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HAIR-BREATH ESCAPES
SS Wallace E. Pratt
A STREAK of luck runs through the war history of the Esso tanker Wallace E. Pratt. Any ocean-going oil carrier was fortunate to
survive the submarine perils of World War ll and especially to come through the Battle of the Atlantic unscathed, bttt the escapes of the Wallace E. Pratt from disaster seemed unusually close and numerotts.
Captain Nils Borgeson, master of the Wallace E. Pratt from June 29, 1941 to July 18, 1942, related some of the adventures of the vessel while she was in coastwise service:
Saw Flames of “R. P. Resor"
"When the R. P. Resor was torpedoed (on the night of February 26, 1942, about 20 miles east of Manasquan inlet, New Jersey) we were two hours astern of her and five miles inside-one mile off shore and hanging close to the beaches. I could clearly see the flames when the R. P. Resor caught fire. At that time the Wallace E. Pratt was unarmed, but we later had a stern gun manned by 4 Navy gunners, until complete armament and personnel were provided.
“On another voyage we were coming into Chesapeake Bay in foggy weather, accompanied by the John D. Archbold and another American tanker. The Wallace E. Pratt and the John D. Archbold went inside the entrance buoy, but the third ship went outside the buoy and, while passing it, was hit by a torpedo. Although nearly broken in two, she came in under her own power. The submarine headed inshore to elude patrol craft. Hearing the sound of the sub's motors as she passed under our stern, we reported her course to the patrol vessels and with depth charges they forced the U-boat to surface.
"We had a close call one night when we were chased by a submarine off the Florida coast. The U-boat's wake was plainly visible. We finally outran her."
Captain Edwin Smith, who was chief mate of the Wallace E. Pratt from June 29, 1943 to December 27, 1944 (and later master of the War Emergency Tankers, lnc., former Esso, ship Wm. G. Warden), described for this history an enemy attack which took place in September, 1943, when the vessel was on her return trip from Liverpool alter her second visit there: '
"The Wallace E. Prat! was one of a convoy of 60 or 70 ships. A few days out we were joined by a convoy of about 70 vessels returning from Russia. In order to accommodate our speed to theirs we had to slow down to 7 knots. Even with the combined escort forces of the two convoys, there was not enough protection, and additional escorts were later sent out.
A German submarine wolf pack attacked the large formation and threw everything in the book at us.
About 10 ships of the convoy and 6 escort craft were reported sunk, but we also heard that 12 submarines were destroyed.
"We were the second ship in the eleventh column from port. When the submarine was sighted ahead of our column, the lead vessel, a Norwegian freighter, sheered off. The U-boat then torpedoed an escort ship, which blew up100 yards off our bow.
“Four columns to port, a Liberty ship was torpedoed. The explosion tore her in two just forward of the bridge. We could see her fore part turn toward us like a door opening on hinges. The after part of the vessel, driven under by her momentum, sank at once with all hands. The fore part floated and two men were rescued from it."
In Convoy Under Air Attack
While en route to Suez, a convoy which included the Wallace E. Pratt experienced an air attack which was graphically described in the ship's log book:
“April 11, 1944 -
“11:35 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Enemy planes over convoy, dropping flares; convoy and escorts sent up a heavy barrage of 20-mm., 3-inch, and 5-inch antiaircraft fire. Two planes known to be shot down, one falling in flames over Algeria, the other falling in flames off the port quarter. Dog fights between planes at rear of convoy, as bursts of tracers could be seen between them. Depth charges set off by escorts.
"Casualties - 0ne messman suffered two punctured ear drums; Raymond McAvenia, A.B., slight abrasion from shrapnel. Numerous bombs were dropped by planes, some falling near this vessel.
Chester C. Ballard, Master"
Former (Ihiei Mate Smith said. concerning this action:
"One of the enemy bombers shot down was heading in flames straight for the Wallace E. Pratt when a 3-inch shell from our gun exploded right in front of her nose. She veered away and hit the beach.
“Two days later the No. 1-3 ship in the convoy switched positions with No. 5-4 and that night she was sunk. On the same day the vessel in column ahead of the Panama Transport Company tanker H. H. Libby was sunk."
It is probable that the Wallace E. Pratt had never been a more welcome sight than she was to the four men aboard the 22 foot motor launch Adios, whom she rescued on the morning of February 14, 1940, about 45 miles east of jupiter Light, Florida. The
men picked up by the tanker were Messrs. Norman Mayer, owner of the Adios, George Ballard, W. A. Newbaur, and Clarence '1'. Williams. an Esso dealer - all residents of Rochester, New York. They had set out on February 13 from the Adios’ home port, Palm
Beach, Florida, on a trip to the Bahamas. During the night engine trouble developed and the weather turned bad. By morning the gasoline supply had run low and two of the men were ill, so that the Wallace E. Pratt's offer of assistance was gratefully accepted.
The Wallace E. Pratt was bound from New York to Baytown in ballast when. at 9 a.m. on February 14, Third Mate Albin E. Owings reported to Captain Jens G. Olsen that he had sighted a small boat, aparently in distress. The wind was west northwest. Force 5 to 6, and the sea very rough. Captain Olsen maneuvered his vessel close to the launch and hailed the occupants, who asked to be taken off. The Wallace E. Pratt made a lee for the tossing craft and the four men were helped aboard. The disabled launch was hoisted on deck. Mr. Ballard and Mr. Newbaur were suffering from exposure and Mr. Ballard was seasick as well. Taken in charge by the stewat;d's department. the two men were well led and cared for. The clothing of all four was washed and dried.
Chief Engineer James G. Siltes inspected the Adios and made repairs to her propellers and gas tank. Then, in response to a radio request, the Wallace E. Pratt was met off Miami Sea Buoy by U. S. Coast Guard Patrol Boat No. 212. The rescued men were put aboard and the Adios was launched and towed into port.
The Wallace E. Pratt was at Baytown on September 3. 1939, the first day of war, loading a cargo oi 105.738 barrels ol gasoline and kerosene for Wilmington, N. C. Captain Walter V. James commanded the vessel and Chief Engineer James G. Sikes was in
charge of her engineroom.
Thereafter the vessel remained in Western Hemisphere service until the end of 1942. She usually carried gasoline, kerosene, heating oil, and other products from Texas and Louisiana loading ports to U. S. east coast ports. In the latter part of 1942 she transported 4 cargoes of crude from the Caribbean to Halifax. The ship was time chartered to the War Shipping Adtninistration on April 20, 1942.
Death of Captain Clothier
Tragedy visited the Wallace E. Pratt when her master, Captain Herbert E. Clothier, suffered a heart attack and died on March 29, 1941, aboard a Coast Guard vessel while being taken ashore at Galveston, Texas, for hospitalization. Captain Clothier, who took command oi the Wallace E. Pratt February 16, 1941, had had 20 years and 4 months of service with the Company since joining the Esso fleet as a second mate on August 28, 1919. He had been a master since March 16, 1926.
Sailing from New York December 21, 1942. with 77,318 barrels of gas oil, the Wallace E. Pratt began a series of ten consecutive transatlantic voyages. She discharged successively at Swansea, Liverpool, Avonmouth, Glasgow, Barry Docks, Liverpool, Avonmouth, Liverpool, also at Bone and Philippevilie in Algeria, and, on the last of these trips, at the ports of Suez in Egypt and Port Sudan in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.
Following her visit to Port Sudan the Wallace E. Pratt proceeded in May, I944, to Abadan, whence she carried 5 cargoes of gas oil, gasoline, and Dieseloil, discharging on one trip at Bombay and twice each at Naples, Italy, and Augusta, Sicily. As these deliveries to Italy were made between June and November, 1944, and the invasion oi Southern France began on August 15, 1944, there is little reason to doubt that much of the oil transported by the Wallace E. Pratt was carried ashore by the invasion forces and
played its vital part in the fighting which ensued.
During 1945 the services of the Wallace E. Pratt were divided among transatlantic, coastwise, and Caribbean voyages. Historic V-J Day. September 2, 1945, found her carrying a cargo of fuel oil from Las Piedras to Providence, R. l.
The transportation record of the Wallace E. Pratt in World War ll was in summary as follows:
The SS Wallace E. Pratt was built in 1937 by the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company at Chester, Pennsylvania. She is a sistership of the Essa Baytown.
A single-screw vessel of 13.055 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 28 feet, 7 3/4 inches, the Wallace E. Pratt has an overall length of 459 feet, 6 inches, a length between perpendiculars of 442 feet, a moulded breadth of 65 feet, and a depth moulded of 35 feet. With a cargo carrying capacity of 108,375 barrels, she has an assigned pumping rate of 6,000 barrels an hour.
Her turbine engine, supplied with steam by two water-tube boilers, develops 3,960 shaft horsepower and gives her a classification certified speed of 13.2 knots.
During hostilities the Wallace E. Pratt was commanded by Captains Walter V. James, Jens G. Olsen, Martin Wiberg, Alfred J. Thorson, Herbert E. Clothier, Jerome B. Bruce, Nils Borgeson, Daniel H. Larsen, August Bosch, Chester C. Ballard, and Robert J. Blair.
In charge of her cngineroom for the same period were Chief Engineers James G. Sikes, Daniel C. Dunn, Robert E. Anderson, Roy A. Anderson, Laughton D. Angel, Joseph A. Clark, John W. Balzli, Webb A. Starratt, Charles J. Fox, Paul H. Franzen, John V. F. Brown, Joseph M. Farrell, William C. Wells, and Sigurd Stellensen.
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