The USAT Liberty Shipwreck, located in Tulamben, Bali, is a renowned dive site with a century-long history tied to global wars and natural events. Its transformation from a 1918 cargo ship to a dive attraction involves World War I, World War II, and a significant volcanic eruption. Below is a detailed account of why this 120-meter wreck rests 40 meters from Tulamben’s shore, a key destination for shipwreck diving.
In 1918, World War I prompted rapid shipbuilding in the United States. Federal Shipbuilding Company in Kearny, New Jersey, constructed the SS Liberty Glo, launching it on June 19 for the Emergency Fleet Corporation. The vessel, 125 meters long and 17 meters wide, had a 7,000-ton capacity for cargo such as horses, food, and munitions. A steam engine, fueled by coal or oil, powered a single propeller, operated by a crew of approximately 40. It served the Naval Overseas Transportation Service, delivering supplies until the war ended in November 1918.
Post-war, the Liberty Glo entered commercial service under operators like American Hampton Roads Line and Yankee Line, transporting grains and machinery across the Atlantic. It encountered incidents: in 1929, near Brest, France, it collided with a small boat in fog, sinking it and causing two fatalities. In 1933, it struck the SS Ohioan off New York, grounding the other ship. Its durable hull sustained it, and by 1939, the US Maritime Commission oversaw its commercial routes.
World War II altered its purpose. In November 1940, the US Army requisitioned it as USAT Liberty to carry supplies including rubber, railway parts, canned goods, and bullets to Pacific allies. Painted gray for camouflage, it sailed from San Francisco. In early 1942, it departed Australia for the Philippines, loaded with rubber and railway components, navigating the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia.
On January 11, 1942, a critical event occurred. While passing through the Lombok Strait between Bali and Lombok, Japanese submarine I-166 fired a torpedo at approximately 4:30 AM. The torpedo hit the starboard engine room, causing severe flooding. No crew members were lost, but the ship was heavily damaged. Allied destroyers, USS Paul Jones and Dutch Hr.Ms. Van Ghent, attempted to tow it to Singaraja, a northern Bali port, to salvage its cargo. Excessive water intake forced the crew to beach it at Tulamben on January 14, 1942, with the bow on sand and stern in shallow water.
For 21 years, the Liberty remained on Tulamben’s black-pebble beach, becoming a local landmark. Villagers salvaged metal for tools and homes, removing guns, anchor chains, and fittings. Rust spread, paint peeled, and exposure to Bali’s sun weathered it, integrating it into the coastal landscape, often visited by fishermen and children.
In 1963, Mount Agung, Bali’s 3,142 meters volcano, erupted after decades of dormancy. Seismic activity began in February, escalating to a March 17 eruption that killed over 1,500 people and devastated villages. Lava flows and tremors altered Tulamben’s coastline. Between March and May, the Liberty slid into the sea, fracturing into sections. It settled on its starboard side, parallel to the shore, at depths ranging from 3 to 30 meters, establishing it as a dive site.
Coral growth accelerated post-1963, facilitated by the hull’s rusted state, stripped of marine paint during its beach years. By the 1980s, divers observed extensive hard and soft corals, with fish like snappers and eels inhabiting the structure. Today, over 400 species, including barracudas and nudibranchs, populate the wreck, cementing its status as a premier Bali dive site. Its historical significance attracts divers globally.
