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DAMAGED IN CHESAPEAKE
MS Esso Augusta
In the war history of the Esso Augusta there were four outstanding facts:
On May 16, 1942, she rescued the survivors of the United Fruit Company's SS. Nicarao, torpedoed May 15 near the Bahamas.
A month later, on June 15, the Esso Augusta was severely damaged - presumably by a drifting enemy mine-while approaching the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.
In 1943, when the tanker was in the Service Force of the United States Atlantic Fleet and had made six voyages carrying oil and deck cargo supplies to our armed forces in Iceland, her master received letters of commendation for efficiency from Mr. H. W. Jackson, Manager of Marine Operations of the War Shipping Administration, and Vice Admiral Alexander Sharp, USN, commanding the Service Force. Atlantic Fleet.
Finally, the record shows that in about five years of wartime service the Esso Augusta - despite five months in a shipyard for war damage repair - made 79 voyages and transported more than 9,500,000 barrels of oil.
When the Esso Augusta left Aruba on May 12, 1942, bound for Norfolk with a cargo of 114,436 barrels of fuel oil, she was commanded by Captain Eric R. Blomquist and her cngineroom was in charge of Chief Engineer Norman V. Hall.
How the tanker rescued the survivors of the Nicarao was described by Captain Blomquist in a letter to the late Captain H. A. Cunningham dated May 20:
Picked Up 31 Men From Boats and Rafts
"Please be advised that on May 16, 1942 at about 5:20 p.m., EWT, in Latitude 25°33' North, Longitude 74°08' West (about 138 miles, 90° from Eleuthera Island, Bahamas), a lifeboat and two rafts were sighted directiv ahead. I maintained full speed and exaggerated my zigzag, at the same time sounding general quarters and manning all guns, with instructions to lookouts to be on the alert for submarines. I came up to and circled the lifeboat and rafts, on which were 31 men. In answer to my inquiries they informed me they were survivors of a crew of 39 of the SS Nicarao of the United Fruit Company. The vessel had been torpedoed at 9:15, EWT, the previous evening.
"Although it seemed unlikely that submarines were still in the vicinity, I maintained gun stations and lookouts and steamed some miles to the northwest to investigate two more rafts, which were found to be unoccupied. No other wreckage being seen, I returned and took the survivors aboard at 6:30 p.m. Proceeding on the voyage from this point, I kept a sharp lookout for submarines, wreckage, or signs of any of the ei°ht missinp- men of the Nicarao's crew.
Nothing further was sighted.
"Several of the survivors had suffered minor cuts and abrasions, which I treated. Some of them were without proper clothing, which was supplied from our slop chest.
"Upon arrival at Norfolk, Va. (May 20, 1942), the 31 officers and men of the Nicarao were taken in charge by the local Navy authorities."
On June 4, 1942, the Esso Augusta left Texas City with a carso of 120,429 barrels of 2;as oil consigned to the United Kingdom. She was still commanded by Captain Blomquist, and Chief Engineer Hall was in charge of her en^ineroom. With a merchant crew of 44 officers and men and a U. S. Navy armed guard of 13, she had a total complement of 57.
On the afternoon of June 15, the vessel was approaching the entrance to Chesapeake Bay when she was damaged by an explosion - supposedly that of a mine - a few feet off her port quarter. The circumstances were described in Captain Blomquist's report as follows:
"The ship was armed with a 5-inch stern gun, a 3-inch all purpose gun on the foc'sle head, tour 50-caltber anti-aircraft machine guns, placed one on each side of the break of the foc'sle and one on each side of the after boat deck, and two 30-caliber machine guns, one on each wing of the bridge."
"We proceeded on a zigzag course, following routing orders from U. S. Navy authorities; the vessel was all blacked out at night. On June 6 we joined company with several other ships which met at a designated point.
"On June 10, Lieutenant Commander (later Commander) Walter S. Carrington, USN, vice commodore of the convoy, came aboard and we then proceeded on the various assigned courses, without incident, until June 15.
Saw Another Ship Sinking
"At 5 p.m. on June 15 the weather was clear and the sea smooth. Lt. Comdr. Carrin^ton was in the chart room. I was on the bridge with Third Mate Roy A. Langseth; Dietrich K. Hogrefe, A.B., was at the wheel; James 0. Evans, A.B., had lookout duty in the crow's nest; William W. Silverthorne, A.B., lookout atop the wheelhouse, had phones connecting him with all gun stations; standing by him was another lookout, William F. Isbell, O.S. The U. S. Navy gunners were at their stations fore and aft and a Navy signalman was on top of the bridge. Our assigned speed was 9 knots.
"At 5:01 p.m., as we were nearing the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, we received orders to slow down to 5 knots and I put the telegraph on 'Dead slow'.
"At 5:03 p.m., the SS Robert C. Tuttle, about 1,000 yards ahead of us, was struck by a torpedo or mine; I saw a geyser of oil and water bursting on her fore part with smoke and fire; we felt the shock of a tremendous explosion as the Robert C. Tattle started to settle rapidly by the head.
"I signaled the engineroom to give us maximum speed and ordered the wheel hard right; at the same time I instructed Third Mate Langseth to ring the general quarters alarm. All hands went to battle stations.
"Within 30 seconds after the Robert C. Tuttle was hit, there was another detonation about 300 yards off her port bow; no other ship or plane was near the point where the second explosion occurred; we saw a column of water rising high in the air and felt the concussion of a violent underwater disturbance.
"I then went to the top of the wheelhouse with Lt. Comdr. Carrington to direct maneuvers; Chief Mate Jack Ostrow, Second Mate Harold K. Winne-more, and USN Coxswain Robert F. Head joined us. No sign of any enemy craft was observed; there was ample surface and air protection and numerous depth charges were dropped all around us by our escort.
"I changed course frequently at full speed in various zigzagging directions to avoid enemy action as well as the effect of depth charges.
Explosion Damage
"At 5:30 p.m., after conferring with Lt. Comdr. J.L. Carrington and Chief Mate Ostrow, I decided to make the entrance of the harbor and for this purpose turned in a circle to starboard. When the Esso Augusta was about 200 feet past Chesapeake Bay No. 2 Buoy, a tremendous explosion occurred about 10 feet off our port quarter. Our position was then Latitude 36°52' North, Longitude 75°51 1/2 West (or about 8 miles, 116 1/2 degr. from Cape Henry Light, Va.) .
"Our rudder was hard left, which caused the ship's stern to swing rapidly away from the point of explosion. The Esso Augusta pitched violently and the engine stopped at once.
"I requested Chief Engineer Hall to go below and investigate the damage. He informed me that our rudder and stern post had been blown off; there w-ere holes in the hull under the tail shaft; all auxiliary machinery foundations were cracked or shattered; electrical communications were disrupted, and fuel and steam lines broken. The main engine w-as disabled and the steering engine inoperative.
"After receiving this report I ordered the engine crew to go below and assist the chief engineer in making all necessary emergency repairs to keep the vessel afloat. The holes in the ship's bottom were plugged and within half an hour the lights were restored and the pumps going.
"At 5:55 p.m., as we were drifting seaward, I radioed to the Navy authorities ashore, requesting them to send tugs.
"About 8:21 p.m., a British corvette, which was 4 to 5 miles astern of us, was blown up by a terrible explosion and sank within two minutes.
"The tug Keshena (later sunk by a mine while assisting with the salvage of the J. A. Mowinckel) arrived alongside at 8:35 p.m. to take us in tow, but as we were unable to steer, I requested additional tugs and anchored at 9:58 p.m. At 10:30 p.m. a Navy tug came alongside and at 1 a.m., June 16, another Navy tug arrived and gave us her towing hawser.
"We got under way at 1:35 a.m. and proceeded to the assigned anchorage, where we arrived at 6:45 a.m.
"The entire ship's company escaped injury, with the exception of Navy gunner Karl H. Gebbert, who was thrown on his back by the force of the explosion. Unable to w^alk, he was put ashore by a motor launch and taken to the Naval Hospital while we were awaiting tugs.
"At 1 p.m. June 16 the ship was docked at the Company's pier at Sewall Point and we started to discharge carpo."
War damage repairs, made at the yard of the Bethlehem Steel Company, Shipbuilding Division, at Baltimore, Md., were completed on November 7, 1942.
Again in service as a petroleum carrier, the Esso Augusta left Baltimore November 16 for Beaumont, Texas, where she loaded 129,403 barrels of Diesel fuel for Bermuda.
Iceland to Mexico
On her next six voyages the tanker carried cargoes of special Navy fuel and Diesel oil, and many tons of general cargo, including planes, to the American milltary and naval base at Reykjavik, Iceland. Thereafter, she made four voyages from the Gulf of Mexico to Norfolk.
During these ten voyages the Esso Augusta was assigned to the Service Force of the United States-Atlantic Fleet. From April 3 to October 28, 1943, while in the Service Force, she was commanded by Captain Adolv Larson and her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineer Dave Wolff, who was relieved during his vacation by Chief Engineer Gordon R. Bennett.
Captain Larson's operation of the Esso Augusta while in convoy was commended in the following letter from Mr. H. W. Jackson, Manager of Marine Operations, War Shipping Administration:
WAR SHIPPING ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
June 21, 1943
Confidential
Captain A. Larson
Master, MS Esso Augusta
c/o Standard Oil Company of New Jersey
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N. Y.
Subject: Station Keeping in Convoy.
Dear Captain Larson:
We have received information from the Navy Department showing that your vessel was operated in such a manner during a recent convoy movement that you should be commended for the excellent seamanship, alertness, attention to duty, and high standards of signaling displayed. We quote below a portion of this record:
The convoy trip covered a period of about four weeks during which, in addition to the normal hazards of going to sea in, wartime, this unit ran through sixteen hours of dense fog at 15 knots and kept perfect formation; ran through four areas of icebergs at night, maneuvered to miss them and maintained a tight convoy formation during the entire time; encountered at night a dense pack of field ice, necessitating a sharp turn from course, followed by numerous changes of course and speed for a period of four hours, maintaining a close formation during the entire period. During the entire trip all ships maintained excellent formation, making it possible for the escorts to cover the area through which they passed. This record was achieved through the excellent seamanship and cooperation by the masters of these vessels with the convoy commodore.
With regard to the above, we wish to extend our hearty congratulations, and as this is the first time w^ have received a report of this nature from the Navy, we feel that this is a record of which you may well be proud.
Yours very truly,
H. W. Jackson Manager - Marine Operations
By: M. L. Wolfe
Assistant
When the Esso Augusta left the Atlantic Fleet Service Force, Vice Admiral Alexander Sharp, USN, wrote the following letter to Captain Larson:
UNITED STATES ATLANTIC FLEET SERVICE FORCE
Care of Fleet Post Office Naval Operating Base Norfolk, Va. 26 November 1943
Captain Adolv Larson
c/o Standard Oil Company of New Jersey Marine Department 30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N. Y.
Dear Sir:
The MS Esso Augusta under your command, reported to the Service Force, Atlantic Fleet, on 9 September 1942. Since that time the MS Esso Augusta has rendered excellent service to this force, which I deeply appreciate.
In good weather and bad you have performed your duties cheerfully, uncomplainingly, and capably. Now that the MS Esso Augusta is no longer attached to my command, my best wishes go with you.
Sincerely,
Alex. Sharp
Vice Admiral, U. S. Navy
On December 17, 1943, the Esso Augusta left Aruba for her only Pacific voyage of the war with a cargo of 111,110 barrels of Navy fuel. Under the command of Captain Swen A. Malm and with her engineroom in charge of Chief Engineer Dave Wolff, she went to Suva, Fiji Islands, Traveling 7,324 sea miles at an average speed of 14 J8 knots, the vessel reached Suva on January 11, after a passage of 21 days and 12 hours. Part of her cargo was discharged at Pago Pago, Samoa, from which she began her return trip on January 16.
Thereafter the Esso Augusta was on coastwise schedules except for one overseas voyage to West Africa; leaving Trinidad on September 27, 1944, with 108,614 barrels of Admiralty fuel, she arrived at Freetown October 8.
The MS Esso Augusta was built in 1940 by the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company at Chester, Penna. Her sisterships were the Esso Williamsburp (lost in September, 1942), Esso Little Rock, Esso Philadelphia and Esso Pittsburgh.
A single-screw vessel of 17,950 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 30 feet, 4 1/2 inches, the Esso Augusta has an overall length of 547 feet, 23 inches, a length between perpendiculars of 521 feet, a moulded breadth of 70 feet, and a depth moulded of 40 feet. With a cargo carrying capacity of 153,704 barrels, she has an assigned pumping rate of 8,000 barrels an hour.
Her Diesel engine develops 8,250 brake horsepower and gives her a classification certified speed of 15.2 knots.
Soon after delivery, on October 7, 1940, the Esso Augusta entered the coastwise trade. Under the command of Captain Andrew L. Mellgard, with her engineroom in charge of Chief Engineer Norman V. Hall, she went to Corpus Christi and loaded 126,299 barrels of heating oil. Leaving Corpus Christi on October 16, she arrived with this cargo at New York on October 22.
On her first five voyages, in the last three months of 1940, she transported various grades of petroleum products from the Gulf to Atlantic east coast ports. In 1941, the tanker completed 25 voyages, loading 23 cargoes in Gulf ports and one each at Aruba and Cartagena.
Continuing on similar schedules in 1942, the Esso Augusta was making her ninth voyage of that year when she was damaged on Time 15.
The transportation record of the Esso Augusta from October 9, 1940 to September 2, 1945 was in summary
as follows:
The wartime masters of the Esso Augusta from October 7, 1940 to V-J Day were Captains Andrew L. Mellgard, Lester S. McKenzie, Frank Pharr, Eric R. Blomquist, Adolv Larson, Swen A. Malm, and Ingvald Henriksen.
During the same period her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineers Norman V. Hall, Thomas J. Bov, John F. Cordes, Ogden E. Power, Harold A. Morris, Dave Wolff, Gordon R. Bennett, Laurence T. Moore, Dan Kelly, and Frederick J. Hiniker.
Captain Eric R. Blomquist joined the Company as a third mate on June 4, 1923. He had continuous service in the Company as master from April 28, 1936 until he resigned on May 24, 1945. Captain Blomquist was master of the Charles Pratt when that vessel was sunk by enemy action on December 21, 1940, about a day's run short of her destination, Freetown, West Africa.
Chief Engineer Norman V. Hall entered the Company's employ as a third assistant engineer on November 8, 1929. With continuous service as a chief engineer since August 11, 1935, he became a repair inspector on October 22, 1943.
Merchant Crew of the "Esso Augustaon - June 15, 1942 :
U. S. Navy Armed Guard of the "Esso Augusta" :
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