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NAVY FLEET OILER
Esso Raleigh (1)
THE career of the National DefEense Features tanker Esso Raleigh (first vessel so named) as a member of the Esso fleet was
distinguished by her action in rendering standby assistance to a disabled vessel.
Bound from Baton Rouge to Boston with a cargo oi crude oil and distillate, the Esso Raleigh, on the morning of January 13, 1941,
was off the coast of Maryland, fighting a west northwest wind of Force 7 on her way north. Frequently she buried her foc'stle head
in the long, heavy seas. She was commanded by Captain Adolv Larson and her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineer
Daniel C. Dunn.
At 9 a.m. a radio message informed her that the freighter SS West Kebar (5,620 gross registered tons, home port New York,
owned by the American West African Line, Inc.) was in distress. The Coast Guard cutter Galatea, the message said, was proceeding from New York to lend assistance.
An hour later the Esso Raleigh picked up an SOS and a position which indicated that she was the ship nearest to the West Kebar.
Later a corrected position placed the distressed vessel at 38° 10' North, 68° 5' West, or about 150 miles from the Esso Raleigh.
Although the West Kebar was listing heavily to port and taking water in No. 4 hold, her pumps were taking care of it and she
requested only standby assistance.
Immediately upon receiving the SOS, Captain Larson changed the course of the Esso Raleigh to go to the aid of the West Kebar.
In spite of the heavy weather, the tanker's speed was gradually increased. A storm ail drip was started to smooth out the waves but was soon discontinued because the ship traveled too fast for the oil to spread more than about 50 feet from the side.
The Esso Raleigh sighted the West Kebar at 6:30 p.m. and half an hour later approached the disabled vessel from astern.
Heading at 3 knots into the increasing wind and seas, the Esso Raleigh took up a position about a mile from the freighter and stood by all night, communicating with the West Kebar by signallights. The West Kebar's stern was high and the bow low and she had a heavy list to port.
At 9:30 p.m. the destroyer USS Mayo arrived on the scene, followed at 12:30 a.m., January 14, by the Galatea.
The sea had reached such proportions that during the night all that was visible of the destroyer at times was her masthead light,
and the Galatea was frequently lost to sight. At 4 a.m., January 14, the Coast Guard cutter Chelan arrived and the Mayo and Galatea left.
A few minutes later the West Kebar's steering gear carried away but by 5 a.m. temporary repairs had been made and the freighter was able to get under way. Thanking the Esso Raleigh for assisting her, she signaled that no further aid would be required. The Esso Raleigh arrived at Boston at 11:50 p.m. the same day, undamaged by the storm.
The first Esso Raleigh, not to be confused with her namesake built in 1942, was the tenth of the twelve National Defense Features tankers to be delivered. Her builders, the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, turned her over to the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey at Newport News on June 21, 1940.
Less than a year later, June 2, 1941, she was sold to the United States Maritime Commission and subsequently became the Navy oiler USS Guadalupe.
A twin-screw vessel of 18,335 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 31 feet, 8 inches, the tanker has an overall length of 553 feet, a length between perpendiculars of 525 feet, a moulded breadth of 75 feet, and a depth moulded of 39 feet. With a cargo carrying capacity of 146,024 barrels, she has an assigned pumping rate of 8,000 barrels an hour.
Her turbine engines, supplied with steam by four water-tube boilers, develop 13,500 shaft horsepower and give her an average
speed, loaded, of 18 knots. The USS Kaskaskia, ex Esso Richmond (first vessel so named), and the USS Salamonic, ex Esso Columbia (first vessel so named), were sisterships of the first Esso Raleigh.
During her period of service in the Esso fleet the Esso Raleigh was employed entirely in coastwise transportation. Her cargoes,
for the most part crude and distillates, were loaded exclusively at Gulf ports and discharged at New York, Boston, and Baltimore.
In 346 days, on 26 voyages, she carried 135,668,148 gallons of oil.
Her transportation record was in summary as follows:
The Esso Raleigh was commanded during her Esso service by Captains Lester S. McKenzie, John Tweed, and Adolv Larson.
In the same period her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineer Daniel C. Dunn.
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