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A LUCKY SHIP
SS Christy Payne
Throughout World War II and especiaIly while the Battle of[ the Atlantic was in fuIl progress, oil was of vital national importan-ce on our own eastern seaboard. Due to the official silence necessary to conceal ship sinkings from the enemy, the public could not know the extent to which men were risking their lives to keep essential war plants in fuIl production.
One of the many merchant vessels about which no dispatches were published was the Christy Payne. Running up and down our dangerous east coast for the entire war, she was indeed a lucky ship.
On the opening day of war in Europe the Christy Payne arrived at Baton Rouge from Aruba with 86,406 barrels of gas oil. She was then commanded by Captain Frederick S. Anderson and her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineer Lawrence Erhard.
The rest of the year 1939 she spent in coastwise runs with the exception of a voyage from Baytown to Mayaguez, San Juan, Ponce, Aruba, and back to Baton Rouge; this service covered the period from November 19 to December 12.
During the years 1940 and 1941 and until June 17, 1942, the Christy Payne ran the gantlet of prowling submarines without a mishap, in contrast to the destruction of less fortunate vessels. She had left Baytown on February 24, 1942-under the command of Captain Alfred Christianson, with Chief Engineer Lawrence Erhard still in charge of her engineroom when one of the many Atlantic tragedies occurred.
Submarine Had Been Waiting
The Esso tanker R. P. Resor was sunk off the New Jersey coast on February 26 and it was on February 28 that the Christy Payne was steaming through the waters between Cape Hatteras and Cape Henry. Her first officer, Chief Mate Herman Kastberg, related the foIlowing incident.
"On February 28," he said, "we received orders about passing a certain area between Cape Henry and Cape Hatteras. It was a Saturday afternoon and I was standing on the bridge. An anti-submarine patrol craft approached and signaled us to have our guns in readiness. About 15 minutes later the patrol drew ahead of us at fuIl speed and when half a mile away threw a barrage of 'cans' -about 3 patterns. She was reported to have sunk a German U-boat, which apparently had been waiting for us."
On June 17, 1942 the Christy Payne left Caripito for three round trips to Halifax, delivering 244,497 barrels of crude oil. These voyages were made in convoy with the protection o[ three Canadian corvettes.
Other Narrow Escapes
As Chief Mate Kastberg summed it up:
"We were considered a lucky ship-on nearly every voyage the convoy was threatened by at least one submarine attack but the Payne always came through unscathed. These adventures usuaIly occurred as we were going east of Bermuda."
Other narrow escapes, also described by the vessel's chief mate, bring to mind the idea that the Christy Payne seemed destined to deliver safely her 6,577,748 barrels of wartime cargo.
"One night," Kastberg said, "the Christy Payne was plowing north on her way to Halifax. The wind was high and the sea rough. While we were off Nantucket Shoals a blizzard came up to add to our misery. On reaching our destination we heard a report that a German 'sub' had run aground on the Shoals about the time the Christy Payne was passing. A close one !
"On a later occasion, while running up the coast of Florida in company with another tanker, we traveled together until we approached Jacksonville.
Then our companion vessel drew ahead and outdistanced uso when she was twelve hours ahead she was torpedoed. As we went by the point of attack, we could see the wreckage. Another elose call !
"We once missed a convoy leaving Halifax and received orders to sail and attempt to overtake it. While nearing the fleet of ships at Bermuda, our attention was attracted by 'snowflake' flares thrown up by the corvettes. This indicated a submarine attack. We quickly reversed our course until it was considered safe to proceed through this area. Turning back again, we caught the convoy and took up our position.
"While we were in another convoy, the commodore signaled us to make an emergency turn. Later we were informed that a submarine had fired two torpedoes into our lines but the maneuver had been so weIl executed by all ships that not a single one was hit."
During the year 1943 the Christy Payne made three more voyages from Texas to Halifax, delivering 248,492 barrels; the rest of the year was spent in coastwise service.
In 1944, her last war year with the Esso fleet, the Christy Payne made two round trips between Puerto La Cruz and Portland, Maine, and one from Portland to Caripito and return. On April 17, 1944 the Christy Payne was delivered to War Emergency Tankers, Inc. at Portland, Maine.
Her wartime voyages and cargoes were In summary as follows:
The SS Christy Payne (ex Calgarolite) was built in 1921 by the G. M. Standifer Construction Corporation, Vancouver, Washington. She is a sistership of the John Worthington, W. H. Libby, Livingston Roe, and Chester O. Swain.
A single-screw vessel of 12,475 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 27 feet, 3 inches, she has an overall length of 477 feet, 9 3/4 inches, a length between perpendiculars of 463 feet, 3 inches, a moulded breadth of 60 feet, and a moulded depth of 37 feet, 3 1/4 inches. With a cargo carrying capacity of 89,851 barrels, her assigned pumping rate is 4,000 barrels an hour.
Her quadruple expansion engine, supplied with steam by three Scotch boilers, develops 2,800 indicated horsepower and gives her a cIassification certified speed of 9.9 knots.
From September 3, 1939 to April 17, 1944, the Christy Payne was commanded by Captains Frederick S. Anderson, George Rasmussen, Frank F. Hultgren, Edward M. Berry, Ernest C. Kelson, Nicholas G. Kessaris, Alfred Christianson, Gustave A. Eklund, Myles M. Montgomery, Arnulf Hartman, Aage Petersen, and John O'Kelly.
During the same period her chief engineers were Lawrence Erhard, Frank J. Burchalewski, Alexander Pratt, Jolm Pettigrew, Robert S. Brod, James A. Johnston, Anton Hogelin, Sigurd Steffensen, George B. Calunelann, Daniel Marshall, Raymonel Shannon, Ernest J. Palmer, and Skolel T. Anderson.
Captains John O'Kelly, Urban A. Haughn, and Oscar M. Revheim were her masters from the time she was delivered to War Emergency Tankers, Inc., until the end of hostilities. Associateel with them and in charge of her engineroom were Chief Engineers Skolel T. Anderson and Leroy E. Dwelly.
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