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TORPEDOED OFF BARBADOS
See also : Photos survivors of the Esso Houston (I)
SS Esso Houston (I)
It happened on May 12, 1942, about 8:32 p.m., 150 miles east of Barbados. The sea was moderate to 7 rough, with a partly cloudy sky. A submarine had been sighted crossing the bow of the Esso Houston from starboard to port. The alarm was sounded and a few seconds later a torpedo struck on the port side in way of No. 5 tank. As reported by the survivors, it caus-ed a severe explosion which ripped the deck open and sprayed the ship with oil and fire. Another, torpedo hit the vessel after she was abandoned.
Successful escapes were made by all 38 members of the merchant crew, but one of the four U.S. Navy gunners was found to be missing.
Two lifeboats were launched. After remaining near the scene of the disaster and picking up survivors, they started landward. One group was rescued two days later by another tanker. The captain's boat sailed for five days and landed on the island of St. Vincent, B. W. I.
The SS Esso Houston was built in 1938 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company at Kearny, N. J. She was a sis-tership of the Esso Bayonne, Esso Bayway, Esso Boston, Esso Montpelier, and Esso Concord.
A single-screw vessel of 13,085 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 28 feet, 1/2 inch, the Esso Hous-ton 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 classi-fication certified speed of 12.7 knots.
Under the command of Captain Harry B. Darling, with Chief Engineer Daniel Marshall in charge of her engineroom, the Esso Houston was en route from Baytown to New York when the European war began on September 3, 1939. She ran coastwise for the remainder of the year and carried capacity cargoes of mixed petroleum products.
In 1940 she made 23 voyages from Gulf to east coast ports and covered 77,277 nautical miles while delivering 2,316,958 barrels of gasoline, Diesel, and fuel oils.
The transportation record of the Esso Houston in 1941 exceeded the one she had made the previous year. Three of her 24 cargoes were from Caribbean ports. On May 17 she loaded 93,998 barrels of naphtha and gas oil at Caripito; on May 21, after this cargo was discharged at Aruba, 41,190 barrels of light gas oil were pumped aboard for delivery to Baton Rouge;
and on July 4, 88,873 barrels of gas oil were taken on at Caripito, also for discharge at Baton Rouge. The other 21 voyages were coastwise. During this year she carried a total of 2,418,301 barrels of cargo.
The Esso Houston started her last year of service by taking a cargo from Corpus Christ! to New York. She was still under the command of Captain Darling;
Chief Engineer Claude S. Davis was in charge of her engine department. He was succeeded by Harold O. Laffitte on Jan-uary 16 before the vessel departed from New York to load again at Corpus Christi. The next delivery port was Baltimore and on February 11 she arrived at Galveston, whence 89,079 barrels of paraffin, bunker fuel, and Varsol were carried to New York.
Captain Trafton F. Wonson took command of the Esso Houston and Charles A. Hicks was assigned as chief engineer when the tanker left New York on March 22 for the last time. She transported three cargoes in the Caribbean area and then loaded fuel oil for delivery to Montevideo. She met the enemy on May 12.
The wartime cargoes delivered by the Esso Houston from September 3, 1939, were in summary as follows:
The masters of the Esso Houston during World War II were Captains Harry B. Darling, John L. Johnson, Nils Borgeson, Edward M. Berry, Alfred J. Thorson, and Trafton F. Wonson.
Her engine department in wartime was in charge of Chief Engineers Daniel Marshall, Josie J. Du Bose, Charles J. Fox, Claude S. Davis, Harold O. Laffitte, and Charles A. Hicks.
The Esso Houston loaded a full cargo of 81,701 barrels of fuel oil at Aruba and sailed on May 9, 1942 for Montevideo, Uru-guay.
A statement by Captain Trafton F. Wonson, master of the Esso Houston, provides the following information:
"We proceeded according to routing orders from the British naval authorities at Aruba, zigzagging in the daytime and on moonlight nights.
"On May 11, after darkness fell, a flashing light was observed once or twice on the port beam by the lookout and reported to the officer on watch. I was on the bridge and called the gun crew to their stations and changed course away from the light. Fifteen minutes later, nothing further being seen of this light, the vessel was put back on her regular course.
"On May 12, about 8:30 p.m., according to instructions, a change of course was made to starboard. I was in my room at the time, where I had gone fifteen minutes before, after directing the officer on watch, Third Mate Boris A. Voronsoff, to make the change of course mentioned. Harold J. Hurd, A.B., and Charles I. Foote, A.B., were on lookout on top of the wheelhouse; Shelley Swearingen, O.S., was on lookout on the bridge; and Robert W. Ayres, A.B., was at the wheel. The sea was mode-rate to rough-weather clear - sky partly overcast - easterly wind-Force 5 to 6. Our position was Latitude 12°12' North, Long-itude 57°25' West.
"About 8:32 p.m. I heard the general alarm sounded and immediately went up to the bridge. As I entered the wheelhouse I heard the officer on watch instruct helmsman Ayres to keep the wheel hard right, as a submarine had been sighted crossing the bow from starboard to port.
Ship Sprayed with Oil and Fire - Back Broken
"Within a few seconds after my arrival on the bridge, a torpedo struck the port side amidships, approximately abreast of No. 5 tank, which caused a severe explosion, ripping the tanker's deck open, and spraying the ship with oil and fire.
"I gave orders to Second Mate James H. Earle, who had just come on the bridge, to stop the engine, and then gave the ship's position to Radio Operator Bruno Mauer, instructing him to send an SOS. I took the bag containing the Esso Houston's secret documents and threw it overboard, after which I went amidships to survey the damage. As I realized that the vessel was broken and sagging amidships, I returned to the bridge and blew the signal to abandon ship.
"I proceeded to my room to pick up the briefcase containing the ship's papers and then went to No. 1 lifeboat, inquiring if all were in readiness to lower. After seeing that all rafts had been released, that No. 3 lifeboat had left the vessel, arid that No. 4 boat was being launched, I went to the radio room and ordered Radio Operator Mauer, who was still sending out the SOS, to join us in the lifeboat.
"As soon as we entered boat No. 1 it was lowered, at 8:45 p.m., with 10 men aboard. We rowed away in a direction at right angles to the ship's side for about 200 feet and then proceeded astern of the vessel. We rescued two men - William Murray, A.B., and Patrick J. G. Adams, crew messman - and then approached No. 3 lifeboat. I placed Chief Mate Francis J. Lucek aboard the boat to take charge.
"About 8:55 p.m. another torpedo struck the Esso Houston. Flames and dense smoke obscured her for some time and, as the smoke cleared, I observed that the vessel was partly submerged amidship; her bow w^as sticking up out of the water.
"We picked up three men on a raft - Chief Engineer Charles A. Hicks, Second Assistant Engineer Hugh D. McCorkel, and Chief Cook Edward Bergen.
Sub Officer Reports Lifeboat Sinking
"Suddenly, we sighted the submarine approaching our boat. She was a large, freshly painted U-boat, about 300 feet long, with two deck guns, one forward and one aft of the conning tower - they were apparently a 5-inch and a 3-inch. She came close and an officer asked in English, with a strong German accent, if the master was in the lifeboat. When told, that I was there he ordered me to go alongside the submarine, keeping 10 meters off. He then questioned me as to the name, tonnage, port of departure, destination, and cargo of my ship, to which I gave him the proper answers. He also offered any assistance he could render and then the U-boat departed.
"About ten minutes later it returned and I was informed that one of our boats was in a sinking condition about 60 meters astern of the ship. After thanking the officer, I proceeded to the place indicated and found our No. 3 lifeboat badly damaged and full of water. All hands were transferred to our boat and we used No. 3 as a sea anchor to keep us in the vicinity until daylight.
"At that time I saw that the midship house and the entire forward part of the Esso Houston were submerged. Only about 15 feet of the after house was above water. The vessel was gradually sinking.
"During the night flares were seen, presumably from our other lifeboat, and each time they were answered.
"At daylight there was no sign of the Esso Houston above water. While making a complete search of the vicinity we located a survivor, U. S. Navy gunner Sidney A. Winn, on a raft, and rescued him. We sighted two empty rafts adrift.
"We set sail to the westward, expecting to contact our other lifeboat, but were unable to locate it.
"On May 14 we saw six or seven planes flying in the area and on the following day one passed directly over us, at about 1,500 feet altitude. All these aircraft were seen in clear weather. The men in the boat signaled with a large orange flag but without avail."
Chief Engineer Has Stirring Experience
Chief Engineer Charles A. Hicks, in an interview for this history, also described the sinking:
"About 8:35 p.m.. May 12, I was on the fore and aft bridge, running aft, having heard the alarm while amidships. It was given by the mate on watch, presumably to have the gun stations manned. I was in close proximity to the mainmast when the tor-pedo struck the port side, just aft of the midship house. I was immediately covered with fuel oil thrown out of the cargo space by the explosion. The whole after end of the tanker was smothered with fuel oil. I continued on to my room, procured my life-belt and took two extra flashlights, which I passed out to two crew members going by. My own light went out as I kicked the pelican hook of the raft. I climbed into No. 3 lifeboat, which had not been launched, and held on to the No. 1 rope. These ro-pes are knotted every few feet, but at the time were coated with oil. The order was given to lower away. As the boat was be-ing launched, the forward end dropped down straight. Some of the men were thrown out, but I had a hold on the rope. I slid to the first knot and then, when I could hold on no longer, dropped nearly 30 feet into the water.
"When I came up I found myself facing the ship. As the Esso Houston was only a dark shape at that time, I lined up two stars above her to keep my bearings.
"I took off my shoes and started to swim toward the vessel at an easy pace. About 8:55 p.m., the second torpedo hit the ship. Fortunately I was not near enough to be hurt by the concussion. I reversed mv course and swam away. It was very qui-et and I could see nothing but the tanker, the stars, and endless water. The vessel was broken in two by the second explo-sion; the pilot house tipped over and the stern went down last."
Electrician John Danko, in an interview for this history, related his observations during the war on a number of Esso tankers. His experience after the torpedoing of the Esso Houston was for a while similar to that of Chief Engineer Hicks, as they were both swimming near each other for some time.
Meet in Sea
"While I was in the water," Danko said, "before being picked up by No. 3 boat, I thought I was going toward a lifeboat when Chief Engineer Hicks recognized it as the submarine and we both swam in the opposite direction.
"When the second torpedo hit, I could see the ship buckling in the middle."
To return to the chief engineer's story:
"I heard shouting. The sea was comparatively calm; the oil stopped the waves from breaking over me. I answered the shou-ting and recognized one voice as that of Second Assistant Engineer McCorkel. I swam toward the voices and finally could see two men. Then someone closer called out, 'Is that you, chief?' It was Electrician Danko. He said quite calmly, 'I can't swim.' I asked him if he had a lifebelt on and he said he did; I told him to 'paddle like a dog.'
"I reached the raft, which was riding high and traveling in the wind. I did not have enough strength left to get aboard but hung on; the second assistant and David G. Hargreaves, A.B., pulled me on. Soon there were four of us on this raft, when we had picked up Wiper John Van Cheek.
"We saw a light in Captain Wonson's boat and directed him to us. After we had been taken aboard and were just seating ourselves, we heard the submarine blowing its tanks. The skipper recognized the sound immediately and we all kept quiet. At this time there were 15 of us in the lifeboat."
"Pleasant Voyage"
Captain Wonson, as previously quoted, described the courteous behavior of the German submarine commander. Chief En-gineer Hicks gave some additional details in this regard:
"The submarine surfaced quite near us and we could see the men in silhouette manning the guns. A voice with a German accent shouted to us, 'Is the captain on board?' Captain W^onson answered 'Yes.' After several routine questions had been asked and answered the voice inquired as to our welfare - 'Have you a steering compass?', 'Do you need any food, water, or medicine?' When Captain Wonson had replied the voice said 'It's the war, captain. Pleasant voyage.' Then the U-boat disap-peared.
"We were using a flashlight to direct any survivors ro the boat when the submarine returned and the German voice called out 'Captain, 60 meters astern of your vessel, one of your lifeboats is sinking. It has three men in it.'
"The skipper thanked him and we rowed toward the ship. There were seven men in No. 3 lifeboat and it was swamped. These men would have been lost if it had not been for the submarine commander.
"Chief Mate Francis J. Lucek and Wiper Henry P. Miller were among the seven. After transferring them into our boat we used No. 3 lifeboat as a sea anchor. It was thought ''that later on we might be able to use the radio in it, but as the wind freshened in the morning we had to set the boat adrift.
Long Night
"Just before daylight we saw a parachute flare to leeward of us. We had been hanging on to the sea anchor and did not drift very far. We tried three flares, but they did not work. After daylight I saw a stick with a rag on it, off to windward, and reported
this to the skipper. He took a look through his glasses and we went over and picked up Sidney A. Winn, one of the Navy gun-ners; this gave us a total of 23 in No. 1 boat - 21 of the crew and 2 of the U. S. Navy armed guard. Winn, who had been on the raft, said 'That was one long night!'
"On the fourth day in the lifeboat we sighted five planes; one passed directly over our heads but did not see us! We had sail-ed about 300 miles with favoring winds and were east of Trinidad when, on Saturday, May 16, I thought I saw land. It was a dark spot on the horizon but, as we had been seeing what we thought was land for the last two days, I did not mention it until I was sure. We were then sailing about 1 to li4 knots. A little later I saw it again. I counted to 100 and it was still there. Half an hour afterward it was still visible, so I reported to Captain Wonson. At 5 p.m. we were certain there was land ahead.
"Captain Wonson charted a course to the middle of what turned out to be the island of St. Vincent, making allowances for winds and currents. We felt quite confident now, so we opened the water, drank some, and had some crackers.
Seven Inches of Freeboard
"The most difficult problem in sailing the boat was the fact that she had only a 7 inch freeboard; if anyone moved, the boat had to be rebalanced. The sail was rigged square, to avoid tilting.
"At 10 p.m. the land ahead was getting larger and larger. The captain was steering and listening very carefully for sounds of the surf breaking over reefs. About this time Captain Wonson fired a flare; we later heard that it had been seen and that the police were immediately notified. Chief Mate Lucek was standing up watching, but no answering signal was seen. The cap-tain then decided to steer to the south and keep the island in sight, figuring that by daylight we would be on the lee side and could go inshore more easily and safely.
"Land Here"
"We blinkered with a flashlight, 'Crew of torpedoed ship' and repeated this message several times. At first we received no answering signal, but after we had sailed about three miles to the south, we suddenly saw a bright light on shore; we found later that it was a bonfire which meant 'Land here.'
"The skipper hesitated at first but then decided to take a chance on going in at night through unfamiliar waters. He continued to steer and we manned six oars, while Captain Wonson called the strokes and managed to bring the lifeboat safely through the surf and up on the beach. We jumped out and grabbed the heavy' boat.
"Greatly helped by some of the people who had gathered on the shore, we ran it as far out of the water as possible. Many of the crew were so weak from sitting in cramped positions that we were fortunate to be able to stagger out of the lifeboat and also out of its way. The people who had helped with the boat stood back. Our men fell to the sand and gradually regained use of their legs. Finally we walked over to the fire and began to come back to normal. We found that the people had tubs of Die-sel oil ready for us to use for cleaning the fuel oil from our bodies.
Landed on Island of St. Vincent
"We were told that we had come in through the only clear channel on that side of the island. They had waited on shore until we were halfway between two reefs and then lighted the bonfire, thus guiding us in. We landed at Byeras Bay, Kingstown.
"On the island of St. Vincent the natives speak a language which is a mixture of English and French with traces of Carib. The people were very much concerned about our welfare and when we were able to walk we were taken to a starch factory, owned by Mr. Eric Hadley, about a quarter of a mile away, where we were fed. The Red Cross came quickly and gave us clothing."
The captain, chief engineer, and all the men of the crew spoke very highly of Mr. Hadley, who was very generous and thoughtful in caring for them after their voyage in the open boat.
The men were taken on a 13-mile bus ride to Kingstown and registered at the police station, where they gave the names and addresses of their next of kin. The officers of the Esso Houston were quartered at the Pelican Hotel and the men at the Southbridge Hotel.
On Monday, May 18, Captain Wonson got in touch with Mr. Casson, of the West India Oil Company, who acts as agent for the Standard Oil Company (N. J.). Passage was obtained to New Orleans on the SS Robert E. Lee, operated by the Alcoa Steamship Company, Inc., on May 23 and the survivors reached Pennsylvania Station, New York, on June 3.
No. 4 Boat's Eighteen Men Saved
First Assistant Engineer Edwin L. Wages, who was in No; 4 lifeboat, told the story of the eighteen survivors who escaped from the Esso Houston in that boat:
"I got into No. 4 boat, which had been lowered by Bos'n William A. Grossweiler, and we rowed seaward, away from the port side of the ship.
"After we were in the lifeboat about five minutes, I noticed a streak of light flash through the water about 150 feet off and saw the explosion of the second torpedo, which struck the ship in nearly the same location as the previous one.
"Our lifeboat was well equipped with provisions and water. About an hour after abandoning ship we put out our sea anchor and lay to for the night.
"Early in the morning of May 13 we hoisted sail and headed west by south, and continued in the same direction throughout the day and night. At 1:30 p.m., on May 14, we were picked up by the Norwegian motor tanker Havprins, outbound for Africa.
"On May 15, at about 10 a.m., the Latvian steamer SS Everagra was sighted proceeding in a northwesterly direction toward the United States. After an exchange of signals between the two ships, we were transferred to the Everagrn, which landed all hands on the evening of May 18, at St. Thomas, V. I."
Second Cook L. C. Cook and Petty Officers' Mess-man Eddie Borges were hospitalized at St. Thomas. Third Assistant Engineer William H. Montague traveled alone to the States. The 14 other merchant crew survivors left on May 19, again on the SS Everagra, which arrived at Key West, Florida, on May 28. First Assistant Engineer Wages left this group to go to his home at Jacksonville, Fla., while the others departed by train and arrived at Pennsylvania Station, N. Y., on May 31 - three days before the survivors from No. 1 lifeboat.
Third Assistant Montague had recently survived the torpedoing of the Esso Baton Rouge, on April 8, 1942. On his return to New York he was placed on the Relieving Staff for a period of four days and had accepted an emergency assignment to the Esso Houston at Jacksonville, Fla., on April 16.
When arrangements were made for the repatriation of the survivors on a vessel of foreign registry, Mr. Montague declined to accept and obtained his own transportation to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with the thought of taking a plane from there to Miami, Fla. He frankly stated that he preferred this mode of travel after being torpedoed twice within five weeks.
Captain Trafton F. Wonson joined the Company as an able seaman on October 2, 1930. He became a chief mate on March 6, 1939 and was promoted to master on March 20, 1942, when he was assigned to the Esso Houston.
Chief Engineer Charles A. Hicks entered the Company's service as a first assistant engineer on June 10, 1921. He has had continuous service as a licensed officer since February 25, 1933, and as a chief engineer since November 2, 1942.
Eight members of the crew of the Esso Houston on May 12, 1942, were on other ships lost or damaged:
Third Mate Boris A. Voronsoff (A llan Jackson, January 18, 1942); Second Assistant Hugh D. McCorkel (Esso Manhattan, March 29, 1943); Third Assistant William H. Montague (Esso Baton Rouge, April 8, 1942); Radio Operator Bruno Mauer (Esso Manhattan, March 29, 1943) ; Boatswain William A. Grossweiler (Paul H. Harwood, July 7, 1942) ; Pumpman Charles Peregrin (R. W. Gallagher, July 13, 1942, and Esso Providence, August 24, 1943); Wiper Henry P. Miller (lost on the R. W. Gallagher, July 13, 1942) ; and Petty Officers' Messman Eddie Borges (Esso Nashville, March 21, 1942).
Merchant Crew Survivors of the "Esso -Houston" - May 12, 1942
U. S. Navy Armed Guard Lost on the "Esso Houston"
U. S. Navy Armed Guard Survivors of the "Esso Houston"
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