WSA

"The second of his government-owned ships was one D.K. did plan to use. The Hampton Roads, last and largest of the tankers the WSA had contracted with Ludwig to build at Sewalls Point, was sitting in the yard’s only building way when the war ended, a few months from being completed. Legally, she was still the property of Welding Shipyard, but Ludwig, utilizing a provision of his contract dealing with unfinished vessels, was able to sell her to the government in September 1946 for $3 million and buy her back a few months later under the Ship Sales Act for $1.3 million, turning a quick $1.7 million profit at the expense of U.S. taxpayers."