The SS Jeremiah M. Daily was a Liberty ship constructed rapidly during World War II as part of the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Laid down on July 18, 1943, and launched on August 9, 1943, the vessel was completed shortly thereafter on August 22, 1943, exemplifying the swift naval construction efforts of the period, with a build time of just 35 days. The ship was assigned hull number 1724 and was built for the United States Maritime Commission. It was operated by the American South African Line of New York under the War Shipping Administration throughout the war. Designed as a standard Liberty ship, the Jeremiah M. Daily was used primarily to transport vital supplies, including troops, vehicles, fuel, and ammunition, across dangerous wartime waters. Its most notable service occurred in the Pacific theater, during the Battle of Leyte. On November 12, 1944, while anchored at Leyte Gulf, the ship was attacked by three Japanese Kamikaze Zero planes. Despite the U.S. Navy Armed Guard shooting down one attacker, two planes struck the vessel. One hit the ship's antenna and narrowly missed the bridge, while the other struck the starboard superstructure and the ship’s bridge, causing a catastrophic explosion of ammunition and fuel aboard. The attack resulted in severe damage, with over 100 fatalities, including all personnel on the bridge, and many others suffering severe burns. The ship caught fire, and its list increased despite efforts by fireboats to contain the blaze. The attack inflicted heavy losses: 28 men from the 168th Ordnance Depot Company, 28 from the 3483rd Ordnance Medium Automotive Maintenance Company, along with numerous Armed Guard and crew members, totaling approximately 160 deaths. Following repairs, the vessel was sold multiple times post-war, first to Waterman Steamship Corporation in 1947, when it was renamed Governor Kilby. It subsequently changed ownership and names, becoming SS Atlanticus in 1948 and SS Sag Harbor in 1956. The ship was eventually taken over by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1961 and was scrapped in New Jersey in 1962. The Jeremiah M. Daily's service and wartime loss highlight its role in the vital logistics efforts and the brutal realities of naval warfare in the Pacific.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.