The little-known story of the Liberty ships and the miracle of Greek shipping

They called them the "blessed ships," an apt description, because the 98 American Liberty ships the Greek shipping industry was able to buy after the war helped to breathe life back into the ravaged Greek economy and put it on a growth trajectory for the following decades.

Even seven decades after the 1946 purchase by Greek shipowners from the American government, with a guarantee letter from the Greek state, there are still many myths attached to the actual events. In part because of ignorance or lack of information, in part because of demagoguery, it is often said that the ships were given for free or within the confines of the Marshall Plan.

It is often also often forgotten that along with the 98 Liberty ships, another 72 were purchased, carrying the flags of Honduras, Panama and the United States, which Greek shipowners (such as Aristotle Onassis) had the right to...