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Esso Aruba (1) - (1936-1954)
See also : BATTLE BY MOONLIGHT
See also : Pan Bolivar - (1935-1936) & Main engine SS Esso Auba (I), with Bauer Wach exhaust turbine
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The "Esso Aruba" was built as "Pan Bolivar" in 1931. Renamed in 1936.
"Esso Aruba (1)", ex. "Pan Bolivar" during the war, October 28th, 1943.( Photo US Coast Guard )
The first "Esso Aruba" storing up from the "Charlie White" at New York, December 1, 1941.
See a Video of the "Esso Aruba", thanks to Bill Moyers, film made by his father.Not on this site but by clicking on the following external link.
You need the Windows Media Player !!.
"Esso Aruba".
"Esso Aruba".
"Esso Aruba", an artist impression on the cover of the "The Ship's Bulletin", of the Esso Shipping Co.( Painting by W. Spencer Wright )
Outboard view of the torpedo hole in "Esso Aruba", port side, showing deck hove up.
"Esso Aruba" + Esso Tug No. 8.
The Miramar Ship Index for "PAN BOLIVAR"
IDNo:
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2231080
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Year:
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1931
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Name:
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PAN BOLIVAR
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Keel:
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Type:
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Tanker
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Launch Date:
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19.05.1931
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Flag:
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USA
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Date of completion:
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07.1931
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Tons:
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8773
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Link:
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DWT:
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Yard No:
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1465
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Length overall:
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Ship Design:
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LPP:
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147.6
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Country of build:
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GB
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Beam:
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20.0
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Builder:
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Swan Hunter WR
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Material of build:
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Location of yard:
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Wallsend
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Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn):
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1Txt-11
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Subsequent History:
1936 ESSO ARUBA - 1954 CAPTAIN JOHN
Disposal Data:
Scrapped at Savona 16.03.1960. ( By Ardem )
History :
ON
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LR/IMO
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ID
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Year
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Name
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Tons
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Change
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Registered Owner
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231080
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2231080
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1931
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PAN BOLIVAR
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8773
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Pan-American Petroleum & Tpt Co.
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231080
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2231080
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1931
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PAN BOLIVAR
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8773
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1933
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Pan American Foreign Corp.
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231080
|
|
2231080
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1931
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PAN BOLIVAR
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8773
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1935
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Standard Oil Co of New Jersey
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231080
|
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2231080
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1931
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ESSO ARUBA
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8773
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1936
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Standard Oil Co of New Jersey
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231080
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2231080
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1931
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ESSO ARUBA
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8773
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1950
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Esso Sg Co.
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354
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2231080
|
1931
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CAPTAIN JOHN
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8773
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1954
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Star Line Sg Co Inc.
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Additional information from Starke & Schell registers.
PAN BOLIVAR - 1931 USA 1Triple Expansion + lp (aft) (12)
8,773 GRT for Pan American Petroleum & Transport Co., Los Angeles, Calif. 484.2 x 65.5
Tanker built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Ltd., Newcastle (7) #1465 231080
1933 - Pan American Foreign Corp., Wilmington, Del.
1935 - Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, Wilmington, Del.
1936 - ESSO ARUBA, s/o
1950 - Esso Shipping Co., Wilmington, Del.
1954 - CAPTAIN JOHN, Star Line Shipping Co., Inc., Monrovia, LI
Broken up at Vado Ligure 1960 by A.R.D.E.M., arrived Savona 16.03.1960,
work began 02.04.1960.
Additional Information from Uboat.net :
Name: Esso Aruba
Type: Steam tanker
Tonnage: 8.773 tons
Completed: 1931 - Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend, Sunderland
Owner: Standard Oil Co of New Jersey, New York
Homeport: Wilmington
Date of attack: 27 Aug, 1942
Nationality: American
Fate: Damaged by U-511 (Friedrich Steinhoff)
Position: 18.09N, 74.38W - Grid EC 1299
- See location on a map -
Complement: 60 (0 dead and 60 survivors).
Convoy: TAW-15
Route: Güiria, Venezuela (23 Aug) - Trinidad - New York
Cargo: 104.170 barrels of diesel fuel
History: Built as Pan Bolivar, 1936 renamed Esso Aruba
Notes on loss:
At 06.29 hours on 27 Aug, 1942, U-511 fired a spread of four torpedoes at the convoy TAW-15 about 120 miles south-southeast of
Guantanamo and claimed two ships with 17000 grt sunk and another damaged. The San Fabian and Rotterdam were sunk
and the Esso Aruba was damaged
The Esso Aruba (Master Frank Pharr), the ship of the convoy commodore, was hit by one torpedo on the port side between the # 5
and # 6 tanks. The explosion tore up the deck and blew it 20 feet into the air and also destroyed pipelines but failed to damage
the engines or steering gear. The tanker stopped to examine the damage and the eight officers, 33 men, 13 armed guards (the
ship was armed with one 5in and two .50cal guns) and the convoy commodore and his staff of five men prepared themselves for
leaving the ship. But the chief engineer reported the machinery in good order and the damaged vessel proceeded under her own
power in the convoy, in danger of breaking in two.
At 22.00 hours the next day, the Esso Aruba reached Guantanamo Bay and was run aground to take the strain off the bottom
plates. The remaining 60.000 barrels of fuel were offloaded into the Cities Service Missouri with the help of the American salvage
tug USS Montcalm until 8 September. After temporary repairs the ship proceeded to Galveston for permanent repairs and
returned to service on 13 Feb, 1943.
Maritime Administration Cards:
