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ENTIRE CREW SAVED
See also : Esso Boston (1) Crew StatementsYou will be escorted to a remote site called Eric T. Wiberg, Author / Reseacher / Historian.
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SS Esso Boston
The Esso Boston, after successfully defying the submarine menace along the North and South American coasts and in the Caribbean for several months after Pearl Harbor, met her fate on April 12, 1942.
In the afternoon of that day, while en route from Caripito to Halifax with 88,068 barrels of Jusepin crude in her tanks, the Esso Boston was attacked by a submarine about 300 miles northeast of St. Martin's Island, British West Indies. Manned by 37 officers and men, the vessel was voyaging alone and unarmed. The weather was clear.
Torpedoed, Shelled, and Set Afire
When the torpedo struck, the Esso Boston began to list. The engine was reversed to full speed astern to check her headway and the radio operator dispatched SOS calls in the face of great danger. The order to abandon ship was given promptly and the well trained crew launched the three undamaged lifeboats safely and in good order.
The U-boat came to the surface and fired into the tanker repeatedly with incendiary shells until the vessel was badly damaged and the entire starboard side was in flames. Owing to the quick decisions of the master and the efficient abandonment of the Esso Boston, all hands were saved.
The next morning, despite the risk that the submarine might return or that the tanker might explode or sink at any moment, the chief engineer and a fireman boarded the vessel to inspect the extent of the damage done by the torpedo explosion and the heavy shellfire. They found that the Esso Boston had been rendered unseaworthy and was gradually settling by the bow.
On April 13, all members of the crew were picked up by the destroyer USS Biddle and on the 14th they were landed at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Later they were repatriated to the United States on the SS Seminole, of the New York & Porto Rico Steamship Company, which sailed from San Juan on April 28 for Tampa, Fla. The 37 officers and men arrived in New York by train on the morning of May 4.
The SS Esso Boston was built in 1938 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company at Kearny, N. J. Her sisterships were the Esso Bayonne, Esso Bayway, Esso Houston (lost May 12, 1942), Esso Montpelier, and Esso Concord.
A single-screw vessel of 13,090 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 28 feet, 5/8 inch, the Esso Boston had an overall length of 450 feet, a length between perpendiculars of 440 feet, a moulded breadth of 66 feet, 6 inches, and a depth moulded of 34 feet, 6 inches. With a cargo carrying capacity of 105,415 barrels, she had an assigned pumping rate of 6,000 barrels an hour.
Her turbine engine, supplied with steam by two water-tube boilers, developed 3,300 shaft horsepower and gave her a speed of 12.7 knots.
At the outbreak of war in Europe the Esso Boston, under the command of Captain Harry F. Murray, with Chief Engineer Leon R. Natter in charge of her engineroom, was en route from Norfolk to Baton Rouge, where she loaded 95,249 barrels of range oil for delivery at the Massachusetts city for which she was named. She ran coastwise until April 6, 1940, and then went to Aruba and Garipito, returning to Baton Rouge on August 19 and resuming Gulf-east coast schedules until May 20, 1941, when she again called at Aruba to load 79,228 barrels of fuel oil. During 1941 the tanker entered the ports of Corpus Christi, Baytown, Puerto La Cruz, Cartagena, Montevideo, and Cumarebo.
Beginning the Last Voyage
Oh January 13, 1942, the Esso Boston, with Captain John L. Johnson in command and Chief Engineer Reginald E. Harris in charge of her engineroom, loaded 85,881 barrels of crude oil at Cartagena for delivery at Campana, Argentina, where she arrived on February 2. After discharging this cargo she proceeded to Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, and then turned south again to Campana, via Buenos Aires Roads. Returning to Caripito on April 8, the Esso Boston loaded and sailed the same day for Halifax, N. S. It was the beginning of her last voyage.
The wartime transportation record of the Esso Boston up to April 12, 1942, omitting the cargo lost by enemy action, was in summary as follows:
Her masters during the war years were Captains Harry F. Murray, Urban A. Haughn, Philipp P. Wulfken, and John L.Tohnson.
In charge of her engineroom for the same period were Chief Engineers Leon R. Natter, John W. Balzli, Charles J. Fox, and Reginald E. Harris.
The report of Captain Johnson relates the following story of the attack on the Esso Boston and the subsequent rescue of her entire crew:
"On April 8, 1942 we departed from Caripito, Venezuela, with a part cargo of crude oil, bound for Halifax, N. S. The ship carried no armament. We stopped at Guiria to load the remainder of our cargo and obtain clearance papers. At about 4 p.m. we hove anchor for Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, for routing instructions. At 1:30 p. m. on April 9 we sailed from Port-of-Spain in company with three other vessels which left us about 40 miles off Dragon's Mouth.
According to routing orders we proceeded on a zigzag course in the daytime and the tanker was all blacked out at night.
"On the afternoon of April 12 the weather was clear; there was a light easterly wind and sea - Force about 2 - and a light easterly swell. At 1:10 p. m. I left the bridge in charge of Second Mate Stinson O. Wood and retired to my room. Able Seaman Everett L. Reynolds and Ordinary Seaman Clinton L. Smith were lookouts on top of the wheelhouse. Our speed was 11 knots.
Hit on Starboard Side
"At 1:20 p.m., immediately after changing course, at Latitude 21°45' North, Longitude 60° West, a torpedo suddenly struck our starboard side between Nos. 2 and 3 wing tanks. I rushed to the bridge, sounded the general alarm, and instructed Radio Operator Robert E. Callan to send an SOS indicating our position.
"The engine was reversed full speed astern to stop the headway of the ship, which had taken a considerable list to starboard. All hands were ordered to take to the boats. At 1:30 p.m., lifeboats Nos. 2 and 4 were lowered and 34 officers and men took places in them. Boat No. 1 was damaged beyond use. Second Mate Wood and Radio Operator Callan remained aboard with me until the two lifeboats were clear of the vessel.
"When both boats had rowed astern of the Esso Boston to escape the burning oil, a medium-sized submarine came to the surface and moved into position to shell the tanker. The first shell missed, but the second, which was an incendiary, struck the fore deck and ignited the oil which had spread out as a result of the torpedoing. The U-boat then shelled the vessel both amidships and aft, setting the whole starboard side afire. In the meantime, at 1:40 p.m., the second mate, the radio operator, and I left in No. 3 boat and also rowed astern of the tanker.
"According to Chief Engineer Reginald E. Harris, who was in lifeboat No. 2, the submarine came close to No. 4 boat, which was in the lead, and then alongside No. 2, which was in charge of Third Mate Talmadge L. Sweat. The officers of the U-boat questioned them as to the identity and tonnage of the Esso Boston and then offered them supplies and water. Chief Engineer Harris described the submarine as greenish-gray in color, with two guns - a large one forward and a smaller one aft - and a coat of arms painted on the port side of the conning tower, representing a gantlet with two unicorns facing each other on a green and red background.
U-Boat Departs
"At about 2 p.m. the U-boat submerged while heading south southwesterly. The Esso Boston was then burning fiercely. A couple of hours afterward two planes circled over us for 15 to 20 minutes. We tried to indicate to them the course taken by the submarine and they departed in a southwesterly direction.
"As the lifeboats were then together, we decided to divide the men more evenly; Chief Engineer Harris, with nine other men, came over to my boat. Then Nos. 2 and 4 set sail west southwest, while we in No. 3 remained in the vicinity of the ship as we anticipated the arrival of a rescue vessel or plane.
"About 9:30 p.m. we heard a violent explosion aboard the Esso Boston. The bulkhead aft of No. 3 tank had undoubtedly let go; the oil and gases from it had ignited and were aggravating the fire, which kept burning all night.
Found Ship a Wreck
"At 7:30 a.m. on April 13 Chief Engineer Harris and Fireman-Watertender James E. Bowman boarded the vessel to inspect her. The chief engineer reported that her fore deck was split wide open; the starboard side of the after house was wrecked by the shelling and fire; the starboard side of the engineroom was full of large shell holes, through which water would have poured had the sea not been so smooth. However, the ship was gradually settling down by the bow as the burning oil was replaced by water.
"At about noontime two planes again flew over No. 3 lifeboat and dropped a message telling us that aid was coming and that they were trying to locate our other boats. At about 3:30 p.m., the destroyer USS Biddle picked us up, later rescuing the men in Nos. 2 and 4 boats. We were all landed safely at San Juan, Puerto Rico, on April 14.
"Before abandoning the vessel I had thrown the British secret documents overboard in the special container provided for that purpose, as ordered. I surrendered the American documents to the U. S. authorities at San Juan and delivered the ship's papers to Captain Alexander Mackay, Port Captain in Bayonne, on my return."
Chief Engineer Harris, in his report, stated that:
"The ship was shelled 15 to 20 minutes after she was torpedoed; the crew had ample time to get into the boats and away. At close intervals, 20 to 25 shells struck the vessel between amidships and aft."
Captain John L. Johnson joined the Company as a third mate on January 14, 1919 and was promoted to master on May 8, 1923. After nearly 24 years with the Company, including service throughout World War II, he retired on January 1, 1946.
Chief Engineer Reginald E. Harris entered the Company's service as an oiler on August 25, 1922. He was promoted to third assistant engineer on March 2, 1923 and to chief engineer on June 22, 1934.
After the sinking of the Esso Boston Captain Johnson received at San Juan, Puerto Rico, a letter of commendation from the late Captain H. A. Cunningham, then Manager of the Marine Department's Bayonne Division. The following is an excerpt from the letter:
"Please accept the congratulations of the Management both to you and your crew in avoiding any loss of life as a result of enemy action. We sincerely hope every member of your crew is well and is properly being taken care of by our agent. Your fight is a true indication of your leadership and of a very well trained personnel."
Three survivors of the Esso Boston were on other tankers sunk or damaged by enemy action: Chief Mate Hans Engelsen (Charles Pratt, December 21,. 1940); Third Assistant Engineer Harmon K. Edge (second assistant, Paul H. Harwood, July 7, 1942 and Esso Baton Rouge, February 23, 1943); and Oiler Jose Yglesias (Paul H. Harwood, July 7, 1942).
Survivors of the "Esso Boston"-April 12, 1942 :
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