgia Island in the far South Atlantic Ocean, perhaps to meet up with the German vessel MS Schwabenland, before getting destroyed by U-boats.

Liberty ships were cargo vessels built during World War II, intended to replace ships lost during the war. Liberty ships were built on a massive scale. Eighteen U.S. shipyards built 2,710 Liberty ships between 1941 and 1945, an average of three ships every two days, making it the most prolific ship design ever built.

During World War II, Liberty ships transported crucial supplies like ammunition, tanks, airplanes, and food to Allied forces in Europe. Despite heavy losses from U-boat attacks, Liberty ships were essential in maintaining the Ally’s supply chain.

Liberty ships. Note the massive deck cranes used for cargo transfer.