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TIMELY CARGO DELIVERIES
SS Esso Roanoke
Of the cargoes transported overseas by the new tanker Esso Roanoke during World War II, the first three consignments were of special interest. Each was delivered at a strategic port of supply in time to be available for use in important offensives. The first two of these cargoes - high test gasoline - crossed the Atlantic in 1944 and were discharged at United Kingdom ports when tremendous quantities of aviation fuel were needed for intensive operations by the Allied air forces. The last cargo-special Navy fuel-discharged at Hollandia, New Guinea, late in 1944. assisted in bunkering naval forces for an important attack.
Cargo 1:
On August 14, 1944, the Esso Roanoke arrived at Heysham - the railhead for Lancaster, England, north of Liverpool wiih 127.274 barrels, or 5.345.508 gallons, of aviation gasoline.
The vital importance of aviation gasoline, not only for air attacks on German synthetic fuel plants but to assist General Elsenhower's forces in France during August and September of 1944, becomes clear when it is recalled that since the preceding July 25, when General Bradlev ordered the famous "breakout" from the Normandy beachhead at Avranches. General Patton's Third Army had been making one of the fastest and longest offensives in military history, from Normandy to the Meuse.
Early in September, to quote the report of General Marshall, "The defeated German armies now were streaming across France, heading for the shelter of the Siegfried Line. They were under constant air attack.... Overrunning Reims and Chalons, our Third Army pushed eastward, nourished often by air supply."
Cargo 2:
On September 16, 1944. the Esso Roanoke arrived at Glasgow and on the 18th at Liverpool, 10 discharge at the latter port 131,354 barrels, or 5,516,868 gallons, of 100 octane aviation gasoline.
On September 11, General Simpson's First Army, which had captured Liege and crossed Luxemburg, entered Germany. General Marshall's report indicated the immense problem of supply, including motor fuel and aviation gasoline, at that time: "As the Allies approached the German border, supply lines were stretched to the limit and the marching columns of the armies were maintained only by the full use of air transportation, fast double-lane, one-way track routes, such as the famous Red Ball Express from the Normandy beaches to Paris, and other emergency measures."
Important Fueling Missions
Cargo 3:
On November 13, 1944, the Esso Roanoke arrived at Hollandia, New Guinea, with 99,437 barrels, or 4,176,354 gallons, of special Navy fuel. This cargo was discharged into the Navy oiler USS Saranac (AO 74) and the Australian oiler HMAS Bishopdale, which, in turn, fueled naval vessels for subsequent operations.
Hollandia was one of the main supply bases for the Leyte campaign. As stated in Admiral King's report:
"On 25 November the last strike in support of the Leyte operation was launched against Luzon - this time, a light cruiser, a mine layer, a destroyer escort, 6 freighters, and a tanker were sunk, and 29 vessels were damaged. Over the target our planes shot down 25 aircraft and destroyed 32 on the ground.
"In order to cut the enemy overwater lines of supply and reinforcement and to separate enemy ground forces on Leyte, an additional amphibious landing was made at Ormoc Bay, on the west side of the island, on 7 December. Naval forces commanded by Rear Admiral A.D. Struble put Army troops ashore 3 miles southeast of Ormoc against sporadic resistance."
On February 2. 1945, the Esso Roanoke arrived at Hollandia with 98,283 barrels of special Navy fuel oil. After loa-ding eight LCM's she continued her voyage in convoy to San Pedro Bay, Leytie Gulf, where the LCM's were unloaded and the entire fuel cargo was discharged, the oil being pumped directly into many naval craft of various types, in-cluding landing craft.
For Courteous Service
Following this fueling mission, the Esso Roanoke, on the return trip, had several Navy officers as pasengers, including a chaplain who wrote the following letter of thanks to Captain Kail M. Larsen:
4 March 1945.
K. M. Larsen. Master
SS Esso Roanoke
% Post master New York City, N. Y.
Dear Captain Larsen:
In my own name and that of the other U.S. Navy officers privileged to enjoy passage on your ship, permit me to express our appreciation and thanks for a most enjoyable cruise.
Every possible consideration, courtesy, and service has been rendered to us by yourself and the entire personnel of the ship so that the trip has been for all of us a pleasurable experience.
As a Catholic priest and Navy Chaplain, I personally appreciated the facilities afforded for having Holy Mass daily and conducting general Divine Service on Sundays.
May the Divine Navigator assist you and your men in many, many safe sailings.
Sincerely,
Francis De Sales W. Nolan
Lt. Comdr., ChC, USNR
Fourteen voyages in fourteen months constituted the Esso Roanoke's transportation performance in World War II. She was delivered on July 14, 1944 and on July 17 began her first voyage. Commanded by Captain Karl M. Larsen and with her engineroom in charge of Chief Engineer Robert M. Waltze, the vessel left Chester. Penna., for Baton Rouge, where she loaded 100 octane aviation gasoline - the first of the three cargoes previously described. En route to England, however, theEsso Roanoke put in at New York and before sailing in convoy she loaded on her spar deck ten P-47 (Thunderbolt) and six P-51 (Mustang) fighter planes, which were delivered at Glasgow, August 13, be-fore the bulk cargo was discharged at Heysham.
Hollandia, Leyte and West Africa
Returning to the United Stales, the Esso Roanoke, at New York, duplicated her previous deck load of fighter planes before taking on, at Marcus Hook, Philadelphia, the second cargo of 100 octane gasoline described in previous pages as discharged at Liverpool, where the lighter planes were unloaded.
After the second voyage to the United Kingdom the Esso Roanoke, leaving Trinidad on October 15, transited the Panama Canal and sailed from Balboa on October 20 for her first fueling mission to Hol landia.
Following her second Pacific voyage, to Hollandia and Leyte Gulf, the tanker returned to service in the Atlantic. She made two coastwise voyages with crude oil - Cartagena to New York and Puerto La Cruz to Baltimore - and then took a cargo of fuel oil from Caracas to Freetown, West Alrica.
From then until V.J Day the Esso Roanoke delivered seven cargoes of crude oil - one loaded at Caripito for Halifax and six at Puerto La Cruz - of which four went to New York, one to Boston, and one to Philadelphia.
The wartime transportation record of ihc Esso Roanoke was in summary as follows:
The SS Esso Roanoke was built in 1944 by the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, at Chester. Penna. Her sisterships are the Esso Camden, Esso Memphis, Esso New Haven, Esso Portland, Esso Scranton, Esso Springfield, and Esso Utica.
A single-screw vessel of 16,611 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 30 feet, 2 inches, the Esso Roanoke has an overall length of 523 feel, 6 inches, and a length between perpendiculars of 503 feet. Her moulded breadth is 68 feet and her depth moulded, 39 feet, 3 inches. With a cargo carrying capacity of 138,335 barrels, she has an assigned pumping rate of 7,000 barrels an hour.
Her turbo-electric engine, supplied with steam by two water-tube boilers, develops 7,240 shaft horsepower and gives the Esso Roanoke a classification certified speed of 14.6 knots.
In wartime the Esso Roanoke was commanded by Captains Karl M. Larsen and Trafton F. Wonson.
During the same period her engine department was in charge of Chief Engineers Robert M. Waltze, Reginald E. Harris, and George H. Ulmer.
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