General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Esso Bolivar
Posted by:
Ken Dunn
()
Date: June 23, 2002 05:53PM
<HTML>Hi Steve,
The lifeboat from the Esso Bolivar was not targeted by U-126. I have been researching U-126 and Bauer for close to two years now and I have very closely examined the attack on the Esso Bolivar. My dad’s ship the SS Cardonia was sunk by U-126 the day before. I have also talked to survivors from the Esso Bolivar including a man that was in the lifeboat in question at arms length from the man that was killed. Only one lifeboat was able to be lowered. U-126 was firing it’s 105mm deck gun at the waterline of the Esso Bolivar at the time. The survivor told me (in writing and on the phone) that the lifeboat was being lowered in the shadows and the U-boat could not have seen it at the time.
From the survivor:
“The sub started firing the deck gun scoring hits on the Bolivar’s hull about three feet above the waterline, blasting holes about two feet in diameter, it was the pieces of metal from the hull that killed Chief Mate Hawkins Fudske and injured several others in the lifeboat.â€
The lifeboat was already in the water at the time and the round hit slightly above it.
Sadly, the comment about the lifeboat being fired on exists on the web in two places. One is the submarine Atrocities web site and the other is in the story of another survivor of the Esso Bolivar. It was written by his son after his father’s death. I have been in contact with him and he didn’t get the information about the lifeboat from his dad. He got it from: Standard Oil Company (New Jersey). Ships of the Esso Fleet in World War II. New Jersey: Standard Oil Company, 1946. Copyright: Standard Oil Company (New Jersey), 1946. The son (currently a Chief Engineer in the Navy) kindly sent me a description of the attack that his dad did write and it doesn’t mention any firing on the lifeboat. He also told me his dad didn't mention it to him either and you can be certain that if it had happened, he would have.
It all stems from the misinterpretation of a statement in Ships of the Esso Fleet. I know this because the survivor I found wrote that part of the book. Unfortunately a researcher working for Samuel E. Morison also included it in a footnote in “The Battle of the Atlantic, September 1939 - May 1943â€. From there it has been picked up by a couple of other books and that’s also where the author of the submarine Atrocities web site got it. He has agreed to retract it but is unable to get in touch with the current Serbian Webmaster of the site.
I also have all of the documents from the National Archives and they don’t mention anything like that either. One of the documents is the medical report of those killed and injured during the attack. All wounds are attributed to shrapnel or burns except one. It was through and through and the doctor couldn’t determine what caused it just by looking at the wound. However, an eyewitness quoted in “Ships of the Esso Fleet†saw that man hit by shrapnel.
According to U-126’s KTB: “At least 30 hits from the 105mm deck gun at the waterline, many in the superstructure, in addition to 37mm and 20mm hits. Aft the tanker is ablaze brightly and burns out completelyâ€. U-126 did shoot up the Esso Bolivar however, she was armed and most of the rounds fired above the waterline were to suppress her guns and silence the radio. U-126 was successful at it too. Some of the gun crew were injured and they abandoned the gun.
U-126 was chased off when the navy came to the Esso Bolivar’s rescue. She was not sunk and the Chief Engineer was able to shut down the power plant (at great risk to himself) in such a way as to allow it to be restarted. He also took command when the Captain and First Officer were killed right in front of him and he led the party that went back and restarted the ship’s engines. For his actions that day he was awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal. He is also the survivor I found.
The lifeboat was never targeted by U-126.
Regards,
Ken Dunn</HTML>
The lifeboat from the Esso Bolivar was not targeted by U-126. I have been researching U-126 and Bauer for close to two years now and I have very closely examined the attack on the Esso Bolivar. My dad’s ship the SS Cardonia was sunk by U-126 the day before. I have also talked to survivors from the Esso Bolivar including a man that was in the lifeboat in question at arms length from the man that was killed. Only one lifeboat was able to be lowered. U-126 was firing it’s 105mm deck gun at the waterline of the Esso Bolivar at the time. The survivor told me (in writing and on the phone) that the lifeboat was being lowered in the shadows and the U-boat could not have seen it at the time.
From the survivor:
“The sub started firing the deck gun scoring hits on the Bolivar’s hull about three feet above the waterline, blasting holes about two feet in diameter, it was the pieces of metal from the hull that killed Chief Mate Hawkins Fudske and injured several others in the lifeboat.â€
The lifeboat was already in the water at the time and the round hit slightly above it.
Sadly, the comment about the lifeboat being fired on exists on the web in two places. One is the submarine Atrocities web site and the other is in the story of another survivor of the Esso Bolivar. It was written by his son after his father’s death. I have been in contact with him and he didn’t get the information about the lifeboat from his dad. He got it from: Standard Oil Company (New Jersey). Ships of the Esso Fleet in World War II. New Jersey: Standard Oil Company, 1946. Copyright: Standard Oil Company (New Jersey), 1946. The son (currently a Chief Engineer in the Navy) kindly sent me a description of the attack that his dad did write and it doesn’t mention any firing on the lifeboat. He also told me his dad didn't mention it to him either and you can be certain that if it had happened, he would have.
It all stems from the misinterpretation of a statement in Ships of the Esso Fleet. I know this because the survivor I found wrote that part of the book. Unfortunately a researcher working for Samuel E. Morison also included it in a footnote in “The Battle of the Atlantic, September 1939 - May 1943â€. From there it has been picked up by a couple of other books and that’s also where the author of the submarine Atrocities web site got it. He has agreed to retract it but is unable to get in touch with the current Serbian Webmaster of the site.
I also have all of the documents from the National Archives and they don’t mention anything like that either. One of the documents is the medical report of those killed and injured during the attack. All wounds are attributed to shrapnel or burns except one. It was through and through and the doctor couldn’t determine what caused it just by looking at the wound. However, an eyewitness quoted in “Ships of the Esso Fleet†saw that man hit by shrapnel.
According to U-126’s KTB: “At least 30 hits from the 105mm deck gun at the waterline, many in the superstructure, in addition to 37mm and 20mm hits. Aft the tanker is ablaze brightly and burns out completelyâ€. U-126 did shoot up the Esso Bolivar however, she was armed and most of the rounds fired above the waterline were to suppress her guns and silence the radio. U-126 was successful at it too. Some of the gun crew were injured and they abandoned the gun.
U-126 was chased off when the navy came to the Esso Bolivar’s rescue. She was not sunk and the Chief Engineer was able to shut down the power plant (at great risk to himself) in such a way as to allow it to be restarted. He also took command when the Captain and First Officer were killed right in front of him and he led the party that went back and restarted the ship’s engines. For his actions that day he was awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal. He is also the survivor I found.
The lifeboat was never targeted by U-126.
Regards,
Ken Dunn</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Esso Bolivar
|
Steve Becker | 06/23/2002 12:20AM |
|
Re: Esso Bolivar
|
hubertus | 06/23/2002 06:13AM |
|
Re: Esso Bolivar
|
hubertus | 06/23/2002 06:41AM |
|
Re: Esso Bolivar
|
hubertus | 06/23/2002 06:45AM |
|
Re: Esso Bolivar
|
Ken Dunn | 06/23/2002 05:53PM |
|
Re: Esso Bolivar
|
Marc Haldimann | 06/23/2002 06:38PM |
|
Re: Esso Bolivar
|
Steve Becker | 06/24/2002 07:29AM |
|
Re: Esso Bolivar
|
Ken Dunn | 06/24/2002 01:11PM |
|
Re: Esso Bolivar
|
Ken Dunn | 06/24/2002 01:31PM |