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| USN John Penn Class Attack Transport 9,360 Tons 474' 4' x 62' 9" x 26' 4" 1 x 5"/51 Gun (aft) 2 x 3"/50 Guns (aft) 8 x 20mm cannon  USN Sept 13, 1942 |
Ship History Built by New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey. Laid down October 25, 1930 as an ocean liner built for American Export Lines. Lauched May 28, 1931 as SS Escambion. On August 4, 1931 delivered to American Export Line. Wartime History On January 8, 1942 acquired by the U.S. Navy (USN) and converted into a transport but retained her civilian life boat davits. Commissioned April 6, 1942 in the U.S. Navy (USN) as USS John Penn (AP-51) named for John Penn a signatory to the U.S. Declaration of Independence with Captain Harry W. Need in command. After outfitting out and training, John Penn began preparations for Operation Torch the U.S. landings in the North Africa. Starting on October 4, 1942 begins loading equipment, cargo, and troops, then topped off with fuel for most of the month. On October 23, 1942 departs Hampton Roads as part of the western Naval Task Force. On November 8, 1942 arrives off Mehdia, Western Morocco as part of the Northern Attack Group under the command of Rear Admiral Monroe Kelly and began landing troops and cargo. Although hampered by heavy surf and fire from enemy shore batteries, she unloaded with efficiency and dispatch. At 10:53 an enemy aircraft attacked John Penn, but her after batteries quickly splashed the intruder. On November 15, 1942 she departed for Casablanca and arrived the same day and unloaded the remainder of her cargo. On November 17, 1942 departs across the Atlantic Ocean bound for Norfolk, arriving November 30, 1942. On December 17, 1942 John Penn departed Norfolk, Virginia via the Panama Canal then across the Pacific Ocean to New Caledonia arriving January 18, 1943. Departed January 24; and arrived at Espiritu Santo 3 days later, got underway to pick up survivors from USS Chicago, sunk off Guadalcanal January 29th. In all, she received 1,003 men and 63 officers, including Captain R. C. Davis, the lost cruiser's commanding officer. After debarking her grateful passengers at Noumea, she spent the next 6 months delivering supplies, equipment, and troops to Guadalcanal from the New Hebrides, Fiji and New Zealand. On February 1, 1943 reclassified as Attack Transport 23 (APA-23) and continued transporting supplies and troops to Guadalcanal. Sinking History On August 13, 1943 John Penn had just finished unloading a cargo of 155mm artillery shells in the Lunga Point Anchorage off Lunga Point on Guadalcanal. At 9:20pm she came under attack during a Japanese air raid and targeted by Type 97 Carrier Attack Bomber Kanko / B5N2 Kate torpedo bombers that attacked from several directions. Three minutes later, the transport took one of the planes under fire, causing it to burst into flames then crashed into her mainmast. About that same instant, an aerial torpedo from another B5N Kate hit near the number 5 cargo hold, causing a secondary explosion. Although vigorous efforts were made to save her, John Penn went down stern first at 9:50pm. Louis Plant adds: "I was on LCI 24 anchored off Guadalcanal the night the John Penn was sunk. A lone Jap plane was in the searchlights high over Henderson Field dropping bombs. Everybody's attention was directed to that plane when the torpedo planes attacked the Penn. An officer aboard the Penn by the name of Russel survived by climbing down the anchor chain. He eventually became an officer on our ship after it was converted to a gunboat." Shipwreck The shipwreck rests on the seafloor on its starboard side off Lunga Point at a depth of between 190' to 200' / 58m-61m. The stern broke off while sinking is is located 400 yards away. The severe damage caused the stern to separate and it is 1,200' / 365m away from the main part of the ship. USS John Penn lies on its starboard side off Lunga Point at a depth of 200' in Iron Bottom Sound. Experienced wreck divers may head aft to penetrate the exposed lower decks where the stern separated from the rest of the ship. The ship is in two parts with most dives being conducted on the bow section. Because of the depth of this wreck, all dives are decompression dives which require the appropriate training and experience. For safety reasons, twin tanks with a separate regulator and gages on each tank, and a dive computer are recommended for diving on this wreck. A dive to the bridge and forward guns involves a descent to the port side of the hull at about 120 feet (36 m). You can expect to see large schools of pelagic fish near the wreck. Drop down over the port side to the remnants of the bridge where there were 20mm anti-aircraft guns. You can also look in the radio room and the officer’s mess. Heading towards the bow, there are the forward holds, derricks, masts and winches, then the forward 3-inch guns where live ammunition spills out of the ready-use lockers. This dive would involve a maximum depth of about 150' / 45m. A slow ascent can be made by returning along the hull looking in all the portholes. Salvage Scrap metal and brass from ship was salvaged by Honiara salvage diver Reg Thomas. One interesting discovery was the ship's safe. Inside was rotted paper money and a sack with two metal bars in it. Later, he spoke with the ship's paymaster who said he was tasked with putting the money into a sack and throwing it overboard weighed down with brass bars. The ship sank before he could accomplish this, and left everything in the safe. Awards John Penn earned one battle star for her role in the North African campaign. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Casualties: U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Vessels Sunk or Damaged Beyond Repair during World War II 7 December 1941-1 October 1945 "USS John Penn (APA-23) sunk by Japanese aircraft off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, 13 August 1943." Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Navy Department Communiques 301-600 and Pacific Fleet Communiques March 6, 1943 to May 24, 1945 "Marine Sergeant Tells of the Sinking of the John Penn: Guadalcanal—(Delayed)—Although knocked across the deck and injured by a falling 12‑ton beam, Marine Captain William C. Roberts, of 501 Twenty-second Avenue, San Francisco, Calif., the son of a banker, probably saved the lives of several badly wounded men last night by tying life jackets on them and lowering them over the side of the torpedoed and sinking USS John Penn. (The 9,000‑ton John Penn, a transport cargo ship, was formerly the Excambion of the American Export Lines. Her loss was revealed September 23, 1943, in a communiqué issued at the headquarters of General Douglas A. MacArthur, U.S.A. Next of kin of casualties have been notified by the Navy Department.) The action was described this morning by Marine Sergeant William F. Stoddard, Jr., of 138 Quincy Road, Riverside, Ill., while Stoddard was lined up on the beach with the other survivors. These torpedoed survivors, clothed in pajamas and cover‑alls given them by Navy Hospital Corpsmen, were answering a roll call to check the missing. "A Jap plane put her fish right in our engine room," related Stoddard. "The bow began going under almost immediately, and the entire ship was out of sight in less than 20 minutes." NavSource - USS John Penn (APA-23) / USS John Penn (AP-51) (photos) Contribute
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 190'-200' 58m-61m  Map Iron Bottom Sound |
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