Many people enjoy coming to Kiptopeke State Park for fishing and camping opportunities, all leave with a sense of history after seeing the “concrete navy” lying off its shoreline.
McCloskey and Company of Philadelphia, PA were asked to build 24 Liberty ships for the US Maritime Commission in 1942. McCloskey started in July 1943 building these ships in Tampa, Florida.
These ships were an emergency response to a critical shortage of maritime cargo ships in World War II. Operated by merchant seamen and a naval armed guard, they carried all types of war supplies throughout the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
The nine McCloskey ships off the park’s shoreline were sunk to provide a breakwater for the Virginia Ferry Corporation’s ferry service linking the Eastern Shore to Norfolk. Today, they provide visitors a glimpse into the past and fishermen with fishing opportunities.
McCloskey and Company of Philadelphia, PA were asked to build 24 Liberty ships for the US Maritime Commission in 1942. McCloskey started in July 1943 building these ships in Tampa, Florida.
These ships were an emergency response to a critical shortage of maritime cargo ships in World War II. Operated by merchant seamen and a naval armed guard, they carried all types of war supplies throughout the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
The nine McCloskey ships off the park’s shoreline were sunk to provide a breakwater for the Virginia Ferry Corporation’s ferry service linking the Eastern Shore to Norfolk. Today, they provide visitors a glimpse into the past and fishermen with fishing opportunities.
Powered by Compendium Blogware