25/03/2025
DIVING THE USS LIBERTY WRECK IN TULAMBEN, BALI.
The USS Liberty wreck has put north Bali – specifically, the small village of Tulamben – firmly on the scuba diving map. Correctly named the USAT Liberty, this site attracts excited divers from far and wide, all drawn by the promise of exploring one of Indonesia's best and most accessible shipwrecks.
Want to know more about this iconic site? Our dive travel experts have all dived this noteworthy wreck themselves and this article is all about sharing their collective knowledge. So, keep reading for a deep-dive into the past, present, and prolific marine life of the USAT Liberty wreck and start planning your trip today.
History of the USS Liberty wreck
Built in Philadelphia in 1918 and named SS Liberty Glo
Struck a mine in 1919 off the coast of the Netherlands
Named USAT Liberty and used as an armed supply ship
Torpedoed in Indonesia in 1942 and beached in Tulamben
Submerged by the eruption of Mount Agung in 1963
The hull of the ship was laid down in 1918 at Hog Island Emergency Shipyard in Philadelphia. On completion after the 11th November Armistice, the vessel was renamed the SS Liberty Glo and went to work as a cargo ship. But, in 1919, the vessel struck a mine off the coast of the Netherlands, just months after leaving the US. Luckily the SS Liberty Glo reached port with no casualties or loss of cargo, despite a large crack in the hull from 'waterline to waterline'.
After America entered WWII, the vessel was commissioned as an armed supply ship by the US Navy, re-designated the USAT Liberty and armed with guns on the foredeck and stern. On 11th January 1942, enroute to the Philippines from Australia, the USAT Liberty was struck by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-166 and suffered extensive damage. To help save its valuable cargo of rubber and railway parts, the USS Paul Jones and the Dutch HNLMS Van Ghent towed the Liberty away from Lombok and towards Singaraja in Bali.
However, the USS Liberty began to take on too much water. With Singaraja occupied by enemy forces, the decision was made to beach it at Tulamben. There the vessel remained, slowly being stripped of its cargo and fittings, until the eruption of Mount Agung in 1963. This volcano eruption killed thousands of people and caused the Liberty to slip down off the beach and beneath the waves, as well as splitting its hull in two.
Source by : Subludiving
