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| General Petroleum Corporation Design 1047 Tankship 6,912 Tons 435' x 56' 2" x 33' 6"  Frost June 13, 1932  USN December 21, 1941 |
Ship History Built by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Alameda, CA. Ordered April 30, 1918 by the United States Shipping Board (USSB) as part of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC). Laid down November 30, 1920 as a Design 1047 Tankship. Launched May 25, 1921 as SS Hammac. During July 12-13, 1921 underwent sea trials and underwent modifications before delivery. Due to a storage of cargo to transport, the vessel was laid up in Benicia until late January 1922. After undergoing maintenance, chartered by Union Oil and loaded with three million gallons of gasoline for the United Kingdom. On March 14, 1922 departs San Francisco via Panama Canal then across the Atlantic Ocean. On April 21, 1922 arrives Thames Haven and departs six days later to return to the United States. On May 19, 1922 arrives Port Eads, Louisiana completing her maiden voyage. During 1923 sold to General Petroleum Corporation and renamed SS Emidio with a "G" for the company name on the stern stack and continued to operate as a fuel tanker off the west coast of the United States. On December 7, 1941 at the start of the Pacific War, continues to operate as a tanker. On December 18, 1941 departs Seattle under command of Captain Clark A. Farrow transporting only ballast with a crew of 36 bound for San Pedro. Sinking History On December 20, 1941 in the early afternoon, spotted by Japanese submarine I-17 that surfaces and at 3:15pm and opens fire with its 14cm deck gun and the Captain orders the crew to abandon ship. At the same moment, the radio operator transmits an alert to the U.S. Navy. Meanwhile, the submarine continues to fire and scores five hits as the crew are still abandoning ship at roughly Lat 40°33'N, Long 125°00'W roughly 25 miles west of Cape Mendocino in Humboldt County, California. As the crew was lowering their lifeboats, one of the shells hits an unlauched lifeboat causing three to fall into the sea and drown in rough seas. The sub ceased fire and submerged before two U.S. Navy planes arrived and dropped charges without any results. After the planes depart, I-17 resurfaced and fired a torpedo that hit the stern and exploded in the engine room. Aboard, two of the three crew still working inside were killed by the blast. Fates of the Crew After abandoning ship, one of the lifeboats were overloaded and crew member Able Seaman Louis George Finch voluntarily jumped into the sea to lighten the boat and floated at sea for one and a half hours until rescued by another lifeboat. Later, crew member Able Seaman Finch earned the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal his extraordinary courage and disregard of his own safety. The surviving reach Blunts Reef. On December 21, 1941 U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) cutter USCGC Shawnee (WAT-54) rescues 31 surviving crew from Blunt's Reef. Shipwreck The abandoned and damaged tanker drifted northward and the stern section filled with sea water until it ran aground with the stern submerged a near a large rock off Crescent City in Del Norte County of California. The shipwreck remained until 1959 when sold for scrap and broken up. Portions of the hull remain in situ at the grounding location. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Navy Department Communiques 1-300 and Pertinent Press Releases December 10, 1941 to March 5, 1943 "No. 14 December 21, 1941 The Navy Department issued the following communiqué, on the naval situation as of noon today.... Eastern Pacific. Enemy submarines have been active along the west coast of the United States. The S. S. Agwiworld was shelled by an enemy submarine. The S. S. Emidio was also shelled and then torpedoed. The crew abandoned ship and took to the lifeboats. Three lifeboats were destroyed by submarine gunfire. Thirty-two survivors have been rescued. There were 54 in the crew." Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Wartime Diversion of U.S. Navy Forces in Response to Public Demands for Augmented Coastal Defense (Page 19) "Table 2. Japanese Submarine Operations Off the Pacific Coast "21 [sic 20] December 1941: I-17 sinks Emidio (AO), 40-30N, 124-35W" California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation - S.S. Emidio Historical Landmark Merchant Marine Heroes: Citations for Distinguished Service Medal Awarded for "Heroism Beyond the Call of Duty" during World War II Contribute
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