Auke Visser´s ESSO Tankvaart Mij. Site | home
Ampetco (1) - (1918-1918)
Gebouwd maar niet afgeleverd / Built but not delivered
"Ampetco (1)", she was laid down for American Petroleum Co., Rotterdam. It came into service for the Standard Oil Co.(New Jersey), New York in 1919.
( Photo Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Ltd., thanks to Aryeh Wetherhorn )
Text with Photo :
OIL TANKER AMPETCO WHICH WAS built at the Sparraws Point Plant, Sparrows Point, Md., Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. Ltd. with its camouflage coat. It was launched March 16th, 1918.
|
"Ampetco (1)"."Ampetco (1)" was bedoeld voor en werd gebouwd in 1918 voor de American Petroleum Co., Rotterdam.
Maar ze kwam echter in dienst van de Standard Oil Co., ( New Jersey ) in 1919.
In 1923 kwam ze in dienst van de Belgiesche American Petroleum Co., Antwerpen.
"Ampetco (1)" was originally build in 1918 and laid down for American Petroleum Co., Rotterdam.
It came into service for the Standard Oil Co. (New Jersey), New York in 1919.
In 1923 she went to the American Petroleum Co., Antwerp.
Sold as "City Service Empire" in 1928.
Torpedoed and sunk by U 128, 22 Feb 1942, in 28.25 N-80.02 W, (25 miles north of Bethel Shoals),
voyage Port Arthur - Philadelphia, refined products.
( See below )
The Miramar Ship Index for
|
AMPETCO
|
IDNo / IMO
|
2216233
|
Year
|
1918
|
Name
|
AMPETCO
|
Flag
|
USA
|
Owner
|
Ordered by American Petroleum Co.
|
Type
|
Tanker
|
Tons
|
8301
|
DWT
|
????
|
LOA
|
141.61
|
LPP
|
141.60
|
Beam
|
18.40
|
Dept
|
??
|
Draft
|
??
|
Machinery
|
1Q-10.5
|
Power
|
????
|
ShipDesign
|
-
|
Builder
|
Bethlehem SB. Corp., Sparrow's Point, Md.
|
Yard
|
Sparrows Point
|
Yard No
|
172
|
Country built
|
USA
|
Keel
|
??
|
Launch
|
16.03.1918
|
Completed
|
05.1918
|
Subsequent History
|
1918 AMPETCO - U. S. Shipping Board, Baltimore, Md.
1928 CITIES SERVICE EMPIRE
|
End
|
1942
|
Disposal Data
|
Getorpedeerd en tot zinken gebracht door U 128, op 22 februari 1942, in 28.25 N / 80.02 W, (25 mijl ten noorden van Bethel Shoals), reis Port Arthur - Philadelphia, geraffineerde producten.
Torpedoed and sunk by U 128, on 22 Feb 1942, in 28.25 N / 80.02 W, (25 miles north of Bethel Shoals), voyage Port Arthur - Philadelphia, refined products.
|
Additional information from Uboat.net :
Name:
|
Cities Service Empire, ex. Ampetco
|
Type:
|
Steam tanker
|
Tonnage:
|
8.103 tons
|
Completed:
|
1918 - Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp, Sparrow´s Point MD
|
Owner:
|
Cities Service Oil Co, New York
|
Homeport:
|
New York
|
Date of attack:
|
22 Feb, 1942
|
Fate:
|
Sunk by U-128 (Ulrich Heyse)
|
Position:
|
28.25N, 80.02W - Grid DB 9439
|
- See location on a map -
|
 |
Complement:
|
50 (14 dead and 36 survivors).
|
Convoy:
|
-
|
Route:
|
Port Arthur, Texas - Philadelphia
|
Cargo:
|
9400 barrels of crude oil
|
History:
|
Built as Ampetco, 1928 renamed Cities Service Empire
|
Notes on loss:
|
At 11.51 hours on 22 Feb, 1942, the unescorted Cities Service Empire (Master William Faucett Jerman, Jr.) was hit by two torpedoes from U-128 about 25 miles north of Bethel Shoals off the Florida coast. The tanker had maintained a nonevasive course at 10 knots in moderate to heavy seas and had been missed by the first four torpedoes. The torpedoes struck the vessel amidships at the after pump room deep in the ship´s bowles on the starboard side. Fire broke out immediately and within seconds the ship and the water around the tanker were ablaze. The armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, two .50cal and two .30cal guns) were driven away from their guns and the master gave the order to abandon ship after 10 minutes. All lifeboats had been destroyed by the fire and only two rafts could be launched. Most of the crew of eight officers, 33 men and nine armed guards jumped overboard.
The US Coast Guard cutter USS Vigilant (WPC 154) reached the burning ship and the commanding officer saw three men at the bow of the tanker. Nosing his ship up to the burning tanker, some men crawled aboard the ship and battled the flames until they rescued two of them. But before they could go back for the third, the tanker exploded, showered the cutter with unignited oil from stem to stern, broke in two and sank at 12.10 hours. The master, three armed guards and ten crewmen died. The 34 survivors on the rafts were later picked up by the USS Biddle (DD 151) and taken to Fort Pierce, Florida.
|