1952 — Jan 9, gale, WA freighter Pennsylvania founders ~450 M off Cape Flattery, WA– 46

–46 Gibbs, Jim. Disaster Log of Ships…shipwrecks, California to Alaska. 1971, p. 121.
–46 McClary. “SS Pennsylvania, en route from Seattle to Japan, sinks in the North Pacific…”
–46 USCG. Marine Board of Investigation; Disappearance of SS Pennsylvania… 16 July 1952.
–45 U.S. Coast Guard. Daily Chronology of Coast Guard History, January. Aug 26, 2009.

Narrative Information

Gibbs: “…last remembrance of the States Steamship Company freighter Pennsylvania, lost with her master, Captain George Plover and his entire crew of 45, 450 miles off the northern tip of Vancouver Island, outbound from Seattle to the Far East, January 9, 1952. The last radio message from the ship stated that she was sinking and that the crew was abandoning. A huge sea-air search was started, but the lone lifeboat seen capsized in the photo here [which we omit], was the only sign of the ship or crew. Before the lifeboat could be recovered, it too sank, 600 miles off the Washington coast, 125 miles from the reported position of the Pennsylvania sinking. (It was sighted Jan. 15). The Pennsylvania, built at Portland, Oregon in 1944, was a 7,608 ton Victory ship, formerly the Luxembourg Victory.” (Gibbs, Jim. Disaster Log of Ships…shipwrecks, California to Alaska. 1971, p. 121.)

USCG: “The SS Pennsylvania broadcasted that she had sustained a 14-foot crack in her port side. A tremendous sea was running, and the wind exceeded 55 miles per hour. The master advised that the vessel was foundering and that 45 men were abandoning ship in four lifeboats 665 miles west of Cape Flattery, WA. The Coast Guard used all the facilities at its command in the area, as well as coordinating the use of U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Royal Canadian Air Force facilities in an attempt to locate and rescue the survivors of the vessel. Fifty-one aircraft from all services and 18 surface vessels participated in the search. Some of the debris was located, including one over-turned lifeboat, but no survivors were found.” (USCG. Daily Chronology…Jan. 2009.)

USCG: “The SS Pennsylvania, a cargo vessel of 7,608 g.t., built in 1944 departed from Seattle, Washington for the Orient at 0600 on 5 January 1952, loaded with 5,869 tons of wheat and barley in bulk, 1,982 additional tons of under deck cargo and 68 tons of deck cargo. On the morning of 9 January 1952, winds of gale force with 35 to 45 foot seas were encountered during which the deck cargo came adrift, numbers 1 and 2 holds flooded, steering gear failed, she became unmanageable in the heavy sea, and a 14 foot hull crack on the port side in way of the engine room developed. As a result of this combination of circumstances, the Pennsylvania, sometime after 2149, 9 January 1952, foundered with the loss of all persons on board… [listing of 46 names follows]

“The Board made the following Findings of Fact:

“1. The SS Pennsylvania and forty-six crew members disappeared on 9 January 1952, in approximate position, Latitude 51 [degrees] 9’ North, Longitude 141 [degrees]31’ West.

“2. The SS Pennsylvania, bearing Official Number 245327, was a United States inspected steam screw cargo vessel of the VC2-S-AP3 type; home port, Tacoma, Washington; grossing 7608 tons, build of steel in 1944, at Portland Oregon, owned and operated by States Steamship Company…Vancouver Washington….

“3. Prevailing at the time of the casualty were gale force north-westerly winds and thirty-five to forty-five foot seas.

“4. On the preceding voyage, the Pennsylvania departed Long Beach, California on 1 November 1951 destined for Yokohama, Japan. When some fifteen hundred miles to sea the vessel encountered a severe storm. During the storm, and on 6 November 1951, the Pennsylvania suffered a fracture in the main deck plating forward and to starboard of the house. The vessel returned to Portland, Oregon, where repairs were made to the satisfaction of the United States Coast Guard inspectors. A seaworthy certificate was issued by a representative of the American Bureau of Shipping. The vessel then completed voyage…without further difficulty and returned to Seattle Washington on 22 December 1951. Shortly after arrival the vessel was drydocked for annual drydocking, at which time the hull was cleaned and painted…No defects were noted and the underwater body was found to be in good condition….On 2 January 1952, the Pennsylvania [at Seattle] loaded approximately nineteen hundred and eighty-two long tons of U.S. Army cargo in the upper ‘tween’ decks….Loading of the cargo was completed early the morning of 5 January 1952. The vessel was on an even keel….The vessel departed Seattle, Washington…at about 0800 hours on 5 January 1952….At 0643, 9 January 1952, a dispatch from the vessel related that a fracture had developed in the vicinity of frames ninety-three and ninety-four on the port side. This dispatch indicated that the fracture was fourteen feet in length….A later dispatch indicated that the vessel was turning about and heading for Seattle, Washington.

“5. A series of dispatches followed, stating the conditions of the weather and the vessel. One stated that the vessel was unable to be steered…and that the vessel was taking water in number one hold and the engine room. Another dispatch advised that the vessel would require assistance if unable to repair steering gear, and that the deck load was adrift and taking tarpaulins off the forward hatches, and personnel were unable to get forward to inspect. A following dispatch requested assistance and stated that the vessel was being steered by hand. A later dispatch indicated that the steering gear had been fixed, that the rudder was too far out of water, and that number two hatch was full of water. This dispatch expressed that the only hope was for the weather to moderate. A later dispatch indicated that personnel were going to abandon the vessel….

“6. The Pennsylvania carried four lifeboats. There is no evidence to indicate that the vessel successfully launched any of the lifeboats. One unidentified overturned lifeboat, however, was sighted by plane in the area of the disaster sometime after the casualty….Following the casualty, and to this date, nothing has been found relative to personnel or debris from the vessel, although an extensive rescue was conducted promptly and continued until all reasonable hope for survivors was exhausted….

“The Board expressed the following Opinions….

“2. That this casualty was the result of a structural failure due, at least in part, to unusual stresses created by gale force winds and heavy seas….

“Remarks….

“7. In connection with structural failures, the susceptibility of welded ships to extensive fractures has been known and a serious problem since early in World War II, when our shipyards turned to welding as the only means of fulfilling the task set before them of rapidly building enough ships to support the war effort which ultimately produced victory.” (USCG. Marine Board of Investigation; Disappearance of SS Pennsylvania… 16 Jul 1952, 1-6.)

Sources

Gibbs, Jim. Disaster Log of Ships: A Pictorial account of shipwrecks, California to Alaska. NY: Bonanza Books, 1971.

McClary. Daryl C.. “SS Pennsylvania, en route from Seattle to Japan, sinks in the North Pacific on January 9, 1952.” HistoryLink.org (The Free Encyclopedia of Washington State History.), 8-19-2019. Accessed 2-23-2022 at: https://www.historylink.org/File/20838

United States Coast Guard. Daily Chronology of Coast Guard History, January. Aug 26, 2009. Accessed at: http://www.uscg.mil/history/Chronology_Jan.asp

United States Coast Guard. Marine Board of Investigation; Disappearance of SS Pennsylvania with Crew…9 January 1952. Washington DC: Commandant, USCG, July 16, 1952, 7 pages. Accessed at: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/docs/boards/pennsylvania.pdf

Sources cited by McClary:
Jim Gibbs, Disaster Logs of Ships (Seattle: Superior Publishing Company, 1971) 121;
“Hull Split Off Coast,” The Seattle Times, January 9, 1952, p. 1;
“Ships Search Pacific for 46 in Lifeboats,” Ibid., January 10, 1952, p. 1;
“13 Seattle-Area Men in Crew of Abandoned Ship,” Ibid., January 10, 1952, p. 8;
“Wife of Seattle Man on Stricken Ship Keeps Long, Difficult Vigil,” Ibid., January 10, 1952, p.8;
“Ill-fated Trip Was Seaman’s First in Years,” Ibid., January 10, 1952, p. 16;
“Weather ‘Better’ in Hunt for 46 Off Ship,” Ibid., January 11, 1952, p. 1;
“Wind Rises; Ships Seek 46 Seamen,” Ibid., January 12, 1952, p. 1;
“Giant Aerial Search Planned for 46 Off Ship,” Ibid., January 14, 1952, p. 1;
“Two Capsized Lifeboats Sighted in Pacific Search,” Ibid., January 15, 1952, p. 1;
“Officer Doubts Lifeboats Could Ride Out Storm,” Ibid., January 15, 1952, p. 23;
“Everything Possible Being Done in Search, Says Master,” Ibid., January 15, 1952, p. 23;
“Hope ‘Slim’ for 46 Off Ship, Say Searchers,” Ibid., January 16, 1952, p. 12;
“Aerial Search for 46 Off Freighter Ends,” Ibid., January 17, 1952, p. 21;
“C.G. Planes Continue Hunt for 46 Off Ship,” Ibid., January 18, 1952, p. 27;
Georg N. Meyers, “Cutter Returns After Battling Huge Seas in Search for 46 Seamen,” Ibid., January 19, 1952, p. 7;
“Board Named to Investigate Ship Disaster,” Ibid., January 23, 1952, p. 25;
“Line Asks to Be Freed of Liability,” Ibid., January 24, 1952, p. 45;
“Ship Loaded Properly, Probers Told,” Ibid., February 4, 1952, p. 5;
“Safe Loading of Ship Confirmed by Coast Guard,” Ibid., February 5, 1952, p. 13.