1950 — Aug 25, USN hospital ship Benevolence sinks, collision with freighter ~SF, CA– 23

–23 The Oil City Derrick, Oil City, PA. “Luckenbach Files Cross-Libel Suit,” 9-2-1950, p. 16.
–18 dead
— 5 missing
–23 Korean War Educator. “U.S.S. Benevolence AH-13.”
[23 named individuals noted under “Fatalities” section.]
–23 Wikipedia. “USS Benevolence (AH-13).”
–18 US Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center. “Casualties: US Navy and Marine
Corps Personnel Killed and Injured in Selected Accidents…”

Narrative Information

Korean War Educator. “U.S.S. Benevolence AH-13.” — Introduction

“On a foggy August 25, 1950, the hospital ship USS Benevolence (AH-13) was rammed by the commercial freighter, SS Mary Luckenbach about four miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Less than an hour later, the Benevolence had capsized with only a part of its hull and its big red cross showing above water. Twenty-three persons on the ship were dead and hundreds more were struggling to stay afloat and alive in freezing cold water.

US Dept. of the Navy: “Hospital ship USS Benevolence (AH-13) rammed and sunk by freighter Mary Luckenbach near San Francisco Bay. 18 killed. 25 Aug. 1950.” (US Department of the Navy. “Casualties: US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured…”)

Wikipedia: “On 25 August 1950 at 5:04 p.m. while returning from sea trials, prior to her assignment to the Military Sea Transportation Service, Benevolence collided with the freighter SS Mary Luckenbach in heavy fog and sank within 15 minutes off San Francisco. 505 crew members were rescued and 23 lost their lives.” (Wikipedia. “USS Benevolence (AH-13).”)

Newspaper

Sep 1, AP: “San Francisco, Sept. 1 – (AP) – The Luckenbach Steamship Company filed a cross-libel action today, denying any responsibility for the sinking of the hospital ship USS Benevolence. The company itself asked for $193,000 as damage to the freighter Mary Luckenbach, and dismissal of the government’s $14,000,000 libel action. The company declared the sinking of the Benevolence outside the Golden Gate last Friday, which resulted in 18 deaths and five persons missing and presumed dead, ‘Was wholly due to the negligence and carelessness of the Benevolence’s officers. Sinking of the Benevolence, the action charged, was ‘due to the failure of its master, its officers and crew to close watertight doors or hatches and failure to take other proper means of keeping the vessel afloat.’ It denied the government claim that the hospital ship had been damaged to the extent of $14,000,000, ‘or any sum at all.’

“The Benevolence sank within 15 minutes after the crash in dense fog. Rescuers saved 505 persons from the hospital ship.

“The company’s legal action, filed in federal district court, also charged the Benevolence ‘was going at an excessive and immoderate speed in limited visibility; failed to maintain a proper lookout…[that] officers, engineers and helmsmen were incompetent and inattentive, and failed to properly give and receive and execute orders.” (The Derrick, Oil City, PA. “Luckenbach Files Cross-Libel Suit,” Sep 2, 1950, p. 16.)

Sources

Korean War Educator. “U.S.S. Benevolence AH-13.” Assessed 8-22-2023 at: http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/branch_accounts/navy/uss_benevolence/uss_benevolence.htm

The Oil City Derrick, Oil City, PA. “Luckenbach Files Cross-Libel Suit,” Sep 2, 1950, p. 16. Accessed 6-22-2023 at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=59015217

United States Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center. See “Casualties: US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Injured in Selected Accidents and Other Incidents Not Directly the Result of Enemy Action.” Washington, DC: Washington Navy Yard. Accessed at: http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/NHC/accidents.htm

Wikipedia. “USS Benevolence (AH-13).” At: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Benevolence_(AH-13)