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| USN EC2-S-C1 Liberty Ship 7,176 Tons 441' 7" x 57' x 26' 9" 1 x 5" 38 cal gun 1 x 3" 50 cal gun 8 x 20mm cannons |
Ship History Built by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland, Oregon. Ordered by the U.S. Maritime Commission (MC). Laid down May 19, 1943 as a Maritime Commission Emergency Cargo Ship (EC2-S-C1) Liberty Ship with MC hull number 2027. Launched June 8, 1943 as SS John A. Johnson named for American boxer John "Jack" A. Johnson. Wartime History On October 29, 1944 while in transit from Hawaii bound for San Francisco, roughly 1,000 miles off Oahu torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-12 at roughly at Lat 29°36'30"N, Long 141°43'W. The damaged ship is abandoned by the crew and breaks in two and sinks. Japanese submarine I-12 surfaces and shells the damaged ship and sets both halves on fire. Fates of the Crew The crew of seventy abandoned ship and deployed their lifeboats. After shelling the ship, Japanese submarine I-12 closes on lifeboats and rams while firing machine guns and small arms at the survivors and results in the death of ten of the crew including 4 merchant sailors, an Army security officer and 4 Armed guards. Rescue On October 30, 1944 the survivors are spotted by a Pan American Airways plane and reports them. At 9:35pm USS Argus (PY-14) rescues 60 of the surviving crew who report the atrocity. The rescued crew members are transported to San Francisco. Memorials The ten crew killed were officially declared dead the day of the sinking. Four remain listed as Missing In Action (MIA). All five are memorialized at the West Coast Memorial on the tablets of the missing. Shisler and Christensen are memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 7. The ten killed and missing include: S1c Frank E. Boling, 9529113 USNR (MIA / KIA) MI Carpenter James H. Brady, Merchant Marine (KIA, BR) S1c William H. Bunch, 8909163 USNR (MIA / KIA) WA S1c Willard E. Burman, 9612562 USNR (MIA / KIA) Kanabec County, MN S1c Donald R. Christensen (MIA / KIA) Lynch, NB S1c Lyle T. Cloyd, 8744310 USNR (MIA / KIA) Hebron, NB Messman Billy M. Curtius (KIA, BR) Messman David Pugh (KIA, BR) Messman James Race (KIA, BR) Houston, TX 2nd Lt. Robert R. Shisler, 1946618 (MIA / KIA) UT Brady, Curtius, Pugh and Race have unknown burials, likely in his hometown. Christensen also has a memorial marker at Alford Cemetery in Monowi, NB. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Japanese Atrocities "On October 30 the John A. Johnson was torpedoed between Hawaii and San Francisco. The ship broke into two parts and both sections were set on fire by shelling. The submarine machine gunned lifeboats and rafts. Of the eleven dead or missing, five were Armed Guards. A plane quickly sighted the survivors. The submarine also rammed a raft and a lifeboat. Meanwhile the excited submarine crew shouted "Banzai" and hurled other remarks not fit to print at the helpless Americans." American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank E. Boling FindAGrave - S1 F E Boling (wall of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William H. Bunch FindAGrave - S1 William H Bunch (wall of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Willarrd E. Burman FindAGrave - S1 Willard Elmer Burman (wall of the missing photos) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Lyle T. Cloyd FindAGrave - S1 Lyle Thurman Cloyd (wall of the missing photos) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Donald R. Christensen FindAGrave - S1 Donald Raymond Christensen (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Donald Raymond Christensen (photo, memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert R. Shisler FindAGrave - 2Lt Robert R Shisler (photos, courts of the missing) Contribute
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