Liberty EC2-S-C1 class cargo ship S.S. Samuel Dexter, Delta Shipbuilding Company, New Orleans, seen here prepared for launching, 27 March 1943.
Broke apart due to hull fracture and she was abandoned and later ran aground 3 nautical miles northeast of Greian Head, Barra on 24 January 1944. While no lives were lost aboard the SS Samuel Dexter, her sinking was one of approximately 127 major hull fractures during the war.
Delta Shipbuilding Company was one of the original nine emergency yards, built in 1941 with six ways, with $13 million from the U.S. Maritime Commission. It was managed by the American Ship Building Company. Its six ways were increased to eight in the third wave of shipbuilding expansion. The shipyard was closed after the war.
Changes in ship design and building material contributed to the phenomenon of Liberty ship hull failure.
First, the seams in the steel hull were welded closed rather than fastened with traditional rivets. Defective welds often contained tiny cracks and flaws.
Second, hatch openings, vents and other interruptions in the hull surface producing a weak point where fractures often began.
Third, wartime steel, high in sulfur and phosphorus content, became brittle in the cold temperatures of the Atlantic.
Additionally, rough seas and frequent overloading ships beyond their 10,000 pound maximum likely contributed to the failure of Liberty ship hulls.
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