SS Samuel Huntington

SS "Samuel Huntington" was an American liberty ship during World War II. She was the 248th liberty ship authorized by the United States Maritime Commission and was named in honor of Samuel Huntington, a signer of the American Declaration of Independence. SS "Samuel Huntington" was launched in 1942 and sailed to ports in the Pacific, South America, Africa, and the United Kingdom. She was one of a select group of liberty ships that were outfitted to carry a limited number of either troops or prisoners of war. As part of a convoy to resupply the Allied troops at Anzio, she sank after a successful German bomb attack in January 1944.

Construction

"Samuel Huntington" was laid down on January 20, 1942 by Permanente Metals Corp. on ship way number four at their
No. 2 Yard in Richmond, California. She was the 248th liberty ship authorized by the United States Maritime Commission and the 48th ship begun at the ship yard. The "Huntington"—a type EC2-S-C1, or standard, liberty ship—was launched on April 26, and delivered on May 18. She was completed in 118 days, spending 96 on the and 22 on the water before delivery. [ had also served as a troop transport in World War I as USS "Henry R. Mallory" (ID-1280).] three U-boats were lost. "Samuel Huntington" departed the convoy and arrived at Clyde on February 11.

After calling at Belfast Lough in early April, "Samuel Huntington" made her way to Liverpool to join Convoy ON 181 to New York. Departing on April 30 as one of 48 merchant ships in the convoy, the liberty ship made port at New York on May 17. Date of attack: cite web | last = Horodysky | first = T. | title = Chronological List of U.S. Ships Sunk or Damaged during 1943 | url = http://www.usmm.org/sunk43.html | work = American Merchant Marine at War | publisher = USMM.org | date = 2006-09-04 | accessdate = 2008-07-05 ] Damage to the ship was apparently minor enough that she was ready to sail nine days later, when she joined Convoy GUS-12—which had originated in Alexandria and was destined for Hampton Roads, Virginia—to return to the United States. "Samuel Huntington" left the convoy as it neared the U.S. east coast, and headed for New York, arriving there on September 5. [cite AHCD | convoytype = GUS | convoynumber = 12 | accessdate = 2008-07-05 ] After making her way to Hampton Roads , "Samuel Huntington" departed for Casablanca on October 5 as part of Convoy UGS-20, where she arrived on October 21. Eight days later, she joined Convoy GUS-19—a 110-ship Alexandria–Hampton Roads convoy [cite AHCD | convoytype = GUS | convoynumber = 19 | accessdate = 2008-07-05 ] —and headed for home. She arrived in Baltimore on November 16. Shifting to Hampton Roads in early December, "Samuel Huntington" prepared to depart on what would be her last sailing from the United States.

The "Huntington"—in Convoy UGS-27, a 115-ship convoy [cite AHCD | convoytype = UGS | convoynumber = 27 | accessdate = 2008-07-05 ] —sailed from Hampton Roads on December 15 for Oran, arriving there on January 3 1944. She departed from Oran on January 16 and arrived at Naples five days later. One week later, "Samuel Huntington" sailed to Anzio where she anchored one-quarter mile (400 m) off the beach on January 29 with convert|7181|LT|t of cargo, including ammunition, canned gasoline and TNT.cite journal | last = Gault | first = Owen | title = If this be glory: Anzio, the invasion that nearly failed, part 2 | journal = Sea Classics | month = January | year = 2005 | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200501/ai_n16060086/ | accessdate = 2008-07-05 | location = Canoga Park, California | publisher = Challenge Publications | oclc = 60621086 ]

Sinking

At sunset on January 29, Luftwaffe bombers planes armed with Henschel Hs 293 anti-shipping guided missiles attacked the ships at anchor off Anzio. British cruiser HMS|Spartan|95|2 was hit amidships and rolled over on her port side and sank with a loss of 65 men. [Colledge p. 328. For number (and names) of casualties, see: cite web | last = Kindell | first = Don | url = http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1944-01JAN.htm#spartanlost | title = Royal Navy Casualties, killed and died, January 1944 | work = Casualty Lists of the Royal Navy and Dominion Navies, 1922-present | date = 2007-04-21 | publisher = Naval-History.Net | accessdate = 2008-07-16 ] Soon after "Spartan" was hit, another Hs 293 slammed into "Samuel Huntington", penetrating to her boiler room before exploding and killing four men. The force of the explosion blew out two of her cargo hatches, launching a jeep into the stricken ship's flying bridge in the process.cite news | title = 3 killed, 1 missing in Anzio bombing of liberty ship | work = The Washington Post | date = 1944-08-04 | page = 2 ] With no power, and, hence, no way of fighting the fire, "Samuel Huntington"'s master ordered the ship abandoned, and the crew lowered her lifeboats and headed away from the ship. Fifteen minutes after the bomb's blast, another explosion rocked the ship, throwing a cloud of debris over convert|1000|ft|m in the air, and raining shrapnel on ships as far as 1½ miles (2500 m) away.cite web | last = Butenschoen | first = George W. | title = The Sailors Log | url = http://ww2lct.org/history/stories/the_sailors_log.htm | publisher = World War II Landing Craft Tanks | year = 2000 | accessdate = 2008-07-05 ]

After the second explosion, "Samuel Huntington" settled to the bottom, but because the bottom had been only convert|3|ft|m below her keel, most of the ship remained above the water. U.S. Navy salvage ship USS|Weight|ARS-35|2 came alongside the "Huntington" and trained two deck water guns and a convert|2.5|in|cm|adj=on water hose to douse the fires. When the task seemed accomplished, "Weight" pulled away. The fires flared up again four hours later and "Weight" returned to fight the conflagration again. After tending to other ships damaged during the raid, "Weight" returned a third time. [cite DANFS | title = Weight | url = http://history.navy.mil/danfs/w5/weight.htm | short = yes ] By the early morning hours on January 30, any hope of salvaging "Samuel Huntington" or her cargo ended when the fires reached her load of canned gasoline. The resulting explosion completely destroyed the ship and again rained shrapnel on nearby ships. When the smoke cleared, no trace of the "Huntington" remained.

Notes

References

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External links

* [http://uboat.net/ops/convoys/convoys.php?convoy=SC-118 Convoy Battles: SC-118] , an account of the battle involving "Samuel Huntington"'s January 1943 convoy