 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Poland | |
| Name | Paderewski |
| Namesake | Ignacy Jan Paderewski |
| Owner | Gdynia-America Line |
| Port of registry |  Gdynia |
| Builder | International Shipbuilding Co,Pascagoula |
| Launched | 1920 |
| Completed | September 1941 |
| Commissioned | 20 September 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk 30 December 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Cargo ship |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 112.9 m (370 ft 5 in)pp. |
| Beam | 15.9 m (52 ft 2 in) |
| Draft | 8.3 m (27 ft 3 in) |
| Installed power | 2,800 ihp (2,100 kW) |
| Propulsion | triple expansion steam engine, 1 screw |
| Speed | ~9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) |
| Crew | 36 |
SSPaderewski, was a Polish general cargo ship ofWorld War II period, built in 1920 in the United States, but not completed before 1941. She was sold toGdynia America Line (GAL) and named in honour of the pianist and politicianIgnacy Jan Paderewski. She was sunk on 30 December 1942 by theGerman submarine U-214 nearTrinidad, with the loss of three lives.
During early World War II,Polish Merchant Navy, operating from the United Kingdom and subordinated toPolish government-in-exile, had difficulties with acquiring new ships to replace lost vessels, due to British restrictions and great demand of ships. The first newly-acquired ship was thePaderewski, built in the United States.[1]
The ship's hull was built and launched in 1920 by International Shipbuilding Co inPascagoula, Mississippi.[2] She was ordered for Italy asTrieste, along with sistershipsTrento andTorino, but all three had not been completed and were laid up on theMobile River nearMobile, Alabama.[1] In the meantime her owner became Panama-registered Greek company Victor Rose de Vapores.[1] The hull was in good condition, and its completion was deemed justified. On 9 April 1941 the hull was bought byGdynia America Line for 300,000 USD.[1] She was completed by Waterman Steamship Corporation in Mobile, usingtriple expansion steam engine bought from Canada and used oil-burning boilers.[1] Total cost rose to 1,085,785 USD, with most of the money coming from selling gold reserves of Polish government in the United States.[1] Due to high cost, the ship's acquiring became a subject of investigation by PolishSupreme Audit Office, but ship prices were even higher at that time, and finally thePaderewski brought some 45,000 pound sterling of profit, including insurance.[3]
The ship was commissioned on 20 September 1941 in Mobile, under master Jerzy Mieszkowski.[1] Her port of registry wasGdynia, which the ship never could see.[1] During the first voyage fromNew Orleans toBuenos Aires she ran aground on a reef nearHavana on 1 October 1941, continued the voyage with provisional leak fixing with a cement.[4] In January 1942 she returned to New York and was repaired byBethlehem Steel inHoboken, New Jersey.[4] Initially the ship was too slow, but after replacing of the screw after her first or second voyage, she made around 9–10 knots (17–19 km/h; 10–12 mph).[5] The second and third voyages was to South America as well, duringincreasing threat of German submarines in that area.[4] During third voyage, on 11 June 1942 she rescued 35 survivors from the shipPleasantville sunk three days earlier by theGerman submarine 1941 west of the Bermudas.[4]
On 30 September 1942 thePaderewski sailed in a convoy toBelém inBrasília.[6] She took some 4500 tons of raw materials there, but she damaged a screw in unknown circumstances.[6] The ship could only make 3–4 knots (5.6–7.4 km/h; 3.5–4.6 mph) and sailed alone on 24 December towards Trinidad, where it was hoped to dock the ship.[6] On 30 December 1942, some 20 miles (32 km) east of Trinidad, around 3:30 AM the ship was torpedoed byGerman submarine U-214.[6] One torpedo missed, but second struck the starboard near machine room.[6] Of 41 crewmen, including four British artillerymen, three man were killed in machine room.[6] The ship was abandoned due to danger of further attacks or boiler explosion, but the survivors remained nearby on two boats and a raft.[6] Around 4:20 the submarine surfaced, swam by one of lifeboats and shelled the ship, causing fire.[6] The submarine did not attempt to capture the captain nor ship documents and sailed away.[6] According to captain Mieszkowski, the ship sank around 5:30 AM near10°52′N60°25′W / 10.867°N 60.417°W /10.867; -60.417.[6] Sailing fishing boat appeared and started to haul the lifeboats, then the survivors were rescued by two US Navy patrol craft.[6]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1942 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Piano |
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| Orchestra |
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| Opera |
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| Family |
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| Related | |
