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Stories of the Liberty Ship H.G.
Blasdel |
| Floyd served on several merchant ships during World War II which
took him into dangerous waters. Like so many other Merchant Mariners, he received no
recognition or benefits, even though his life was in danger and many, many mariners lost
their lives. He was on board the Liberty ship H. G. Blasdell the day it was
torpedoed off the coast of Normandy. I remember him telling me about this
horrific day and how he felt watching his shipmates get blown apart, and how frightened he
was waiting to be rescued. At the age of only 23, he was sailing as Wiper, which put
him in the engine room. Here are some excerpts from some excellent books about the
Liberty ships of World War II, specifically the H.G. Blasdel. |
| My sincere thanks to Matthew Loughran, historian, American
Merchant Marine Veterans, for sending me these stories. |
| From: "A Careless Word...A Needless Sinking" by Capt.
Arthur R. Moore "The Liberty Ship, SS H. G. Blasdel,
was torpedoed by the German submarine U-984 (Sieder) at 1332 GCT on June 29, 1944, 30
miles south of St. Catherine's Point, England (50-07 North/00-47 West) while en route in
Convoy EMC-17 (#12) from Southampton, England to Utah Beach off the coast of Normandy,
France with U.S. Army personnel and a cargo of tanks, trucks, jeeps, and other mechanized
equipment. She had left St. John's New Brunswick and arrived Liverpool via Halifax,
N.S., on April 26 in Convoy HX-287. Her complement was 45 merchant crew, 28 Naval
Armed Guard, and 436 U.S. Army personnel. The merchant crew and Armed Guard all
survived, but 76 of the troops were killed and many were injured."
"At 1332 GCT, a torpedo struck on the port side at #5 hold. The
force of the explosion caused a huge column of water to be blown over the entire midship
section of the ship. There was a large hole in the hull on the port side and the
entire stern section dropped down several feet. The bulwarks were cracked just aft
of #5 hatch. The rudder and propeller were blown off. The engines were secured
immediately. The engine room and #5 hold caught fire but this was extinguished by
the crew using foamite and water. Hatch boards and stongbacks were blown upward and
when this debris fell back on deck it caused casualties. As the ship was dead in the
water and drifting towards a suspected minefield, the anchor was dropped. At 2100
GCT on June 29, the ship was taken in tow by a U.S. Maritime Commission tug and beached
June 30 near Southampton, England bow first, with the after deck flush with the water.
She broke in two and was considered a total constructive loss. She was
scrapped in 1947.
Soon after the explosion, all of the military personnel were removed from the
ship by 2 British ships and the LST-326. Later, on orders from the engine room, The
Master, Chief Engineer, 3rd Mate, Chief Cook, an Ordinary Seaman (probably
my Dad), and a Messman plus 6 Navy men who were in #2 lifeboat were
picked up by HMCS ALBERNI (K-103) and landed in England. The remaining survivors
were in #1 - #4 lifeboats. They were picked up by the SS BIC ISLAND which was
torpedoed and sunk with all hands." |
| From: "U.S. Merchant Vessel War Casualties of WWII" by
Robert W. Browning, Jr. "The H.G. Blasdel sailed from
Southampton on 29 June in Convoy EMC-17 en route to Utah Beach, Normandy. The Blasdel
steamed in convoy station #12. Thirty miles south of St. Catherine Point, the U-984
(Sieder) attacked the convoy. The U-boat fired a spread of two torpedoes - one hit
the Edward M. House and the second struck the Blasdel on the port side
at the #5 hold. The explosion extensively damaged the interior of the vessel.
The entire stern section sagged, leaving the after gun platform laying partially
submerged. The ship did not answer the helm, and the watch below secured the
engines. The #5 hold and shaft alley immediately flooded, and the engine room filled
with water until the top of the cylinders lay submerged. The gasoline in the jeep
and command cars stowed in the #5 hold caught fire, and firefighting parties from the crew
extinguished the fire. The crew anchored the vessel to keep her from drifting into a
minefield and to await tugs. On board at the time of the attack were 8 officers, 36
men, 28 armed guards, and 436 troops. The explosion killed 76 of the troops and
wounded 180 others. All of the merchant crew and armed guards survived. At
1615 a British corvette came alongside to remove the wounded, and at 1630 a British buoy
tender arrived to help with the injured. At 1700 the LST-326 arrived
alongside to take off the remaining troops. At 2300 as the Blasdel's stern
threatened to break off, two tugs made fast to the Liberty ship and towed her to
Southampton, England. The ship was declared a CTL." NSS; WCSR;
USMMA; AG; Rohwer, p. 182. |
| My Note: My dad's discharge papers show he was
discharged from this ship on June 29, 1944, which means that he was no longer getting paid
his salary after the moment the torpedo struck the ship. Merchant Mariners had no
military status, pay, or benefits. Even though he was stranded in a lifeboat waiting
to be rescued, ferried to England, and dropped off, he was not "on duty", so
received no compensation. He had to pay his own way back to the States and find
other work. |
Further reading on the role of the Merchant
Marine in our nations wars and the history of the Liberty Ships of WWII
Click on the title to learn more or buy the book
|
ISBN: 1557500932
Title: Heroes in Dungarees: The Story of the American Merchant Marine in World War II
Author: John G. Bunker
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Date Published: October 1995 |
|
ISBN: 1557502730
Title: The U.S. Merchant Marine at War, 1775-1945
Author: Bruce L. Felknor (Editor)
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Date Published: June 1998 |
|
ISBN: 1557501378
Title: Convoy: Merchant Sailors at War 1939-1945
Author: Philip Kaplan,Jack Currie
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Date Published: July 1998 |
|
ISBN: 1557500878
Title: U.S. Merchant Vessel War Casualties of World War II
Author: Robert M. Browning
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Date Published: March 1996 |
|
ISBN: 1889103039
Title: They Couldn't Have Won the War without Us.!: Stories of the Merchant Marine -
Told by the Men Who Sailed the Ships
Author: Pete Peterson (Editor)
Publisher: Lead Mine Press
Date Published: May 1998 |
|
ISBN: 1557503699
Title: The Fighting Liberty Ships; A Memoir
Author: Adolph A. Hoehling
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Date Published: October 1996 |
|
ISBN: 1575026465
Title: Great Ships Passing: A Story of Mariners and Their Ships
Author: Harold Thurston
Publisher: Morris Publishing Company
Date Published: November 1998 |
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