What happened to the bow of the SS Pendleton?
One week later, after its grounding, Pendleton’s bow was boarded. The stern ultimately grounded off Monomoy Island, south of Chatham, at coordinates 41°35′10″N 69°57′45″W, where it now lies underwater, and the bow grounded on Pollock Rip Shoal. The bow section was sold in 1953 to North American Smelting Co.
Is the SS Pendleton still there?
The remains of the Pendleton lie in around 40 feet of water off Pollock Rip Shoal in cold water and tough currents. The remains are heavily decayed and in unrecognizable pieces due to being blown up by the Army in 1979.
Who died on the SS Pendleton?
Charles W. Bridges
Charles W. Bridges, the last-known surviving crewman of the Pendleton, a 503-foot oil tanker snapped in two by a nor’easter on Feb. 18, 1952, off Cape Cod, died early Wednesday in West Palm Beach, Fla., following a short illness.
How many died on the SS Fort Mercer?
35
One member of its crew of 35 died aboard a rescue vessel, and, in an eerily reminiscent replay of the 1952 disaster, crew members remained on board the stern section as it was towed to the Newport News (Va.) Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.
How many men died on the SS Pendleton?
eight men
All eight men in the bow of the Pendleton were lost. Cutters rescued 38 seamen from the Fort Mercer’s stern, but five, including the captain, were lost in the bow section, which sank offshore.
Why did the Pendleton break in half?
Minutes after the rescue, the broken bow of the ship heaved into the air and turned keel upward to sink into the sea. On February 18, 1952, a fierce storm hammered the New England coast, generating waves that topped 70 feet. Just off Cape Cod, two 500-foot tankers were broken in half by the heavy seas.
What was the Pendleton carrying?
The Pendleton Rescue The CG-36500 was designed to carry 12. The Pendleton crewmen began climbing down the ladder. One by one they either crashed on the bow of the CG-36500 or fell in to the sea, where the crew fished them out.
What is the greatest small boat rescue?
The CG36500 and its brave crew had found the SS Pendleton. Now they had to save it . . . Survivors of the SS Pendleton leave the CG36500 for the Chatham Lifeboat Station. Image sourced from The Pendleton Disaster off Cape Cod: The Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History.
How many people survived the SS Pendleton?
32 surviving
The Pendleton had 32 surviving crewmen.
Who died in the finest hour?
part-time chef played by Abraham Benrubi, died after a wave caused him to be tossed against the Pendleton while descending the ladder to the rescue boat. Tiny was, indeed, the only one of the 33 men aboard the Pendleton’s stern to die during the rescue.
What is the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history?
SS Pendleton
The CG36500 and its brave crew had found the SS Pendleton. Now they had to save it . . . Survivors of the SS Pendleton leave the CG36500 for the Chatham Lifeboat Station. Image sourced from The Pendleton Disaster off Cape Cod: The Greatest Small Boat Rescue in Coast Guard History.
What is a finest hour?
Filters. (idiomatic) A point in time or a relatively brief period of time when an especially distinguished, admirable, or effective set of actions is performed. noun.
Where did the SS Pendleton bow section go?
The bow section was sold in 1953 to North American Smelting Co. for recycling at Bordentown, New Jersey. However, it was stranded on June 4, 1953 in the Delaware River and dismantled there circa 1978 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Where did the SS Pendleton sink in the Delaware River?
The stern rolled over onto its port side and sank in 40 feet of water. Following efforts to recover bodies, the bow of the Pendleton was refolated in 1953 and sold for scrap. It was stranded on the Delaware River and subsequently dismantled.
Where was the tanker Pendleton when it broke in two?
On February 18, 1952, while en route from New Orleans to Boston, Pendleton broke in two in a gale south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A United States Coast Guard Consolidated PBY Catalina aircraft was diverted from searching for another T2 tanker, Fort Mercer, to search for Pendleton, and located both sections.
How did the Coast Guard find SS Pendleton?
A United States Coast Guard Consolidated PBY Catalina aircraft was diverted from searching for another T2 tanker, Fort Mercer, to search for Pendleton, and located both sections. At this point, the Coast Guard realized that they were dealing with two ships that had broken in two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8efqVAzazvA