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SS Fort Mercer
SS Fort Mercer
SS Fort Mercer
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Crew from USCGC Yakutat pull in a life-raft carrying survivors from the bow section; the photo was taken 20 minutes before its sinking
History
United States
NameSS Fort Mercer
NamesakeFort Mercer
BuilderSun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania
Laid down28 June 1945
Launched2 October 1945
Acquired31 October 1945
FateFoundered 18 February 1952
General characteristics
TypeT2-SE-A1 tanker
Tonnage
Displacement
  • 5,782 long tons (5,875 t) light
  • 21,880 long tons (22,231 t) full
Length523 ft 6 in (159.56 m) (as built)
Beam68 ft (21 m)
Draft30 ft (9.1 m)
PropulsionTurbo-electric, single screw, 8,000 hp (5,966 kW)
Speed15 knots (28 km/h)
Capacity140,000 barrels (22,000 m3) (as built)

SS Fort Mercer was a Type T2-SE-A1 tanker built by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., at Chester, Pennsylvania in October 1945. SS Fort Mercer (hull number 534) was built under a Maritime Commission contract and launched on 2 October 1945. With World War II ending on 15 August 1945, Fort Mercer did not serve in the war. Fort Mercer was owned and operated by the Trinidad Corporation of New York.[1][2]

Loss and aftermath

[edit]
Further information: History of the United States Coast Guard § Pendleton rescue

On 18 February 1952, Fort Mercer, full of kerosene and fuel oil, first cracked and then broke in two in a gale, 30 miles (48 km) east of Chatham, Massachusetts. Captain Frederick Paetzel radioed out for help, reporting 68-foot (21 m) waves were hitting the ship. When she broke in two, nine officers and crew were on the bow section, and 34 crewmen were on the stern section, with the radio and engine still working. The United States Coast Guard vessels Eastwind and Unimak that were near Nantucket, Massachusetts about 120 miles (190 km) away headed to the two Fort Mercer sections. A Coast Guard PBY aircraft out of Coast Guard Air Station Salem was sent to look for the ship but did not find it. The Coast Guard vessels Yakutat and Acushnet, using liferafts and surfboats rescued four men from the bow. Only five members of Fort Mercer's 44-man crew were lost, all trapped in the sinking bow; one was swept off when the nine men moved from the flooding bridge to the foremost area of the bow. The other four all jumped overboard in an attempt to swim to the rescue ships, and were all swept away. The four remaining men aboard the bow, including the Captain, were rescued using a lifeboat and a life raft, both launched by Yakutat. Minutes after rescuing the last men, the bow capsized and would later be sunk with plastic explosives. [3][4]

The stern of Fort Mercer, which remained afloat, was found by Eastwind. Several men managed to jump from the stern, and onto the cutter, which pulled alongside it. 13 remained aboard however, and the stern was subsequently towed to Newport, Rhode Island, where the last men safely disembarked. Later, the stern was outfitted with a new bow, and rechristened San Jacinto. The new ship was 41 feet (12 m) longer and expanded from 26 to 29 tanks. The ship again split in half in 1964 and again was rebuilt, renamed this time The Pasadena. The Pasadena was partially salvaged and mostly scrapped in 1983.[1][5][6][7]

In the same storm that broke Fort Mercer in two, SS Pendleton, also a T2 tanker, broke up about 20 miles (32 km) away. Daring rescues by the Coast Guard Lifeboat CG 36500 carried out of Pendleton's stern 32 survivors of 33. After grounding, Pendleton's bow was boarded a week later. Of the eight victims stranded on this section, only one frozen body was recovered.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

SS Fort Mercer

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
SS Fort Mercer was a T2-SE-A1-class tanker ship built by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company in Chester, Pennsylvania, and launched on October 2, 1945, as part of the United States' World War II-era fleet of oil carriers designed to transport kerosene and fuel oil. On February 18, 1952, while en route from Norco, Louisiana, to Portland, Maine, under the command of Captain Frederick Paetzel with a crew of 43, the vessel encountered a fierce nor'easter storm approximately 30 miles southeast of Chatham, Massachusetts, featuring gale-force winds up to 70 knots and waves reaching 60 feet. The ship's hull fractured amidships at around 12:10 p.m. due to structural weaknesses common in welded T2 tankers, splitting it into two sections; the bow section with 9 crew rapidly submerged, claiming the lives of five crew members, while four survivors clung to it before rescue, and the 34 men on the intact stern section, which retained engine power, awaited aid as it drifted. The incident prompted one of the U.S. Coast Guard's most renowned operations, involving multiple cutters including the Yakutat, Eastwind, Unimak, and McCulloch, as well as a daring motorized lifeboat from Station Chatham that battled 20 miles of treacherous seas; over 20 hours, 38 survivors from Fort Mercer were saved, contributing to the total of 70 men rescued from both Fort Mercer and the similarly stricken tanker Pendleton in what is hailed as the service's greatest small-boat . The stern section was successfully salvaged, towed to , and then New York, where it received a new bow at Todd Shipyards in , in 1953, extending its length to 545 feet and renaming it San Jacinto. This rebuilt vessel later exploded and split again off in 1964; its sections were separately repaired and renamed Pasadena and Seatrain , with the latter ultimately scrapped in a in 1983.

Construction and design

Building and commissioning

The SS Fort Mercer was constructed by the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in , under a contract from the as part of the wartime program, bearing hull number 534. Her was laid down on 28 June 1945, amid the final months of , and she was launched on 2 October 1945, shortly after the war's end on 15 August 1945. The tanker was completed and delivered on 31 October 1945 to the War Shipping Administration in for initial operations. In 1946, she was acquired by the Trinidad Corporation of New York, which renamed her for commercial service and operated her as an during the postwar demobilization era, when surplus wartime vessels transitioned to peacetime merchant roles. The ship's name honored Fort Mercer, a key Revolutionary War fortification in built in 1777 and site of the . Following acquisition, the Fort Mercer underwent final fitting out at the shipyard, including installation of commercial navigation and cargo-handling equipment suited for transoceanic oil transport, before assignment of her initial crew and entry into service.

Technical specifications

The SS Fort Mercer was a T2-SE-A1 tanker, a standard design developed by the U.S. Maritime Commission for wartime oil transport, featuring an all-welded steel hull to facilitate rapid mass production. Her dimensions included a length overall of 523 feet 6 inches (159.6 m), a beam of 68 feet (20.7 m), and a draft of 30 feet (9.1 m). The ship's displacement was 5,782 long tons when light and 21,880 long tons at full load, with a deadweight tonnage of 16,613 tons and a cargo capacity of approximately 140,000 barrels of oil across 26 tanks. To mitigate potential brittle fractures in the welded structure—a known issue in early T2 designs—she was equipped with four riveted crack arrestors: two on the deck and two below the turn of the bilge, port and starboard. Propulsion was provided by a turbo-electric drive system, consisting of a steam turbine powering generators that drove a single electric motor connected to the propeller, delivering 7,240 shaft horsepower (maximum) for a top speed of 15 knots. The vessel typically accommodated 40–50 officers and crew members in peacetime operations.

Operational history

Peacetime service (1945–1952)

Following its completion in October 1945 for the War Shipping Administration, SS Fort Mercer transitioned into peacetime operations without wartime service due to the end of . In 1946, ownership transferred to the Trinidad Corporation of , where it joined the commercial tanker fleet transporting essential petroleum products amid the postwar economic recovery. The vessel primarily operated along U.S. coastal routes from Gulf Coast refineries, such as those in , to Northeast destinations including , carrying cargoes of , , and other refined products to support industrial and heating demands in the region. These voyages exemplified the expanded role of T2 tankers in the U.S. Merchant Marine, facilitating the distribution of domestic oil supplies as wartime restrictions lifted and commercial shipping resumed. Throughout its service from 1945 to early 1952, Fort Mercer experienced no major incidents, maintaining a routine operational profile typical of its class. It underwent standard U.S. inspections, with the most recent occurring prior to its final voyage, confirming compliance with safety regulations for tanker operations. Minor hull maintenance was performed during periodic drydockings, though no significant structural issues were noted in before 1952.

Final voyage

The SS Fort Mercer departed from , on 12 February 1952, bound for . The tanker was fully loaded to its capacity of 141,158 barrels with a cargo consisting of and . Aboard were 43 crew members, including the master, , , , , , and other licensed and unlicensed personnel. The vessel proceeded northward through the without reported incidents, maintaining a standard coastal route along the eastern seaboard. By 17 February, as the ship approached the waters off , it began encountering the outer edges of a developing , with increasing gale-force winds and heavy seas. This marked the transition from routine peacetime tanker operations to the challenging conditions that defined the voyage's final stages.

The 1952 breakup

Storm conditions

The nor'easter that struck the SS Fort Mercer developed rapidly on February 17–18, 1952, centered off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where the vessel was positioned approximately 30 miles southeast of Chatham while en route from Norco, Louisiana, to Portland, Maine. This intense extratropical cyclone, classified as an explosive deepener with central pressure falling to 977 hPa, generated gale-force winds with sustained speeds around 50 mph (43 knots) and gusts reaching 60–70 mph (52–61 knots), particularly over the open Atlantic waters. Accompanying these winds were massive waves measuring 60–70 feet in height, driven by the storm's fetch and duration, which battered the coastline and offshore areas with unrelenting force. Extreme cold amplified the environmental stresses, with air temperatures hovering near 32°F and sea surface temperatures similarly low, creating conditions that reduced the of the ship's hull and contributed to material vulnerability. The storm also produced heavy snowfall, accumulating 12–30 inches across , and a mix of sleet and freezing that further complicated visibility and operations at sea. This nor'easter's widespread impact extended beyond the Fort Mercer, simultaneously threatening other vessels in the region, most notably the SS Pendleton, another T2 tanker that broke apart under similar conditions about 20 miles away, highlighting the storm's severity across a broad swath of the New England coast. In response to the intensifying seas, Captain Frederick Paetzel of the Fort Mercer directed the ship to maintain its bow into the waves for stability, reduced engine speed by about one-third to ease the vessel's pitching, and altered course slightly to mitigate the worst of the swells during the overnight hours of February 17. These maneuvers aimed to preserve structural integrity amid the escalating gale but could not fully counteract the combined hydrodynamic and thermal loads.

The fracture event

Around 8:10 a.m. on , 1952, crew members aboard the Fort Mercer reported hearing a sharp cracking amid the intensifying , accompanied by oil seeping from the starboard side near the No. 5 cargo tank. Subsequent cracks were noted at approximately 10:30 a.m. and 11:40 a.m., with visible seams appearing in the hull above the waterline and increased oil leakage signaling progressive structural failure. By 12:05 p.m., the ship fractured completely midships at the No. 5 tank, separating cleanly into a forward bow section and an aft section, with the bow swinging sharply to starboard as the halves diverged. Of the total crew of 43, the bow section carried nine crew members including Captain Frederick Paetzel, while the stern section had 34. The bow section immediately began flooding rapidly through the fracture, rendering it powerless and leaving its radio inoperable; four of the crew successfully evacuated to a life raft and were later rescued, while the other five, including the captain, were lost at sea as the section capsized and sank within several hours. In contrast, the stern section, with its 34 crew members aboard under the direction of Ray Sybert, remained afloat and buoyant due to its watertight compartments, with its engines still operational to provide limited maneuverability and allow the crew to steer clear of the drifting bow and potential collision.

Rescue efforts

Rescue of the bow section

Following the fracture of SS Fort Mercer that separated the vessel into bow and stern sections around noon on 18 February 1952, the bow, carrying nine crew members including Captain Frederick Paetzel, drifted southward in deteriorating conditions approximately 25 miles east of . The initial distress signal was radioed at approximately 0800 hours on 18 , reporting hull cracks and oil leakage near the number five tank, followed by a second at 1158 hours stating, "Our hull is splitting," with coordinates provided near Chatham. In response, U.S. cutters including the Yakutat, Eastwind, Unimak, and McCulloch were dispatched from various stations, though the Yakutat became the primary responder to the bow section after the auxiliary vessel USNS General A. W. Greely (also known as Short Splice) arrived first around 1700 hours but could not effect a due to the storm. The Yakutat reached the bow section around 1930 hours on 18 February amid 50- to 70-foot waves, hurricane-force winds, freezing sleet, snow, and near-total darkness, rendering an immediate rescue impossible; an initial attempt using breeches buoys and life rafts failed as heavy seas prevented secure connections, resulting in one crewman being swept overboard and lost, with four others drowning while attempting to swim or jump to the rescuers. The cutter stood off overnight, monitoring the listing bow, and resumed operations at dawn on 19 February when visibility improved slightly. By 0830 hours on 19 February, the Yakutat's crew launched a Monomoy surfboat under Joseph Naab, successfully rescuing Paetzel and another crew member despite the boat sustaining damage from the pounding waves. Around 0930 to 1000 hours, the remaining two survivors were evacuated using a life raft attached via a K-gun shot line fired from the Yakutat, with the men jumping into the heaving seas to board amid ongoing 50-foot swells; the operation concluded by approximately 1030 hours, just 17 to 20 minutes before the bow section capsized and sank stern-first. Of the nine men aboard the bow, five perished, highlighting the high-risk nature of the operation, where rescuers and survivors alike demonstrated extraordinary bravery in defying the to secure the lines and transfers. The four survivors were treated for exposure and injuries before being transported to safety, underscoring the Coast Guard's commitment to high-seas rescue under extreme peril.

Towing and rescue of the stern section

Following the breakup of the SS Fort Mercer on , 1952, the stern section remained afloat and operational, with its engines powered by maintained by the , enabling limited maneuverability to avoid collision with the bow. Thirty-four members were aboard the stern, including officers and engineers who prioritized stability and power generation amid the ongoing . The section's intact propulsion and electrical systems provided essential lighting, heating, and communication, distinguishing it from the powerless bow and allowing for organized efforts. Of the 43 aboard the Fort Mercer, the 9 on the bow section resulted in 4 survivors and 5 fatalities, while all 34 on the stern survived. The U.S. coordinated the response using multiple cutters, including the Acushnet, Unimak, and Eastwind, which arrived in succession starting late on February 18. The Acushnet, diverted briefly from the concurrent rescue operations, facilitated the initial transfer of non-essential by positioning alongside the in 60-foot seas, enabling approximately 21 men to jump across to despite the risk of falls and . The Eastwind later assisted by rescuing additional members via around midday on February 19, leaving about 13 volunteers—including key engineering personnel—to remain aboard to manage the vessel during towing. These transfers prioritized the evacuation of less critical personnel while retaining skilled operators for the journey. By midday on February 18, with storm conditions easing slightly, the Eastwind secured the stern section with tow lines and began the operation toward Newport, Rhode Island, approximately 100 miles away, under the stern's own partial steam assistance. The Unimak provided close escort, monitoring for structural issues and navigational hazards in lingering heavy seas that repeatedly strained and required re-securing of the tow lines. On February 20, after escort by the Unimak, the Spar guided the tow into Newport harbor, where the remaining 13 crew disembarked safely without further incident. All 34 stern crew members survived the ordeal, crediting the coordinated USCG efforts and the section's seaworthiness.

Aftermath

Salvage and reconstruction

Following the breakup, the stern section of the SS Fort Mercer was located by the USCGC Eastwind on February 19, 1952, and subsequently taken in tow by commercial tugs Foundation Josephine and M. Moran under escort. The tow arrived at , on February 21, 1952, where the remaining crew disembarked safely after ensuring the cargo tanks were secured to prevent loss during transit. The section was then placed in for inspection of the fracture and overall structural integrity, conducted on March 3, 1952, confirming it was viable for salvage. The bow section's cargo resulted in only a minimal upon its sinking as a navigational hazard. In August 1953, the stern was towed to Todd Shipyards Corp. in , where a completely new bow section was fabricated and attached, extending the overall length to 166.1 meters and increasing the to 11,257. The reconstructed vessel, renamed SS San Jacinto, featured an expanded cargo capacity from 26 to 29 tanks and returned to service as an for the Trinidad Corporation. The San Jacinto operated successfully until March 26, 1964, when an explosion during tank cleaning caused it to break in two again approximately 40 miles off ; both sections were salvaged and towed to . In September 1965, the stern was rebuilt with a new forebody at and Drydock Co., emerging as The Pasadena with dimensions of 190.1 meters in length and a of 27,472. It continued in tanker service under the Trinidad Corporation until sold for on August 14, 1983, and broken up at Bhatiyari Beach, Chittagong, , starting August 25.

Investigations and legacy

The U.S. convened a Marine Board of Investigation in 1952, issuing its report in 1953, which determined that the SS Fort Mercer's breakup resulted from a brittle initiated at a weld defect in the hull , exacerbated by low-temperature embrittlement of the steel during the gale-force storm conditions. The board identified high sulfur content in the steel as a primary factor, rendering it brittle and prone to sudden cracking under stress, with the propagating rapidly from a notch-sensitive area near the scallop. This vulnerability was attributed to the wartime-era production standards for T2 tankers, where cost-saving measures led to inconsistent material quality. Key findings highlighted the role of notch sensitivity in the hull plating, where minor imperfections acted as stress concentrators, triggering in cold seas that reduced the steel's . The investigation compared the Fort Mercer incident to similar structural failures in other T2 tankers and ships, noting that historians had documented at least 19 cases of ships splitting in two without warning due to analogous brittle fractures, underscoring a systemic issue in welded hull designs from II-era . By April 1946, over 1,400 damage cases, many involving brittle fractures, had been reported across ships alone, prompting broader scrutiny of steel properties in marine applications. The Fort Mercer disaster contributed significantly to advancements in maritime safety, accelerating research into and leading to the adoption of higher-quality, low-sulfur steel alloys that resisted embrittlement at subzero temperatures. These findings influenced updated welding standards, including better crack-arrestor designs and protocols, which became mandatory for tanker reconstructions and new builds to mitigate hull failures. No major legal actions or suits arose from the incident, as the focus shifted to regulatory reforms rather than litigation. On the human front, the breakup claimed five lives—all members trapped on the sinking bow section—while 37 of the 42-man crew were rescued, with survivors later recounting the chaos of the and their desperate waits in life rafts amid 60-foot seas. Testimonies from rescued seamen emphasized the suddenness of the split and the psychological toll of isolation on the drifting sections, informing subsequent training on emergency procedures for fractured vessels. The event's dual occurrence with the SS Pendleton breakup in the same storm inspired the 2009 book The Finest Hours by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman, which details both rescues and was adapted into a 2016 of the same name, raising public awareness of heroism and brittle fracture risks.

References

  1. https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2016/october/triumph-and-tragedy-cape-cod
  2. https://www.baltimoresun.com/2009/03/15/the-strange-saga-of-the-two-halves-of-the-ss-fort-mercer/
  3. https://www.coastguardfoundation.org/news/the-finest-hours-story-behind-the-coast-guards-greatest-small-boat-rescue
  4. https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/docs/boards/fortmercer.pdf
  5. http://www.aukevisser.nl/t2tanker/id551.htm
  6. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/fort-mercer
  7. https://www.maritime.dot.gov/multimedia/t2-se-a1-type
  8. http://www.aukevisser.nl/t2tanker/t-tankers-2/id221.htm
  9. http://drawings.usmaritimecommission.de/drawings_tanker.htm
  10. https://waratahrevisited.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-case-of-t2-oil-tanker-pendleton.html
  11. https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?18558
  12. https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-finest-hours-storm-of-february-17.html
  13. https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2017/spring/statement/hollywood-chose-tell-half-the-story-the-daring-1952-coast-guard-rescue-sea-while-2009-book
  14. https://www.studocu.com/en-us/document/mit-opencourseware/trials-in-history/marine-board-report-on-fort-mercer-structural-failure-mvi-25-sep-1952/124995516
  15. https://nationalcoastguardmuseum.org/articles/bernie-weber-and-the-greatest-smallboat-rescue/
  16. https://greatergood.com/blogs/news/cw-historic-coast-guard-rescue-of-ss-pendleton
  17. https://homenewshere.com/wilmington_town_crier/news/article_b13b6794-daf1-11e9-9dc7-5b9548f9602c.html
  18. https://www.aukevisser.nl/t2tanker/id551.htm
  19. https://www.camdenshipyardmuseum.org/copy-of-brittle-fracture-of-ship-side
  20. https://www.marinersmuseum.org/2021/01/brittle-fracture-when-ships-split-in-two/
  21. https://www.shippai.org/fkd/en/cfen/CB1011020.html
  22. https://www.twi-global.com/media-and-events/insights/schenectady-t2-tanker
  23. https://time.com/4197131/the-finest-hours-true-story/
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