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LOST OFF HATTERAS
SS F.W. Abrams
From the outbreak of war in Europe and for six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor the Esso tanker F.W. Abrams was engaged in the important task of transporting vitally needed crude and fuel oils from sources of supply to points of consumption, all in the Western Hemisphere. Then, on June 11, 1942, she was torpedoed off Cape Hatteras.
The F.W. Abrams was voyaging alone and unarmed. Manned by a crew of 36 officers and men, she was nine days out of Aruba, bound for New York with a cargo of fuel oil. While en route, the tanker received radio warnings of submarines prowling in the waters ahead.
When the vessel was approaching the vicinity of Cape Hatteras a Navy patrol boat escorted her to a protected anchorage where she spent the night of June 10. Early the next morning the patrol vessel guided the F.W. Abrams through the mine fields and she proceeded on her voyage without escort.
Crew Landed Safely
Less than an hour later, when the ship was about 9 miles off shore, a tremendous explosion occurred at her starboard bow, followed by two more detonations at about 10 minute intervals. The crew launched the lifeboats without mishap and all hands landed safely near the Ocracoke Naval Station.
The torpedoed tanker settled bow first and came to rest on the bottom with only part of her mainmast showing above water. Vessel and cargo were a total loss.
The SS F.W. Abrams, ex Nora, was built in 1920 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, N. J. She was a sistership of the R.G. Stewart and of the E.G. Senbert (lost in the Gulf of Aden on February 22, T944).
A single-screw vessel of 14,380 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 29 feet, 5 3/4 inches, the F.W. Abrams had an overall length of 485 feet, 2 3/4 inches, a length between perpendiculars of 468 feet, a moulded breadth of 62 feet, 6 inches, and a depth moulded of 39 feet, 6 inches. With a cargo carrying capacity of 101,021 barrels, she had an assigned pumping rate of 3,000 barrels an hour.
Her quadruple expansion engine, with steam supplied by three Scotch boilers, developed 3,200 indicated horsepower and gave her a classification certified speed of 10.1 knots.
The run on which the F.W. Abrams was proceeding when torpedoed was typical of her schedules during the war period. Of the 40 voyages she completed between September 3, 1939 and June 1, 1942, 37 were from Gulf and Caribbean loading ports- Port Arthur, Baytown, Corpus Christi, Texas City, Cartagena, Las Piedras, Guiria, Caripito, and Aruba -to New York, Boston, Baltimore, Montreal, and Halifax. Her other three voyages were from Curacao to Buenos Aires, Caripito to Campana, and Caripito to Rio de Janeiro and Santos. From Santos she went to Cartagena by the southern route around South America and the Panama Canal-thereby avoidino- a return trip through the South Atlantic submarine hunting grounds.
The wartime transportation record of the F. W. Abrams was in summary as follows:
Her cargoes on these voyages consisted principally of crude oil, with occasional loadings of fuel oil, Diesel oil, and distillates.
The masters of the F.W. Abrams in the war years were Captains Robert J. Blair, Herbert A. Nelson, Walter B. McCarthy, Frederick S. Anderson, Martin Wiberg, Harold G. McAvenia, James Fraser, and Anthony J. Coumelis.
During the same period her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineers Bernhard R. F. Olsson, William H. Ahrens, Clarence T. Flesher, Anton Hogelin, and Andreas Larsen.
After loading 90,294 barrels of fuel oil at Aruba, the F.W. Abrams sailed for New York on June 2 in command of Captain Anthony J. Coumelis, with Chief Engineer Andreas Larsen in charge of her engineroom.
To quote the report of Captain Coumelis:
"We proceeded according to routing instructions received from the British naval authorities at Aruba. The vessel was all blacked out at night.
"On June 10, about 4 p.m., we arrived at position Latitude 35° 01' North, Longitude 75°59' West, to anchor for the night. A Coast Guard patrol boat met us and I requested Second Mate Charles B. Miller to signal for instructions. By semaphore the patrol vessel ordered: 'Follow us to anchorage.' At the designated anchorage we were informed by the Coast Guard boat that we would get under way the next morning at 4 o'clock.
"In compliance with these orders, we were all ready when the patrol vessel appeared at the time assigned. I was then on the bridge, with Chief Mate Myron W. Chamberlin and Junior Third Mate James I. Watler;
Able Seaman John E. Hanley was at the wheel and Able Seaman Helmar Ohman was on lookout at the foc'sle head; Second Mate Miller was also on the bridge, assisting.
"The night was dark, the sky overcast, and visibility poor. The sea was moderate and the wind southeasterly. It was just beginning to rain.
"At the patrol boat's signal we followed her at about three ship's lengths astern, proceeding between the buoys in a west southwest direction.
"About 6 a.m., the patrol vessel left and we continued on our way without escort.
Ship Hard Hit
"At 6:40 a.m., a terrific explosion occurred on the starboard bow, causing the ship to sheer about 30 degrees to port. I order-ed the general alarm sounded and the control valves to the smothering system opened; all hands went to their boat stations. I then sent the first mate to investigate our damage and instructed Radio Operator Eldon E. McCarthy to send out a message, which was acknowledged immediately. I also telephoned to First Assistant Engineer Owen L. Earnshaw, on watch in the engineroom, telling him to put the engine full astern, and requested Second Mate Miller to take a sounding. The ship soon stopped and settled about ten feet by the bow.
"As it appeared that she was not in a sinking condition, I decided to proceed to the nearest port and ordered the engine 'Full ahead'; but owing to difficulties with the boilers, the engine could only be put 'Slow ahead'. The F. W. Abrams was then heading about 105°. I directed Junior Third Mate Watler to put the wheel hard right, but the ship would not answer to the helm and was apparently unmanageable. The engine was then stopped and I sent another radio message requesting assistance. This message was acknowledged, with instructions to wait.
"At 7:17 a.m. another violent explosion occurred on the starboard side in the vicinity of No. 5 main tank, which caused the tanker to settle further by the bow; her decks were now awash as far as No. 6 tank. Second Mate Miller reported that the side plating between No. 5 and No. 6 tanks was buckled in on the starboard side and buckled out on the port side.
"I sent for the engine crew to come up to their boat stations and prepared to abandon ship. However, only No. 2 lifeboat was launched at this time in order to get off Able Seaman Hanley, who had been injured as a result of the first explosion and was unable to walk by himself. Able Seaman Henry F. McGowan and Oiler Miguel Ortega also got into No. 2 boat and I ordered them to stand by off our port beam to pick up any crew member who might jump overboard in the emergency. I decided that the rest of the men could wait aboard for assistance.
Third Explosion
"Shortly thereafter, Mr. McGowan and Mr. Ortega shouted 'Submarine on the port quarter', but as there was nothing I could do, I stood on the starboard wing of the bridge to avoid eventual gunfire from the U-boat.
"At 7:39 a.m., a third explosion, more violent than the preceding two, occurred somewhere between the bow and the bridge, presumably on the port ^ide, causing the F. W. Abrams to list to starboard. She was now sinking rapidly by the bow and I gave the order to abandon ship in the remaining lifeboats.
"The entire crew landed safely at 12:40 p.m., approximately five miles from the Ocracoke Naval Station. We were transported by the Coast Guard to Morehead City and given assistance by Mr. John E. Lashley, a local Esso service station dealer."
Seaman Hanley was hospitalized at Morehead City and again on his return to New York. Oiler Ortega received treatment from a Company physician in New York. The entire crew, with the exception of the captain, the chief engineer, and Mr. Hanley, arrived in New York on June 13.
Battered by Heavy Seas—Lost
Captain Coumelis and Chief Engineer Larsen stood by for the purpose of determining whether or not the F. W. Abrams could be salvaged. When the lifeboats left the tanker, her stern was still above water and even three days later, on the 14th, when Captain Coumelis went out with Navy authorities to inspect the ship, she was partly visible. Subsequently, however, heavy seas battered her until she was completely submerged and there was no hope of salvage. The master and chief engineer then returned to New York.
Captain Anthony J. Coumelis joined the Company as an able seaman on September 21, 1918, and had continuous service as a licensed officer from June 13, 1921, until his death at sea on December 29, 1942. He was promoted to master on September 11, 1932, and was assigned to the F.W. Abrams on November 24, 1941.
Chief Engineer Andreas Larsen entered the Company's service as a pumpman on April 3, 1921. He became a third assistant engineer on April 10, 1928.
Promoted to chief engineer on October 15, 1940, he served in that capacity until he left the Company's employ on July 29, 1943.
Pumpman George F. Punte was on the Esso Providence when she was damaged by enemy action on August 24, 1943.
Survivors of the "F.W. Abrams" - June 11, 1942 :
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