By the end of World War II, 2751 Liberty ships had been built by United States shipyards providing the essential lifeline of cargo and troop support for the war effort.  Of these, the largest number, 384, were built at the Bethlehem Steel Fairfield shipyards.  Only 200 of these vessels were sunk, about one thousand were mothballed at War’s end with the remaining 1500 serving as part of our post war merchant fleet.  Only two remain active in working condition today, the other being the Jeremiah O”Brien built in Bath, ME and now berthed in San Francisco.  

Named for John W. Brown who pioneered the organization of the Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America, the 441 foot John W. Brown was built in 41 days in 1942 for a cost of $1.7 million at the Bethlehem Steel Fairfield Shipyard.  By the end of the war average construction to launch time for Liberty Ships was 19 days.

Following participation in Veterans Day Ceremonies in Baltimore Inner Harbor on November 11, 1995, the Moran tugboats Diana L. Moran and Cape Romain returned her to her Clinton Street berth.  The small red and white flag flying aft of the Maryland  flag is the flag for the letter “H” and is flown singly to indicate a pilot is on board (the United States flag would be flying at the stern flagstaff not visible from this angle)

The 99 foot 3300 h.p. double screw Cape Romain, built in Amelia, Louisiana in 1973 is one of the largest operated by the Moran Towing Company in Baltimore with a gross tonnage of 275.  The 100 foot 1750 h.p. single screw Diana L. Moran, while slightly longer, is actually the smaller of the two having a beam of 4 feet less than the Cape Romain’s 31 feet and 239 gross tons .  Built in Oyster Bay, NY in 1956 she is one of the five or so Moran tugboats fleet serving Baltimore and berthed at Fell’s Point.