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Thalia - (1935 - 1942)

MS Thalia.

In the early hours of February 16, 1942, the island of Aruba and nearby ships were attacked by enemy submarines. At that time, the

Panama Transport Company's Thalia was between the Savannah Lightship and the Florida Straits on her way from New York to Aruba

in ballast. When she left New York on February 10, her Danish crew, which also manned her 4-inch gun aft, numbered 41 officers and

men. At 4 a.m. on February 23, at a point 46 miles west northwest from Aruba, the Thalia was struck without warning by two torpedoes

about twenty minutes apart, and by a third after the order to abandon ship had been given. It is believed that four torpedoes in all were

fired.

A submarine then surfaced and shelled the tanker from 5 a.m. until she sank at 7 a.m.-three hours after the first torpedo's explosion.

Forty men, eleven of whom were injured, got away from the Thalia in three lifeboats and made their way to the Colombian coast.

Oiler-Fireman Johannes Pedersen was last seen going below after the first torpedo hit the Thalia. He did not get away and no trace

of him could be found by the men in the lifeboats after the vessel went down.

The MS Thalia was built in 1926 by Howaldts-werke A.G. at Kiel-NeumuhIen, Germany. She was a sistership of the Calliope (now

the Ampetco) and of the first Ampetco, ex Urania; similar ships in the same group were the Penelope (lost on March 13, 1942) and

the Leda (lost on November 2, 1942).

A twin-screw vessel of 13,100 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 27 feet, 3s/g inches, the Thalia had an

overall length of 488 feet, 31/2 inches, and a length between perpendiculars of 469 feet, 7 inches. Her moulded breadth was 63

feet, and her depth moulded 35 feet, 6 inches. With a cargo carrying capacity of 102,270 barrels, she had an as-signed pumping

rate of 3,500 barrels an hour.

Her Diesel engines developed 3,000 brake horse-power and gave her a speed of 10.5 knots.

The Thalia spent her entire wartime service carrying principally crude oil. The tanker arrived at New York with 81,718 barrels of Vene-

zuelan crude on September 4, 1939, three days after the Nazi invasion of Poland. On September 15 an American crew was put aboard

under Captain Peder Nielsen, with Chief Engineer Charles F. Garrow in charge of the engine-room. During the rest of 1939 she delivered

four cargoes, one each to Rio de Janeiro, Aruba, Baton Rouge, and Halifax.

The vessel's 1940 record was distinguished by a cargo of Iraq crude (91,771 barrels), which she trans-ported from Syria to France,

and by her service of more than six months in the Far East on charter to the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company.

West Coast and S. A. Trade.

The Dahlia returned from the Far East to the United States west coast on April 28, 1941 and carried one split cargo from California to

the Imperial Oil Company's terminal at loco, on Vancouver Bay, where she arrived May 5. Returning to California, the vessel left San

Pedro on June 19, with 78,895 barrels of fuel oil for Tocopilla, Chile. After discharging this cargo, she lifted refined products at Talara

for Mollendo, Peru, went back to Talara, and loaded crude oil for delivery to the Campana terminal near Buenos Aires.

The Thalia then proceeded up the South American east and north coasts to Caripito, took on 90,692 barrels of Jusepin crude for

Aruba, reloaded a split cargo of refined products there, transited the Panama Canal, and completed a circumnavigation of South

America by discharging at the north Chilean ports of Tocopilla and Antofagasta. The Thalia finished out 1941 by again passing

through the Straits of Magellan and going to the United States east coast by way of Montevideo, where she discharged Ecuadorian

crude oil, and to Caripito, where she lifted Monaca crude for Portland, Maine.

The wartime transportation record of the Thalia, excluding the cargoes carried while on charter in the Far East, was in summary as

follows:

Year	Voyages (Cargoes)	Barrels
1939	5	411,909
1940	7	581,841
1941	8	694,579
Total	20	1,688,329

Captain Jens P. Michelsen described the last voyage and sinking of the Thalia in a report mailed from Colombia and in a subsequent

statement: "At 'about 10 p.m. on February 10, 1942, we weighed anchor and proceeded from Stapleton, in ballast, bound to Aruba,

N. W. I. On the 12th, in Chesapeake Bay, after running over the Wolf Trap degaussing range, we anchored at 10 p.m.

"The vessel departed two hours before sunrise on February 13. Navigating as close to the coast as possible, we passed the Savannah

Lightship early in the afternoon of the 15th. On the 17th we crossed the Florida Straits and made for Windward Passage. At sunset

we anchored for the night under complete blackout conditions. At daybreak on February 18 we took bearings, weighed anchor, and

proceeded. About noon on the 20th we passed Haiti, steering for Aruba and using a zigzag course when possible.

"Early in the morning of February 23 the wind was east northeast, Force 3; the sea was smooth and the sky slightly overcast. The

vessel was all blacked out. At about 4 a.m., while we were steering a three-course zigzag, approximately 50 miles west northwest

from Aruba, a torpedo struck without warning on the starboard side, abaft of the mainmast. In accordance with instructions previously

given by Chief Engineer Christian Hansen, the engineers on watch stopped the engines immediately. I ordered the crew to their boat

stations and directed that the lifeboats be lowered ready to abandon ship. Then the tour crew gunners, under Second Mate Einar C.

Blume, went aft and stood by the gun for action.

Sent Radio Message.

"I ordered Radio Operator Sigurd Hansen to send out the following message: 'SSSS Thalia (HPFR) Torpedoed vicinity of Aruba.'

Shortly afterward I gave him the vessel's approximate position, which he also transmitted. However, we heard no answer, as the

explosion of the torpedo had put the receiving set out of operation, as well as all communication from the bridge aft.

"At 4:20 a.m., a second torpedo hit the Thalia, starboard side, under the bridge house, and I gave the order to abandon ship. The

wave and suction made by this second explosion capsized No. l life-boat, throwing its crew into the sea. When the second torpedo

struck, Second Mate Blume and his gunners, still unable to see a submarine or establish communication with the bridge, took to

the boats.

Struck by Third Torpedo.

"Later, the men thrown from No. 1- boat were picked up by Mr. Blume and his crew in No. 3 life-boat. The radio operator and I were

assigned to No. 1 boat, but when I was unable to sight it from the bridge after the second explosion, I told the radio operator to take

to No. 2 lifeboat and I went aft to No. 4 boat. Shortly after No. 4 lifeboat left, a third torpedo hit the vessel, at about 4:25.

"Boats nos. 3 and 4 pulled up against the wind while No. 2 lifeboat pulled away with the wind abeam. When all three were about a mile

and a half from the Thalia, we put out sea anchors and awaited daylight. After the boats left the tanker, the submarine surfaced and

shelled her with incendiaries. This shelling, which set the Thalia aflame amidships and aft, lasted from about 5 to 7 a.m., when the

vessel was observed to be listing to port. She then righted and started going under stern first; the last of the bow disappeared from

the surface at about 7 a.m.

"Around 8:30 a.m. No. 3 lifeboat established radio communication with Curacao, gave our approximate position, and asked for as-

sistance. By 9 a.m. all three boats were gathered together. Before setting sail, I counted the crew and found that Oiler Pedersen was

missing. We steered in company towards Los Monges Island with the intention of landing on the Colombian coast.

"At about 1 a.m., on February 24, we heard the sound of surf and anchored to await daylight. By 9:30 we decided to proceed along

the coast, which was quite near. The surf was too heavy to attempt a landing. Toward noon we met a Colombian fishing boat and

were provided with hot coffee by her crew, who later directed us to Bahia Honda. We landed there safely at 6 p.m., February 24."

Eleven injured men received medical treatment at Barranquilla: Second Engineer Hans N. Wacher, Third Engineer Poul A. V. Holm,

Junior Engineer Frio R. Schwaner, Electrician Carl G. Sundberg, Boatswain Ernst A. P. Jensen, Able Seamen Max B. Witthofft,

Verner Willadsen, Joannes Danielsen, and Jorgen V. Boll, Ordinary Seaman Per B. Silberg, and Messman Salvador Pena Carbajs.

All the survivors, except two of the injured who remained in the hospital, left Barranquilla by plane for Trinidad about March 5 and

were returned to the United States from Port-of-Spain, along with the survivors of the Panama Transport tanker Esso Copenhagen

(sunk off French Guiana on February 25, just two days after the Thalia's sinking).

The survivors of the two tankers were repatriated on the George Washington, operated by the Alcoa Steamship Company, which

arrived at New York on March 14. Two survivors of the Sun Oil Company tanker J. N. Pew were also repatriated aboard the George

Washington.

Captain Jens P. Michelsen joined the Panama Transport Company on April 18, 1941, and was assigned to the Thalia on May 12.

Surviving the sinking of that vessel, he lost his life while master of the Leda, which was sunk on November 3, 1942.

Chief Engineer Christian H. Hansen entered the service of the Panama Transport Company as a second engineer on January 24,

1941. He was assigned to the Thalia as chief engineer on April 21, 1941.

Lost on the "Thalia" - February 23, 1942 ;

Johannes Pedersen

Oiler-Fireman

Survivors of the "Thalia" ;

Jens P. Michelsen	Master
Arnold H. J. Hansen	Ch. Mate
Einar C. P. Blume	2nd Mate
Emil Petersen	3rd Mate
Christian H. Hansen	Ch. Engr.
Hans N. Wacher	2nd Engr.
Poul A. V. Holm.	3rd Engr.
Jens P. Christensen.	4th Engr.
Erik N. Hansen	Jr. Engr.
Jules Hardy	Jr. Engr.
Christian F. H. Gregersen	Jr. Engr.
Frio R. Schwaner	Jr. Engr.
Sigurd Hanseri	Radio Op.
Carl G. Sundberg.	Elect.
Niels P. Nielsen	Ch. Steward
Niels A. Madsen	Ch. Cook
Ernst A. P.Jensen	Bos'n
Jens M. Olesen	Pumpman
Bioern C. Loehr	A.B.
Christian G. V. Rosenkrantz	A.B.
Joannes Danielsen	A.B.
Jorgen V. Boll	A.B.
Max B. Witthofft	A.B.
Verner Willadsen	A.B.
Kristian I. Aasmo	A.B.
Odd W. Bjune	A.B.
Axel Larsen	A.B.
Gote L. Ljunggren	A.B.
Joren A. Rosaasen	A.B.
Per B. Silbcrg	O.S.
William Plotnik	O.S.
Olav Gundersen	Oiler-Fire.
Martin Hauge	Oiler-Fire.
Agnar Karlsson	Oiler-Fire.
James A. Beaton	Oiler-Fire.
Laurits Clausen	2nd Cook
Gershen Sweden	Messman
Salvador Pena Carbajs	Messman
Victor Garay	Messman
Patrick G. Sankas	Messman