The SS Martin Behrman was a Liberty ship built at Delta Shipbuilding Company, New Orleans, during World War II. She was named after Martin Behrman, an American Democratic politician, and the longest-serving mayor in the New Orleans history. The SS Martin Behrman was laid down on 25 October 1944, under a Maritime Commission contract, and launched on 4 December 1944. Like other Liberty ships, the SS Martin Behrman was 441 feet long and 56 feet wide, carried 9000 tons of cargo and had a top speed of 11 knots (20 km/h). The SS Martin Behrman survived World War II and saw service in the Korean War. In 1947 the ship was involved in the Indonesian trade in defiance of a Dutch blockade, and on one voyage her cargo was confiscated by the Dutch Navy. Even if there were health risks associated with the use of asbestos as early as the 1930s, the mineral continued being incorporated in ships until the 1970s. The SS Martin Behrman, like many other Navy ships, contained enormous amounts of asbestos insulation and fireproofing products.
760-621-6147
