Stanvac Calcutta: the Gallant Ship that Fought a German Raider

map of South American coastThe Stanvac Calcutta left Montevideo, Uruguay on May 29, 1942 in ballast, for Caripito, Venezuela with 51 men aboard -- 42 Merchant Marine crew and 9 Naval Armed Guard. She was a custom built tanker owned by the Socony-Vacuum Company, now Mobil Shipping and Transportation, registered in Panama. She was 487 feet long, with a 68 foot beam, 10,169 gross tons, propelled by a steam turbine. She was built April 1941 by the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts.

On the morning of June 6, while about 500 miles off Recife, Brazil, a ship flying the German flag came out of a rain squall firing at the Stanvac Calcutta. On the bridge, both Captain Gustaf Karlsson and First Mate Aage Knudsen recognized the International Code signal flags she was flying: "Stop your engines."

Captain Karlsson ordered full speed ahead and a hard right to put the Stanvac Calcutta in the best position to fire at her attacker. The Nazi raider Stier continued firing all 4 guns which could bear on the American ship. Each broadside from the Stier fired a total of 400 pounds of shells. They struck the bridge, the fo'c'sle, and all along the water line. During the battle the Stier fired 148 rounds at the Stanvac Calcutta and one torpedo.

The Calcutta began to list badly, so the first mate went down to the main deck to attempt to shift ballast to correct the list. Soon the engine stopped and the ship was dead in the water.

The Naval Armed Guard at the 4 inch stern gun (31 pound shells) and Merchant Marine crew manning the forward 3 inch gun each fired about 25 shells at the Nazi raider. They knocked out one of her 15 cm (5.9 inch) guns, wounding two men, but the next shells from the raider shattered the gun pointer's scope and sight bar. The gun crews kept firing until the ammunition magazine was hit and the ship began to sink.

First Mate Knudsen returned to the bridge to find Captain Karlsson and Able Bodied Seaman Neldon Okander, who had been at the wheel, dead at their posts, and Radio Operator Philip Heath dead outside the radio room. Of the 51 on board, 14 were dead and 14 seriously injured. The ship was settling rapidly by the stern. Knudsen gave the order to abandon ship, and the men were taken prisoner aboard the Stier.

Stanvac Calcutta tanker
Stanvac Calcutta

The Stier, formerly the merchant ship Cairo, was armed with six 15cm (5.9-inch) guns and two forward torpedo tubes. She was built by Krupp in 1936, at 434 feet long, 56.5 feet broad, with a speed rated at 14 knots. The Allied code name for this auxiliary cruiser was "Raider J." She began operation as a raider in May 1942 under the command of Horst Gerlach.

 

False panels hide the Nazi raider Stier guns Horst Gerlach captain of raider Stier
False panels hide the Stier's guns Horst Gerlach, captain of the Stier

 

SS Stanvac Calcutta was just the second victim of the Stier. The Stier had taken advantage of the position of the sun, and her first victim, the British Gemstone, had not seen her until it was too late. Her crew suffered no casualties and were taken prisoner.

Ordinary Seaman Martin Hyde died of his wounds the following day aboard the Stier, and was buried with an American flag over his body while a shipmate recited a prayer commending him to the deep.

One June 12, the Stier met a supply tanker, the MS Charlotte Schliemann and 17 members of the crew and 7 Armed Guard (all who were not wounded) were transferred to the tanker. Later, they were transferred to the German freighter Doggerbank, which took them to Japan. They spent the remainder of the war at Camp Fukuoka.

On July 27, 10 of the men were transferred to the Charlotte Schliemann which had returned with more fuel. These men landed at Yokohama in October 1942, and were imprisoned at Camp Osaka.

The most seriously wounded member of the crew, Saedie Ben Hassan, was still aboard the Stier on September 27, when the Stier met the supply ship Tannenfels. The Liberty ship SS Stephen Hopkins stumbled upon that rendezvous, and a now historic sea battle took place, resulting in the sinking of both the Hopkins and the Stier. Saedie Hassan was among those rescued by the Tannenfels from the Stier.

The Tannenfels took Hassan to France where he continued to recover from his wounds at Val de Grace hospital. Hassan wrote to the Socony-Vacuum Company from the hospital asking for shoes and cigarettes, and the company and War Shipping Administration thus learned that there were survivors of a ship that failed to arrive as expected and the crew had been declared dead.

The SS Stanvac Calcutta was named a Gallant Ship.

Stanvac Calcutta Crew Killed in Action

Arrant Selman J. Wiper
Champagne John W. A.B.
Daniel James M. Messman
DuFault Louis E. Jr. 3rd Mate
Dewhurst Charles E. 2nd Mate
Dockens Lewis V. Wiper
Heath Philip A. Radio Officer
Hilly Aloysius W. Oiler
Hyde Martin W. O.S.
Karlsson Gustaf O. Master
Knowles Harold F. Cook
Larsen Kenneth J. A.B.
Mavis Innocentes Messman
Okander Nelder W. A.B.

Stanvac Calcutta Merchant Marine Crew Prisoners of War

Last First Position Location Outcome
Bernstein Joseph Jacob Wiper Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Brown Macon St. Paul Steward Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Clark Wilmer Joseph Messman Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
De La Houssaye Jared W. 2nd Cook Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
De Long Alvin Eugene F/W Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Elliot Phillip Colby A.B. Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Frederick Jean Messman Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Grimm George H. 3rd Engineer Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Harris Dick O.S. Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Hassan Sahadi (Saedie) A.B. Tannenfels, Val de Grace hospital France, Milag Nord Germany Released 4/28/45
Inge Edress Bert Wiper Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Johnson Albert Ernest O.S. Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Killough Morris Glenn Oiler Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Knudsen Aage Harreby Chief Mate Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Langston Herschel Oiler Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Lastra Jose Marquez Utility Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Manley John William F/W Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Maynard George Robert 3rd Mate Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Mont Arthur Howard 1st Engineer Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Fukuoka Died Japan 3/44
Polk Paul Laverne A.B. Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Reed James Carl A.B. Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Sarrazin Hatswol E. Pumpman Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Siejak Frank Theodore F/W Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Small Robert James Chief Engineer Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Smith Westcott Bosun Charlotte Schliemann; Camp Osaka Released
Stillwell Fred Gilbert Messman Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Walker Richard Joseph 2nd Engineer Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Williams Hoyt 3rd Engineer Charlotte Schliemann, Doggerbank; Camp Fukuoka Released
Stanvac Calcutta Armed Guard Prisoners of War
Last First Rank Location Outcome Serial No.
Anderson Edward Lee Ens Charlotte Schliemann; Japan: Singapore; Yokahama; Osaka Main Camp Chikko Osaka Released 97722
Cox Thomas Paul S2c Doggerbank; Japan: Fukuoka POW Camp #1 - Kashii (Pine Tree Camp) Kyushu Island Released 2635168
Muldrow James Carol Jr. S2c Charlotte Schliemann; Japan: Singapore; Yokahama; Osaka Main Camp Chikko Osaka Released 2635204
Pettit James William S2c Doggerbank; Japan: Fukuoka POW Camp #1 - Kashii (Pine Tree Camp) Kyushu Island Released 2690593
Robertson Joseph G. S2c Doggerbank; Japan: Fukuoka POW Camp #1 - Kashii (Pine Tree Camp) Kyushu Island Released 6581094
Schwab Arthur George Coxswain Doggerbank; Japan: Fukuoka POW Camp #1 - Kashii (Pine Tree Camp) Kyushu Island Released 3372757
Stafford Earl S2c Doggerbank; Japan: Fukuoka POW Camp #1 - Kashii (Pine Tree Camp) Kyushu Island Released 2665630
Vinson Lonnie S2c Doggerbank; Japan: Fukuoka POW Camp #1 - Kashii (Pine Tree Camp) Kyushu Island Released 2635194
Winnell Emery Eady S2c Doggerbank; Japan: Fukuoka POW Camp #1 - Kashii (Pine Tree Camp) Kyushu Island Released 2665636

Sources:
The Years of Peril
, Cdr. Arthur Gordon, New York: Socony-Vacuum Oil Co. (Mobil Shipping and Transportation Company), 1954, 1994
A Careless Word - A Needless Sinking: A History of the Staggering Losses Suffered by the U.S. Merchant Marine, both in Ships and Personnel, during World War II, Captain Arthur R. Moore, American Merchant Marine Museum, Kings Point, NY: 1998
Photo of Gerlach and Stier -- Sea Classics, "Duel to the Death," William Mueller, November 1984
Map adapted from http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/south_america_pol98.jpg
Center for Research Allied Pows under the Japanese by Roger Mansell

Milag Nord POW camp
Ship Casualties of the Socony Vacuum Company During World War II
Past Features
Home

9/3/01 revised 02/03/07

www.USMM.org ©1998 - 2007. You may quote material on this web page as long as you cite American Merchant Marine at War, www.usmm.org, as the source. You may not use more than a few lines without permission. If you see substantial portions of this page on the Internet or in published material please notify usmm.org @ comcast.net