VICTORY SHIPS: From A (Aberdeen Victory) to Z (Zanesville Victory), THE

Sea Classics, Aug 2006 by Redman, Rod E

THE VICTORY SHIPS: From A (Aberdeen Victory) to Z (Zanesville Victory) By Capt. Walter W. Jaffee 402 Pages, Illustrated, 8.5-in x 11-in. ISBN: 978-1-889901-37-4-$59.99. Glencannon Press PaIo Alto, CA.; 800711-8985; www.glencannon.com

Here is another "better late than never" entry into our "Why weren't they published sooner?" derby of welcomed new titles. Certainly, author and professional mariner Walter Jaffee needs no introduction to maritime enthusiasts for he has penned a number of neo-classics on war-built ship histories and development. His latest - THE VICTORY SHIP- is also most welcomed, if forgivably a bit late.

The Victory ship was a direct descendant of the Liberty, the indispensable ship that was the backbone of the worldwide supply line which helped the Allies win WWII. As the nation looked towards the coming peace, the Liberty design was adapted for a new ship that would be faster and more efficient for both commercial and military use after the war. The basic freighter concept of five hatches with superstructure amidships was modified with a newly designed hull and a steam turbine replacing the Liberty's steam reciprocating engine. The result was a vessel half again as fast, capable of fulfilling military requirements in the closing months of the war and civilian needs in the immediate postwar years. From 1944 to 1945 the United States built 531 Victory ships, and three more in 1947.

Inside this volume is everything that is known about Victory ships. It begins with the history of the US shipbuilding program and the evolution of the Victory. But the major focus is on the ships themselves.

The author exhaustively researched government records to compile information on every single Victory ship: When and where it was built, launched, delivered; what type it was (freighter, tanker, troopship, animal carrier); the engine manufacturer; its operator; complement and wartime history; postwar service; conversions (container ships, fish factories, crane barges, missile trackers); what ultimately happened to it (torpedoed, sold to shipping companies or foreign governments, into the Reserve Fleet; scrapped).

Every ship is accounted for from A (Aberdeen Victory) to Z (Zanesville Victory) - including what it was named for, and all the other names it became known under, crossreferenced and comprehensively listed in the indexes. There are diagrams, specifications, and over 300 photos and illustrations on highquality stock.

This is truly "the last word" on the Victory ships, and the most complete. It is also a reader-friendly book, avoiding codes and abbreviations and setting forth the information in clear language.

Turn the pages and browse, look up your old ship, or your grandfather's. Or, simply absorb the history of America and the world during a momentous era through the history of THE VICTORY SHIPS.