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PACIFIC OCEAN LIFELINE
SS Esso Manhattan
The tanker Esso Manhattan sailed from Pier 4, Constable Hook, N.J., in ballast, for Curacao, at 8:57 a.m. on March 29, 1943. She carried a merchant crew of 48 officers and men and a U. S. Navy armed guard of 25.
About 12:05 p.m. the ship had reached a point approximately 25 miles outside Ambrose Channel. At that time, according to the master's statement, "there was felt throughout the Esso Manhattan a severe and sudden shock and vibration, as though from an explosion at a point beneath the vessel in the vicinity of the midship house, resulting momentarily in an upward heaving of the hull. Almost instantly the bow went down and shipped a heavy sea, but promptly balanced partly upward again. Then all the lights around the midship section went out."
Statements of officers on board agreed that the bow and stern dipped in a "jack-knifing" effect. The ship was ordered abandoned and all hands escaped uninjured.
Docked in Two Sections
The Esso Manhattan was found to be broken apart amidships and both sections were placed in dry dock at Brooklyn. From the evidence then revealed, it was apparent that the damage had been caused by an explosion under the vessel.
On June 9 the two halves of the tanker had been rejoined and all repairs completed; the Esso Manhattan was again in a seaworthy condition.
The SS Esso Manhattan, ex SS Princeton (U.S. M.C.), was built in 1942 by the Sun Shipbuilding fe Dry Dock Company at Chester, Penna. She is one of a large number of new, efficient, turbo-electric tankers, with hulls welded throughout, which included six sisterships owned by the Company - one of them, the Esso Gettysburg, lost by enemy action on June 10, 1943, and one, the Esso Washington, lost after grounding at Eniwetok March 14, 1945. The Esso Manhattan, Esso Wilmington, Esso Paterson, and Esso Norfolk are still in service.
A single-screw vessel of 16,800 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 30 feet, 2 inches, the Esso Manhattan has an overall length of 523 feet, 6 inches, a length between perpendiculars of 503 feet, a moulded breadth of 68 feet, and a depth moulded of 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 her a classification certified speed of 14.6 knots.
On September 5, 1942, under charter to the War Shipping Administration, the new tanker sailed from Chester, Penna., for Baytown, Texas. Arriving there September 14, she loaded her first cargo, 118,985 barrels of heating oil for New York.
From then to the time of her only war damage, on March 29, 1943, the Esso Manhattan made five other voyages, including two loadings at Curacao consigned, respectively, to Freetown, West Africa, and San Juan, Puerto Rico; and two at Aruba, one each for the Canal Zone and New York.
During this period the Esso Manhattan was commanded by Captain John B. Petterson. On her first voyage, the vessel's engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineer Harold 0. Laffitte; he was succeeded on September 29, 1942 by Chief Engineer Alexander Pratt, who was assigned to the vessel until January, 1944.
The Esso Manhattan arrived at New York from Aruba on March 27, 1943 with 105,191 barrels of fuel oil. Docking at Constable Hook, Bayonne, she discharged her cargo and departed for Curacao on the morning of March 29.
As stated in the report of her master. Captain John B. Petterson:
"The vessel carried a merchant crew of 48, including myself, and a U. S. Navy gun crew of 25, the latter in command of Lieutenant (jg) Francis M. Green, USNR. We were armed with one 5-inch gun aft on the poop deck, a 3-inch gun on the bow, and eight 20-mm. anti-aircraft guns - four atop the bridge, two on each side, and four aft on the boat deck, two on each side.
"The Esso Manhattan left the pier at 8:57 a.m. March 29, 1943, attended by three tugs. At 9:05 a.m., off St. George, Staten Island, the tugs left us and we proceeded on our own. Ballasting, which had been partly completed at the dock, was resumed. Passing out of Ambrose Channel at 10 a.m., we dropped the pilot and set a course conforming to Navy routing instructions. The weather was fine and clear with good visibility. There was a small ground swell.
"When 'C' buoy was abeam on our port side, we changed course to 122° true. We passed this buoy at about 11:53 a.m. At this time the U. S. Coast Guard cutter Kimball was observed 4 or 5 miles ahead. We were still taking ballast, having continuously done so since passing St. George.
"At noon the deck and engineroom watches were changed. On the bridge with me was Second Mate Christopher J. Nally, with an able seaman at the wheel; Able Seaman Maurice J. Burke, was on lookout on the foc'sle head. Two Navy gunners were on lookout on top of the bridge, two more aft at the 5-inch gun, and an additional gunner at the 3-inch gun in the bow."
Off Asbury Park
The Esso Manhattan was between buoys "C" and "B", or about 18 miles off Asbury Park, New Jersey, when, as Captain Petterson related, "a severe and sudden shock and vibration" was felt.
Chief Engineer Alexander Pratt said in his report that there was "a terrific crash, as though from an explosion be-neath the vessel about amidships. The ship appeared to give a violent upward heave and within a second or two seemed to become jack-knifed."
To quote Second Mate Nally: "A terrific explosion occurred and a shock was felt which came about amidships on the vessel's keel. It appeared that the midship section had been blown in an upward direction, because the bow and stern almost immediately dipped in opposite directions."
The testimony in other reports differs only in detail from these statements.
Bow and Stern Drifted Apart
Although the Esso Manhattan was broken in two, the forward and after parts did not immediately separate. For some time the vessel was held together by fragments of steel which, had not been entirely severed. Later, the action of the sea caused her to break apart completely on the starboard side and the two sections folded nearly together, to port. Finally the remaining fragments gave way, and the bow and stern sections drifted apart.
To resume Captain Petterson's report:
"Within a few seconds after the shock I instructed the U. S. Navy signalman (Radio Operator Edward M. Stetson being aft at lunch) to send out an SOS.
"I rang the general quarters alarm and ordered the vessel abandoned. I also shouted aft and ordered the men there to launch the after lifeboats. I supervised the lowering of Nos. 1 and 2 boats, putting Chief Mate Abel Solli in charge of No. 2. After seeing that No. 1 was safely launched and boarded by Second Mate Nally and Third Mate Mitty Gosciminski, I left the ship in No. 2 boat.
Some Left Ship
"Several of the men had jumped into the water before the boats were lowered. I saw two or three men launch and board a port life raft."
Exactly how many men got aboard No. 1 and No. 2 boats is not recorded. As most of the ship's complement were aft at lunch, there could not have been many.
In the engineroom. Third Assistant Engineer Theodore C/ Woodard had just gone off watch and Second Assistant Engineer Hugh D. McCorkel had come on. They cut off the steam and secured the machinery, then went on deck.
Lifeboat No. 4 was launched by Third Assistant Woodard and other members of the crew. All told, upwards of 20 men got away in this boat, and more were picked up after the boat was launched. Second Mate Nally, who was in charge of No. 1, said:
"Observing a crowd of men on the after part of the Esso Manhattan, I instructed them to jump into the water, and they did .so. Third Mate Gosciminski, the other men in our boat, and I were able to pull them all aboard. We took out of the water about 16 men in all."
Radio Operator Stetson was aft at mess when the shock knocked him out of his chair. He ran on deck, jumped over the side, and was later picked up by one of the boats.
To quote First Assistant Engineer Maurice J. A. Belhumeur's report:
"I proceeded in company with the chief engineer to the stack deck, above the boat deck, where we shut off the fuel oil pumps and forced draft fans. At the time of the accident, I should judge the Esso Manhattan was making about 14 knots. When the chief engineer and I shut off the fuel oil pumps, the vessel was rapidly losing way.
"I went to No. 4 lifeboat and assisted in launching it and throwing over the side the abandon-ship net."
Others Stayed Aboard
Chief Engineer Pratt, after he and First Assistant Engineer Belhumeur had shut off the fuel oil pumps and forced draft fans, went below to make certain that everything had been secured. Returning on deck, the chief engineer discovered that all lifeboats had shoved off. He therefore decided to remain aboard the Esso Manhattan to await developments, in the hope that something might be done toward the salvage of the vessel.
A group of about six men chose to stay with Chief Engineer Pratt. Among them were First Assistant Engineer Belhumeur, Second Assistant Engineer McCorkel, and Oiler James B. Keller.
At the time of the emergency, the Coast Guard cutter Kimball, as previously stated, was 4 or 5 miles ahead of the Esso Manhattan. In about half an hour she arrived on the scene.
The rescue vessel first took off the men remaining on deck, then picked up those in the lifeboats. By great good fortune there was no loss of life or serious injury among either the merchant crew of the Esso Manhattan or her Navy armed guard.
At 5:15 p.m. the Kimball arrived at Pier 6, U. S. Naval Base, Tompkinsville, Staten Island. Crew and gunners were questioned by Naval Intelligence, Immigration authorities, and the F. B. I.
Ship's Clerk Donald W. Burnett, who was making his first voyage as a crew member on any vessel, provided a touch of comic relief when asked how long he had been going to sea. He replied, "Three hours."
The Esso Manhattan was repaired by the Brooklyn Division of the Todd Shipyards Corporation at Erie. Basin, Brooklyn. The story of her restoration is in itself of considerable interest; the engineering problems involved were unique.
The Repair Job
The first operation was to tow the stern section into a huge concrete graving dock. Considerable difficulty was experienced when the ragged ends of torn steel plate knocked over the blocks on which the section must rest. However, when the-water was pumped out of the dock it was found that the section had been successfully brought to rest' in the proper position. The dislodged blocks were reset and the ragged steel strips were burned off. The stern section was then heavily ballasted and the dock filled with water.
The forward section was brought into the dock bow first - with the damaged end out. In this manner the displacement of more blocks was avoided. The dock was again pumped dry and the "spaghetti" was burned off the forward section. Once more water was admitted to the dock. The forward section was floated out, turned around, and then brought in with the damaged end first, so that the bow and stern were in their normal relative positions.
Next came the most delicate and difficult part of the operation - that of placing the forward section in position, exactly aligned with the stern section. When the task of centering the two halves of the Esso Manhattan on the blocks was completed, it was found that the maximum error in alignment was one-eighth of an inch.
Besides other repairs, almost the-entire No. 7 tank section of the Esso Manhattan - a, section 32 feet long - had to be rebuilt. Repairs were finished in 63 days, about two-thirds of the time estimated in the first survey of the damage.
Fully restored, the tanker left New York to return to duty on June 11, 1943 - 74. days after her misadventure.
After her layup as a result of this damage, the Esso Manhattan made three voyages, two in the Caribbean and one coastwise, before entering the first of four periods of Pacific service. During the first of these - from July 22, 1943 to January 5, 1944—the vessel made one voyage each from Aruba and Balboa to Espiritu Santo, in the New Hebrides, and discharged two cargoes of special Navy fuel oil into the USS Patuxent. She also unloaded dry cargo and 7 motor torpedo boats at Brisbane, Australia. On the third trip she carried special Navy fuel to Nukualofa, on Tongatabu in the Friendly Islands, and to Bora Bora, in the Society group. On the vessel's. first three Pacific voyages she was commanded by Captain August Randall; her engine department was in charge of Chief Engineer Alexander Pratt.
In the second period of Pacific service the Esso Manhattan voyaged nearly five months, from February 21 to July 8, 1944. She was commanded by Captain Adolv Larson, and her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineer Laurence B. Jones.
Sailing from Curacao on May 4, 1944, the Esso Manhattan proceeded to Balboa, Canal Zone. There she had installed on her shelter deck 100 berths for the accommodation of passengers. The tanker then became a combination passenger and general cargo vessel, in addition to her normal function as an oil carrier. The berths were immediately put into use when she took Navy personnel aboard at Balboa for passage to Bora Bora. She arrived there on May 24, 1944, disembarked her passengers, unloaded dry cargo, and took on 80 more Navy men who were leaving that lonely outpost to go home. The Esso Manhattan took them to Noumea, on the island of New Galendonia, where she arrived June 4. Chief Boatswain's Mate Robert E. Burke, who was in charge of the Navy personnel transported to Noumea, wrote to the late Captain H. A. Cunningham, at that time Manager of the Port of New York Office, 115 Broadway, New York City, expressing "sincere gratitude for the outstandingly courteous and kindly treatment accorded us by the commanding officer of the Esso Manhattan (Captain Adolv Larson) and the entire ship's company of that vessel."
The Period of Pacific Service
The third period of the Esso Manhattan's service in the Pacific covered more than seven months - from August 24, 1944 to March 30, 1945. During that time, she loaded two cargoes at Balboa and one at Caripito and Guiria, and delivered special Navy fuel oil to Australia, Hollandia on New Guinea, and Leyte. She was under- the command of Captain fames S. LeCain, and her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineer Laurence B. Jones.
On the second of these voyages, the Esso Manhattan left Balboa on October 23, 1944 for a Central Pacific advance base with 91,061 barrels of special Navy fuel oil and all the equipment and personnel of MTB Squadron 37. Their equipment included eight cradled motor torpedo boats on the tanker's specially constructed decks and 350 tons of MTB base equipment in her dry cargo hold, plus a considerable amount of ammunition stored on the spar deck beneath the boats. The squadron's personnel was made up of 21 naval officers and 142 enlisted men, or a total of 163 persons - all these in addition to the tanker's wartime complement of 77 officers and men. Of the U. S. Navy passengers, 8 officers and 56 men were billeted in ship's spaces; the others slept in their boats.
As the vessel was approaching the Solomon Islands, the destination of MTB Squadron 37, it was learned" that the Leyte Island invasion was under way, which meant that the fuel oil cargo held priority over the naval equipment and personnel. Accordingly, the Esso Manhattan shaped a new course for Hollandia, New Guinea, an advance base supporting the invasion. Squadron 37 had a long additional voyage and were not disembarked with their equipment in the Solomons until the tanker called at Tulagi, November 29 - December 3, on her way back to Balboa.
Instead of the average trip of 22 days, the Esso Manhattan had delivered her precious oil cargo first, thus keeping the MTB officers and men aboard the vessel for a period of 40 days. In that time the steward's department had cooked and served 28,800 meals from a galley and an electric stove intended for the care of a peacetime merchant crew of some 40 persons.
Close - Awfully Close
At about 2200, on November 17, 1944 when the Esso Manhattan was close to Rabaul, the captain happened to be on his way to the bridge via the outside way when suddenly, out of the light rain and the darkness, an object made its appearance almost dead ahead of the vessel. The Esso Manhattan was steaming at full speed and within the next "few seconds the outline of a large submarine was clearly defined; the fumes from Diesel oil filled the nostrils of those on the tanker's deck; the purr of the engines could be heard very distinctly, but before an attempt could be made to check the speed of the Esso Manhattan, the prowler of the deep disappeared from view beneath the vessel's bows. Thus, holding their course and speed - and probably their breath as well - those on the bridge of the Esso Manhattan expected to hear that ripping sound of rending steel. Miraculously, the submarine succeeded in clearing the tanker's bows by a few feet and was quickly engulfed in the blackness of the night.
The Esso Manhattan returned to Balboa on December 26, 1944 and left again on the 29th with 99,314 barrels of special Navy fuel.
Liberty Ship Sunk Nearby
Captain LeCain, in an interview for this history, told the story of that voyage:
"We went to Manus in the Admiralty Islands and then lo Hollandia, New Guinea, where we joined a convoy bound for Leyte. On the way, our escorting vessels contacted submarines and dropped depth charges; we did not see any planes, When the convoy arrived at Leyte Gulf on February 6, 1945, two tankers, the Esso Manhattan and the Stanvac Capetown, were directed to an anchorage to await orders. Planes passed over us at night - often just above the mast - but we obeyed instructions not to fire unless actually attacked. One night, after an attack on the base, we learned that a Liberty ship, whose position was up the bay from us, had opened fire on a Jap plane and was subsequently sunk by the / plane's kamikaze dive.
Saw Evidence of Heavy Bombing
"We lay at the anchorage for 12 days and then were told to proceed into the inner harbor with the Stanvac Capetown. We waited until daylight, when I picked up the master of the Stanvac Capetown, who had no motor launch, and took him in to Tacloban, the base on San Pedro Bay. When we got ashore we could see ample evidence of heavy bombing - the roads and shore were very badly cut up. We reported to the U. S. Navy port director, who asked where we had been for the last 12 days. He said we were listed, but not yet reported, as missing. He also asked if we had seen a convoy going out two days before. When I said I had, he replied that that convoy was headed for Manila and we were supposed to be in it. Later, I heard, this convoy was attacked and some tankers damaged.
"We discharged our'bulk cargo into various Navy oilers and unloaded some lube oil in drums. On February 24 we departed to pick up provisions and bunkers at Manus Island in the Admiralties."
One voyage lasting 4 months and 27 days - from the time the Esso Manhattan left Cristobal on May 9, 1945 until she returned to Balboa on October 6 - comprised the entire fourth period of the vessel's Pacific adventures. To quote from an interview with Purser John A. Gallagher:
"The Esso Manhattan sailed from New York on April 22, 1945 with a deck cargo of Army crash boats.
At Curacao, we loaded a bulk cargo of fuel oil. Captain Charles Warner was in command and Chief Engineer Fred Lewis had charge of the engine department."
The vessel's itinerary from there on reads like a listing of some of the historic hot-spots of the Pacific war. It included Ulithi (Caroline Islands), Leyte (Philippines), Manus (Admiralties), Biak (Schouten Islands), Hollandia (New Guinea), Port Moresby, Darwin, Abadan (in the Persian Gulf), Manila, and Eniwetok (Marshall Islands).
Unloaded Crash Boats and Fuel Oil
The crash boats were unloaded at Leyte on June 10, and the fuel oil cargo was delivered to Biak Island in Geelvink Bay, New Guinea, and Hollandia.
Purser Gallagher continued:
"After taking 100 Seabees on board at Hollandia we were en route back to Panama when on June 27 we received orders diverting us to Manus, where we disembarked the Seabees so that we could proceed to Abadan.
"We stopped at Port Moresby for a pilot to guide us through Torres Strait, dropped him at Darwin, and arrived at Abadan July 23.
"The fuel oil loaded at Abadan was discharged at Manila August 27 to September 6. Several Navy ships were fueled directly, including the destroyer USS Hall and the oilers USS Winooski and USS Salamonie. The latter vessel was originally the National Defense Features tanker Esso Columbia (first vessel so named). V-J Day, September 2, 1945, came while the Esso Manhattan was at Manila.
"After loading stores, we sailed from Manila on September 6. At Eniwetok, in the Marshalls, we took on more stores, water, and food - also 100 Seabees whom we finally disembarked at New York on October 15, having stopped en route at Cartagena for a cargo of crude."
The wartime transportation record of the Esso Manhattan was in summary as follows:
The masters of the Esso Manhattan in the war years were Captains John B. Petterson, August Randall, Adolv Larson, Maurice W. Carter, James S. LeCain, and Charles Warner.
During the same period her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineers Harold 0. Laffitte, Alexander Pratt, Laurence B. Jones, John T. Anderson, and Fred Lewis.
Captain John B. Petterson joined the Company as an able seaman on March 1, 1917. He was promoted to third mate on November 7, 1921 and to master on October 20, 1933.
Chief Engineer Alexander Pratt began his Company service as a wiper on April 30, 1929. He became a third assistant engineer November 19, 1931, and was promoted to chief engineer on September 29, 1942. On January 8, 1945 he went on leave of absence to become chief engineer of the War Emergency Tankers, Inc., vessel Palo Duro.
Nine members of the crew of the Esso Manhattan on March 29, 1943, survived the sinking by enemy action of other vessels of the Esso and Panama Transport Company fleets; Second Assistant Engineer Hugh D. McCorkel (Esso Houston, May 12, 1942); Radio Operator Edward M. Stetson (M. F. Elliott, June 3, 1942); Electrician Bruno Mauer (Esso Houston, May 12, 1942); Able Seaman Daniel J. Bradley (Esso Harrisburg, July 6, 1944); Able Seaman Peter Uzarewich (E. G. Seubert, February 22, 1944) ; Ordinary Seaman Frederick E. Baker (H. H. Rogers, February 21, 1943 and Esso Harrisburg, July 6, 1944) ; Storekeeper Beta C. Morgan (Franklin K. Lane, June 8, 1942) ; Fireman-Watertender Harold Andersen (Esso Harrisburg, July 6, 1944) ; and Deck Cadet Robert H. Werthman (Esso Baton Rouge, February 23, 1943).
Merchant Crew Survivors, of the "Esso Manhattan" - March 29, 1943
U. S. Navy Armed Guard Survivors of the "Esso Manhattan"
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