Auke Visser's Other Esso Related Tankers Site | home
I. C. White - ( 1921-1931)
"I. C. White", torpedoed 27 september 1941 and sunk, 3 casualties.
"I. C. White".
| SS I.C. WHITE Home Port: Panama City, R.P.
Company: Panama Transport Co. (Standard Oil of N.J.)
Master: William Mello
Built: Chester, PA 1920
Gross Tons: 7013
Dimensions:445' x 59' x 33
Cargo Capacity: 78,220 barrels
The Panamanian flag tanker, SS I.C. WHITE, was torpedoed by the German U-66 (Richard Zapp) at 0015 ship time on September 27, 1941 in position 10-26 S. /27-30 W., while en route, alone, from Curacao to Cape Town, with a cargo of 62,390 barrels of Maroil. The WHITE was steaming fully lighted with the Panamanian flag flying with two spotlights on it, fully lighting the flag. Also the Panamanian flag was painted on both sides of the ship and the Pana-ma Transport markings were on the stack.
On board was an American merchant crew of 37 men.Three of them were lost in the attack which took place over two months before December 7, 1941.
At 0015, a torpedo struck the ship on the starboard side between #7 and #8 tanks. The explosion threw flaming oil up over the boat deck aft. The topmast fell down and the ship sagged in the middle so that water ran across the deck midships. She sank around 0300 the same day.
Three boats, #1-2-3 were launched. The Master, Chief Mate, 2nd Mate, and an Ordinary seaman launched and boarded #1 boat. During the night they met up with #3 boat. The Master ordered an A.B. to take charge of that boat and to stay with #1 boat. At daylight #! boat picked up the 3rd Engineer and a Wiper off a raft. After this, #2 boat was sighted. This boat in charge of the 3rd Mate. Eventually, all the survivors were split up between #2 and #3 boats with the Master in charge of #2 boat and the Chief Mate in charge of #3 boat.
The decision was made to head for the coast of Brazil setting sail at 0930 of September 28th. On October 3rd, Boat #2 was picked up at 2348 local time by the SS DEL NORTE, about 40 miles off Porto de Maceio, Brazil in position 10-16 S./35-23 W. The boat had sailed about 470 miles. Captain Hoehn, of the DEL NORTE, said he had seen the boat's flare 8 miles away.
Boat #3 was picked up on October 3rd by the SS WEST NILUS (Capt. John Stern). This boat had sailed nearly 500 miles. Both ships landed the survivors at Rio de Janeiro on October 7th. The survivors were returned to the U.S. aboard the American SS BRAZIL arriving New York on October 20, 1941.
The U-66 (Seehausen) was sunk off the Cape Verde Islands on May 6, 1944 by the USS BUCKLEY (DE-51) with help from aircraft from the USS BLOCK ISLAND (CVE-21). Of the crew of the U-66, 24 were lost and 36 taken prisoner by the U.S. Navy.
|
The Miramar Ship Index for "I.C. WHITE"
IDNo:
|
2220513
|
Year:
|
1920
|
Name:
|
I.C. WHITE
|
Keel:
|
|
Type:
|
Tanker
|
Launch Date:
|
14.-07.1920
|
Flag:
|
USA
|
Date of completion:
|
08.1920
|
Tons:
|
7035
|
Link:
|
-
|
DWT:
|
11365
|
Yard No:
|
28
|
Length overall:
|
135.64
|
Ship Design:
|
|
LPP:
|
131.06
|
Country of build:
|
USA
|
Beam:
|
18.0
|
Builder:
|
Sun
|
Material of build:
|
|
Location of yard:
|
Chester, Pa
|
Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn):
|
1T-10.5
|
|
|
Subsequent History:
-
Disposal Data:
Torpedoed and sunk 10.26 S / 27.30 W on 26.09.1941 (3 dead)
History:
ON
|
LR/IMO
|
ID
|
Year
|
Name
|
Tons
|
Change
|
Registered Owner
|
220513
|
|
2220513
|
1920
|
I.C. WHITE
|
7035
|
|
Pan-American Petroleum & Tpt Co Inc.
|
220513
|
|
2220513
|
1920
|
I.C. WHITE
|
7035
|
1933
|
Pan-American Foreign Corp.
|
220513
|
|
2220513
|
1920
|
I.C. WHITE
|
7035
|
1935
|
Standard Oil Co of New Jersey
|
|
|
2220513
|
1920
|
I.C. WHITE
|
7035
|
1940
|
Panama Tpt Co Inc.
|
Sisterships are S. B. Hunt, Geo H. Jones, Dean Emery, Elisha Walker and Joseph Seep.
SS I.C. WHITE
Home Port: Panama City, R.P.
Company: Panama Transport Co. (Standard Oil of N.J.)
Master: William Mello
Built: Chester, PA 1920
Gross Tons: 7013
Dimensions:445' x 59' x 33
Cargo Capacity: 78,220 barrels
Additional information from Uboat.net :
Name: I.C. White
Type: Steam tanker
Tonnage: 7.052 tons
Completed: 1920 - Sun Shipbuilding Co, Chester PA
Owner: Panama Transport Co (Standard Oil Co), Panama
Homeport: Panama
Date of attack: 26 Sep, 1941
Nationality: Panaman
Fate: Sunk by U-66 (Richard Zapp)
Position: 10.26S, 27.30W - Grid FK 5683
- See location on a map -
Complement: 37 (3 dead and 34 survivors).
Convoy: -
Route: Curaçao - Capetown
Cargo: 62.390 barrels of Maroil
History:
Built as American I.C. White for the Standard Oil Co of New Jersey, New York. 1940 transferred to Panama Transport Co, a
subsidiary of the Standard Oil Co and registered in Panama, but was still operated by an American crew.
Notes on loss:
At 23.10 hours on 26 Sep, 1941, the unescorted and unarmed I.C. White (Master William Mello) was hit by one torpedo from
U-66, while proceeding fully lighted and neutrally marked. The torpedo struck on the starboard side between #7 and #8 tanks. The
explosion threw flaming oil up over the boat deck aft. The topmast fell down and the ship sagged in the middle so that water ran
across the deck amidships. Three coups de grâce were fired by U-66 until the ship sank at 07.40 hours in grid FK 6745.
The survivors abandoned ship in three lifeboats and some rafts. later the survivors were evenly distributed between two of the
lifeboats, which then headed for Brazil. The occupants of one boat were picked up on 3 October after sailing 470 miles by the
steam merchant Del Norte (Master Hoehn) about 40 miles off Porto de Maceio, Brazil in position 10°16S/35°23W. The remaining
survivors in the other boat were also picked up on 3 October after sailing 500 miles by the steam merchant West Nilus (Master
John Stern). All survivors landed four days later in Rio de Janeiro from which they were repatriated aboard the American steam
merchant Brazil, arriving at New York on 20 October.
The U-66 (Seehausen) was sunk off the Cape Verde Islands on May 6, 1944 by the USS BUCKLEY (DE-51) with
help from aircraft from the USS BLOCK ISLAND (CVE-21). Of the crew of the U-66, 24 were lost and 36 taken prisoner
by the U.S. Navy.