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Jersey Coast Disaster
SS R. P. Resor.
Unlike most ships, the R. P. Resor became famous while she was still on the ways. She was built on speculation in 1935 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, who took a calculated risk in estimating that she would be purchased before she was completed.
When her keel was laid, there was a potential need for tanker replacement, but general conditions had long held up any defi-nite demand for tanker construction.
To give unusual sales interest to "Hull 136, the new Federal tanker," her plans and specifications provided new features of design, construction, and equipment which marked a decided advance in operating efficiency and economy. These innovations were announced in advertisements which attracted international attention among shipping men. In fact, prior to the launching of the Resor and for some time thereafter, she was said to be the most widely advertised tanker in the world.
The design and qualities of the R. P. Resor were also embodied in her sistership, "Hull 137," built almost concurrently, which was to become the T. C. McCobb; but as the Resor was launched first, her name became better known, as it was widely pu-blished with an ex-cellent photograph of the new vessel.
The opportune initiative of Mr. L. H. Korndorff, president of the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, the judgment and vision of the late Mr. Robert L. Hague, then president of the Standard Shipping Company, and the support given to them by the directors of the United States Steel Company and the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey can now be recognized as having historic importance, for the building and purchase of these two tankers expedited a revival in tanker construction.
This revival resulted in a considerable increase in American tanker tonnage which proved to be important Tivithin a few years, not only to the oil industry but to the nation. A short time before the R. P. Resor was launched, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, creating confusion in Europe of which Hitler took advantage in 1936 when he ordered the military occupation of the Rhineland. Aggression was on the marchthat led to war in 1939.
Helped Make Tanker History
In 1935, as often happens, not all the developments that made history became evident in newspaper headlines or were recognized in magazine articles. Just as everybody knew that Ethiopia had been invaded but few foresaw the consequences, likewise shipping men read advertisements in marine journals about the new features of the Resor and the McCobb, but the-re were probably few who realized the important effect of building these vessels. It is therefore interesting to note that Marine Age, in its editorial for January, 1936, entitled "The State of the Union . . . on Tankers," made the following statements:
"The American tanker situation forged to the front for international attention in October last, when the two ships which had come to be known as the 'Federal tankers' were purchased by the then Standard Shipping Company. The announcement of the transaction, with an illustrated description of the vessels, which Marine Age was privileged to present to the industry, created a stir in this country and abroad, due not only to the many distinctive features embodied in the construction of these vessels but also to the fact that it was the first real crack in the ice which had frozen around the long-anticipated movement toward the replacement of bulk oil carriers.
"What was in the minds of the officials of the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company when they decided to lay the keels of two 12,300 DWT ships early in 1935 can be, to outsiders, mostly a matter of conjecture. That they had keen fore-sight is amply proved by the results, both ships having been sold before they were launched. . . ."
In another paragraph, the editorial said that "the break in the wall of indolence by Standard's purchase of the Federal tankers lets in a stream of possibilities and hope for 1936 and has pepped up the marine and allied industries. . . ."
Modern Design and Equipment
The R. P. Resor and the T. C. McCobb were the most modern oil carriers of their size constructed at that time in the United States, it not in the world.
A single-screw ship of 12,875 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 28 feet, 114 inches, the SS R. P. Resor had an overall length of 445 feet, a length between perpendiculars of 435 feet, a moulded breadth of 66 feet, 6 inches, and a depth moulded of 34 feet, 6 inches. With a cargo carrying
capacity of 105,025 barrels, she had an assigned pumping rate of 5,000 barrels an hour.
Her Allis Chalmers cross compound turbine engine, supplied with steam by two "D" type Foster Wheeler boilers which were fitted with four new Navy-type Todd burners, developed 3,300 shaft horsepower and gave the R. P. Resor a classification certified speed of 12.7 knots.
A tanker of twin bulkhead design, the R. P. Resor was built with considerable welding, especially in the construction of her cargo spaces. In the ship as a whole, there were about one-third less rivets than had ordinarily been used in a tanker of her size.
To give the vessel more speed for the same power and better maneuverability, she was fitted with a contra-guide-rudder and a vertical two-bladed rudder post.
So interesting were these and many other improvements in the R. P. Resor and T. C. McCobb that The Ships' Bulletin pu-blished extensive accounts of their details.
At the outbreak of war in Europe, September 3, 1939, the R. P. Resor, commanded by Captain Frank F. Hultgren, with her engineroom in charge of Chief Engineer Myles M. Bylsma, was en route from New York to Baytown in ballast. Including this voyage, when she loaded 77,972 barrels of fuel oil at Baytown, the R. P. Resor made 7 coastwise voyages by the end of the year.
Her wartime voyages and cargoes, in number and amount, were as follows:
Thus, during World War II, the R. P. Resor transported a large aggregate of petroleum products. Although most of her voyag-es during this period were coastwise, she also made longer voyages, traveling one or more times to Campana, Puerto La Cruz, Cartagena, Aruba, Cristobal, Balboa, and Talara.
During the war, as previously. Captain Hultgren was frequently master of the R. P. Resor, his favorite command, until his death on February 25, 1941. The other wartime masters of the vessel were Captains Donald B. West, August Bosch, Wil-liam Mello, Lawrence J. Hasse, Chester S. Swanner, and Fred Marcus.
In charge of her engineroom in the war years, in addition to Myles M. Bylsma, were Chief Engineers Aaron V. Davis, Curtis G. Laney, John Folk, James L. Yent, Thor 0. Sandin, and Travis L. Lumpkin.
On February 19, 1942, the R. P. Resor, commanded by Captain Fred Marcus and with Chief Engineer Travis L. Lumpkin in charge of her engineroom, left Houston, Texas, with a cargo of 78,729 barrels of fuel oil, bound, via Baytown, for Fall River, Massachusetts.
She carried a merchant crew of 41 officers and men. With the ensign and 8 Navy gunners of her armed guard, she had a total complement of 50. Sailing without escort, she followed Navy routing instructions and maintained a total blackout at night.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the grim period of the heaviest losses of Esso tankers had recently begun with the sinking of the Allan Jackson, January 18, and the W. L. Steed, February 2, 1942.
The Last Voyage
About two days out of Baytown, Captain Marcus began steering zigzag courses - long courses on each leg in the Gulf of Mexico and shorter courses, of 15 minutes each, north of Miami. In addition to the crew's lookout watches, the armed guard maintained lookouts day and night, posting one man on the monkey bridge and another at the gun aft.
On the night of February 26, Captain Marcus was in the wheelhouse when Third Mate Graham P. Covert took over the 8 to 12 watch with Able Seaman John J. Forsdal at the wheel. Ordinary Seaman Orville R. Hogard was stationed as lookout on the wing of the bridge.
Forsdal and a Navy gunner were the only survivors of the -R. P. Resor. The principal eye-witness account of the submarine attack and what followed is available in Forsdal's statement.
"The evening was fine and clear," he said. "There was a light northwesterly breeze, small ripples on the water, and a long, moderate, lazy easterly swell. It was a brilliantly lighted moonlight night, there being a little better than half a moon showing. The sky was cloudless and the night was so clear I could easily distinguish the individual lights on the New Jersey shore. The evening was cold and it was necessary to wear heavy clothing and ear muffs."
From 8 to 10 p.m. Forsdal was taking his trick at the wheel. The Resor was then steering a base course of 30 degrees by gyro-compass and zigzagging at full speed 15 degrees to the left and right of that course at intervals of 15 minutes. A Navy gunner was on lookout duty atop the pilot house and a seaman stood watch on the foc'sle head. The wheelhouse was blacked out and the vessel was not showing navigation lights. When Forsdal left the bridge at 10 p.m. the ship was steering the zigzag course heretofore explained.
"From 10 p.m. to II p.m.," he reported, "I was on standby duty. At the latter hour I proceeded to the foc'sle' head and relieved Ordinary Seaman Hogard. The Resor would soon be about 20 miles east of Mana-squan Inlet, N. J.
"Just before 7 bells, I was standing slightly to port of the stem. Suddenly I sighted a dark object lying low in the water about two points on the port bow. Although not far distant from the vessel, it was indistinct. I did not, hear any engine or a motor exhaust, possibly due to the sound of the Resor's bow waves. I immediately turned and walked aft along the port side toward the bell, to report the craft. A few seconds after I sighted the vessel, which I thought might be a small fishing boat, she turned on her navigating lights. I could see that her white light was about 5 feet above her green and red side lights. The lights were then about 200 to 300 yards away and were heading for a point midway between the stem of the Resor and the break of the foc'sle head.
"A second or so after the strange vessel showed her navigating lights, I rang two strokes on the bell and then reported by voice to the bridge: 'Small vessel about two points on your port bow, sir!' The bridge answered: 'Aye! Aye!' From the time I first observed the craft until I reported it,'only 10 to 15 seconds had elapsed.
"As I turned to walk forward, I saw that the lights were about three points on the port bow. They were too dim to show any part of her hull and after a few seconds she switched them off. Thinking that she was a fishing boat because of her small outline and not realizing that a submarine would venture so close to shore, I resumed my lookout without giving further thought to the vessel, which had disappeared in the darkness. At this time, as I recall, the moon was either aft or on our starboard quarter.
Submarine Visible - Ship in Flames
"I had continued my lookout for a minute or two, when all of a sudden I felt and heard a violent explosion on our port side. Within what seemed a fraction of a second the Resor was aflame from her bridge aft and debris was hurled high into the air. I was thrown to the deck and lay there momentarily in a dazed condition. Then to protect myself from falling fragments I crawled under a platform on the foc'sle head which had been constructed for a gun.
"When it seemed sate, I got up and went down to the fore deck. In the light of the flames, the submarine was now clearly visible, about four points on our port bow and 400 to 500 yards distant. The enemy vessel, without lights, appeared to be on her way to the Jersey shore and I could hear the noise of a heavy Diesel exhaust. Then she disappeared from view; "Removing my lifebelt and heavy overcoat, I put the lifebelt on again and proceeded to the foremast rigging on the port side, where I
tried to size up the situation to see whether I could go aft. I decided that the fire was too severe. Then I released the portside life raft,found a line hanging over the side and lowered myself into the water, which was icy cold.
"When about 50 yards from the ship, as I kept on swimming in heavy oil, I heard a second violent explosion. Looking over my shoulder I saw that the oil floating on the water in the vicinity of the ship was afire. I had to swim out to sea at least 20 minutes to get away from the burning oil.
"About this time I heard a voice and paddled toward it, shouting. A moment later I heard another man calling nearer by. It was Radio Operator Clarence Armstrong and I swam in his direction.
"Sparks shouted to me and to the other man in the water, whom I could not identify: "Come over here so we can be together." He also told us he had a life raft. The Resor was then between us and the Jersey shore and I could see the mass of fiames growing steadily worse.
Heavily Weighted With Oil
"Covered with more and more oil, I struggled hard to reach Armstrong, answering him - each time he shouted. In the light of the flaming Resor, after a period of time I cannot estimate, I arrived at the raft, which was about half a mile distant from the ship.
Hooking my arms around the lifelines I rested for ten minutes or so in a state of exhaustion. Sparks was, hanging to a lifeline on the other side of the raft.
"I was heavily weighted down with cold and clinging oil; the exertion of climbing up on the raft taxed my strength so seriously that I was unable to do anything but lie down. The cold and the heavy oil seemed to be paralyzing my body.
"While lying on the raft I observed what I took to be a Coast Guard patrol boat. I told Sparks to keep his chin up, that help was coming. At the same time I was shouting toward the boat so they could locate us. When she passed us she turned around and put a searchlight on the raft. Then a lifebuoy was thrown, attached to a line. I managed to get my arms through the ring but as the vessel went ahead I was hauled off the raft into the sea. Then the patrol boat's headway pulled the life ring from my grasp. I managed to return slowly to the raft, but as I felt warmer in the water, I did not attempt to climb aboard it. Armstrong was still hanging on, but did not reply when I talked to him. (Forsdal did not know, at that time, that the radio operator had died.)
"A small boat came over to me and a rope was put under my arms. Soon afterward a picket boat came along and the line secured to my body was passed to it. I cannot remember what happened after that until I found myself on board the boat, which landed me on the New Jersey coast.
"Another man had been hauled out of the water by the picket boat before they rescued me. He was a member of the Navy armed guard named Hey."
According to Chief Boatswain's Mate John W. Daisey, commander of the Coast Guard picket boat that rescued the two survivors, "Forsdal was so coated with thick congealed oil that we had to cut his clothes and his life jacket off with knives. They were so weighted with oil we couldn't get him aboard. Even his mouth was filled with a blob of oil."
The drifting wreck was taken in charge by the Navy tug USS Sagamore on February 28, 1942, and was towed to a point close to the 20 fathoms bank. At 8:22 p.m.. Eastern war time, on the 28th, the stern of the vessel grounded in 122 feet of water; the Sagamore stood by. At 9:12 p.m., the R. P. Resor turned over and disappeared completely in Latitude 39°47' North, Lon-gitude 73°26' West, about 31 miles due east of Barnegat Light.
Captain Fred Marcus entered the Company's service as a second mate on November 18, 1920, and had been master since February 10, 1932, and a lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve since July 10, 1940. He was in the Navy during the first World War as chief mate of the USS Cyclops, master of the Sterling, and commanding officer of the Pensacola and the Eten.
Chief Engineer Travis L. Lumpkin joined the Company as an oiler on June 11, 1921, and he had had continuous service as a licensed officer since November 17, 1926. He was promoted to chief engineer on May 14 1936.
The circumstances of the destruction of the R. P. Resor and the loss of all but two of her complement were so appalling that the disaster was perhaps not exceeded in starkness of tragedy by any other sinking of an American merchant vessel during the war.
Also, the torpedoing of the Resor was conspicuous and sensational because it occurred so near the coast that the huge pall of black smoke rising from the stricken vessel could be seen by crowds of people on the New Jersey shore.
Merchant Crew Lost on the "R. P. Resor" - February 26, 1942;
Merchant Crew Survivor of the "R. P. Resor";
U. S. Navy Armed Guard Lost on the "R. P. Resor" - February 26, 1942;
U. S. Navy Armed Guard Survivor of the "R. P. Resor";
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