SS Mauna Loa

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Coordinates: 12°29.86′S 130°49.16′E / 12.49767°S 130.81933°E / -12.49767; 130.81933
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SS West Conob shortly after completion in 1919. She was renamed Mauna Loa in 1934.
SS West Conob shortly after completion in 1919. She was renamed Mauna Loa in 1934.
History
Name
  • West Conob
  • 1928: Golden Eagle
  • 1934: Mauna Loa
NamesakeMauna Loa
Owner
Operator
Builder
  • Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.
  • San Pedro, California
Yard number14[2]
Launched1 December 1918
CompletedMay 1919[2]
IdentificationUS Official number: 218048[1]
FateBombed and sunk 19 February 1942 in the Bombing of Darwin[6]
General characteristics
TypeDesign 1013 ship
Tonnage
Length
Beam54 ft 6 in (16.61 m)[1]
Draft24 ft (7.3 m)[7]
Propulsion
Speed10.5 knots (19.4 km/h)[1]

SS Mauna Loa was a

bombing of Darwin in February 1942. She was christened SS West Conob in 1919 and renamed SS Golden Eagle in 1928. At the time of her completion in 1919, the ship was inspected by the United States Navy for possible use as USS West Conob (ID-4033) but was neither taken into the Navy nor commissioned
.

West Conob was built in 1919 for the

island of Hawaii
, and put her into service between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland.

Shortly before the United States' entry into World War II, Mauna Loa was

chartered by the United States Department of War to carry supplies to the Philippines. The ship was part of an aborted attempt to reinforce Allied forces under attack by the Japanese on Timor in mid-February 1942. After the return of her convoy to Darwin, Northern Territory, Mauna Loa was one of eight ships sunk in Darwin Harbour in the first Japanese bombing attack on the Australian mainland on 19 February. The remains of her wreck and her cargo are a dive site
in the harbor.

Design and construction

The West ships were cargo ships of similar size and design built by several shipyards on the west coast of the United States for the USSB for emergency use during World War I. Some 40 West ships were built by

Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company of Los Angeles,[2] all given names that began with the word West.[8] West Conob (Los Angeles Shipbuilding yard number 14)[2] was completed in May 1919.[2]

West Conob was 5,899 

hold 29 feet 9 inches (9.07 m) deep.[9]

West Conob's power plant consisted of a single

screw propeller was 17 feet 1 inch (5.21 m) in diameter with a 15-foot-3-inch (4.65 m) pitch and a developed area of 102 square feet (9.5 m2).[10][Note 1] The ship was designed to travel at 11 knots (20 km/h),[10] and averaged 11.1 knots (20.6 km/h) during her first voyage in June 1919.[12]

Career

After completion, West Conob was inspected by the

12th Naval District of the United States Navy for possible naval service and was assigned the identification number of 4033. Had she been commissioned, she would have been known as USS West Conob (ID-4033), but the Navy neither took over the ship nor commissioned her.[6]

Little information on the first years of West Conob's career is found in sources. But it is known that she was operated by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company on Pacific routes.[4] The ship departed Los Angeles on her maiden voyage to Hong Kong, making her way to San Francisco. West Conob departed from there on 13 June 1919 for Honolulu, where she arrived eight days later. After refueling at Honolulu, she headed to Hong Kong, and from there, retraced her route to return to San Francisco.[13] Details of later voyages are not available, but by mid-April 1921, West Conob had completed two circumnavigations without needing to stop for repairs. At that time, the USSB allocated West Conob for service to Genoa.[5][Note 2]

In December 1925, West Conob was allocated to

wallboard.[14][15]

SS Golden Eagle in Vancouver (1932). Photograph by Walter E. Frost

In October 1927, the Los Angeles Times reported on the impending sale of West Conob and 18 other Swayne & Holt ships to a San Francisco financier.

Matson Navigation Company, and the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company, established to take over operation of transpacific routes that had been managed for the USSB by Swayne & Holt Lines.[16][Note 3] On 3 April 1928 it was reported that eight ships acquired by Matson were renamed—Dewey, West Carmona, West Cajoot, West Calera, West Conob, West Elcajon, West Nivaria, and West Togus becoming Golden State, Golden Fleece, Golden Bear, Golden Harvest, Golden Eagle, Golden Kauri, Golden Coast, and Golden Forrest, respectively.[17] The ship operated under the name Golden Eagle for the next six years.[1] Golden Eagle was sailing for Oceanic and Oriental from Los Angeles to Australia in March 1930, when the Los Angeles Times reported that she had sailed with 6,700 long tons (6,800 t) of case oil and 200 long tons (200 t) of general merchandise.[3]

In March 1934, Matson began a new "sugar, molasses and pineapple service" from Hawaii to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and either Philadelphia or New York, employing Golden Eagle and three other cargo ships.[18][Note 4] In May, after returning from New York on her first voyage in the new service, Golden Eagle entered drydock at Los Angeles for general repairs and repainting. She emerged in Matson livery and with the new name of Mauna Loa.[19] She sailed on her maiden voyage under her new name to Honolulu with 4,500 long tons (4,600 t) of general cargo in late May.[20] Mauna Loa continued on the Hawaii–California–Philadelphia/New York service, occasionally making extra voyages from Los Angeles to Honolulu when dictated by cargo bookings. One such extra voyage occurred in February 1936 when she carried almost a full load of building materials for family dwellings in Hawaii.[21]

In August 1936, Mauna Loa diverted to respond to a

Sea Scouts—and had been missing for two weeks. Mauna Loa's crew provided required supplies for the sailing vessel and her radioed messages prompted the United States Coast Guard to recall all of its vessels actively searching for Pacific Queen.[22]

On 18 November 1941, the

chartered Mauna Loa and seven other ships to carry supplies to the Philippines.[6][23] Even though details of the charters were deemed confidential, the names of all eight ships were published in the Los Angeles Times two days later.[23][Note 5]

World War II

Less than three weeks after Mauna Loa's charter, the

Sydney, Australia, arriving on December 29. There she was offloaded the 214 vehicles, several barrels of aviation gasoline, subsistence supplies and ammunition she was carrying. She was then relocated to Darwin, Northern Territory, arriving on January 19, 1942. She was considered for use as a blockade runner for an operation to the Philippines, but was not selected. She was selected later for the Timor reinforcement convoy. [24]

Mauna Loa (middle) is seen in Darwin Harbour in February 1942 with sloops HMAS Swan (left) and HMAS Warrego.

Japanese forces advancing south from the

Royal Dutch East Indies Army forces defending the island.[26]

The American cruiser

Idaho National Guard between them.[26][29][Note 7]

The ships were spotted by a Japanese

Curtiss P-40 responded and engaged the Mavis, with each plane managing to shoot down the other.[31] At around 09:00 the next day, another Mavis began trailing the convoy and at 11:00, 36 land-based Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" twin-engine bombers and ten seaplanes attacked in two waves.[32] Houston, the primary target of the bombers, unleashed all of her available antiaircraft fire with neither bombs nor Houston's fire being effective.[32] In the second wave, from the southwest and after the ships had scattered, Houston shot down seven of forty-four planes and repelled the attacking aircraft.[28][32] Houston's 900 rounds fired in the 45-minute attack resembled a "sheet of flame", according to witnesses.[28][26] The only casualties during the attack were from one near miss on Mauna Loa; one crewman and one passenger were killed and 18 men were wounded in the attack.[28] The convoy was ordered back to Darwin when word that Koepang had fallen to the Japanese was received; she arrived back in Darwin on 18 February.[27]

Sinking

Main article:
Bombing of Darwin (February 1942)
Mauna Loa burns before sinking on 19 February 1942 in Darwin Harbour.

On 19 February 1942, the Japanese carrier striking force, consisting of aircraft carriers

Chuichi Nagumo, launched 189 planes to attack Darwin.[33] The carrier planes rendezvoused with 54 land-based bombers from Kendari and Ambon.[34]

At the time of the raid the Mauna Loa and Meigs had unloaded troops and moved to anchorages with the force's equipment and ammunition aboard with Neptuna and Zealandia unloading ammunition at the docks that were the first target of high altitude bombers. Both ships at the dock were hit with Neptuna exploding. After a second wave of bombers, concentrating on the airport, came waves of dive bombers that for two hours concentrated on ships in the harbor.[32]

During the attack, Mauna Loa quickly sank after she was hit by two bombs that landed in an open

hatch.[35] None of her 37-man crew or seven passengers was injured.[33] Along with Mauna Loa, two other American ships, destroyer Peary and Army transport Meigs, were sunk. In addition to the many other ships that were damaged, five Commonwealth ships were sunk, including two Australian passenger ships in use as troopships, Neptuna and Zealandia. The total death toll for the attack was around 250; of the total, 157 died on ships.[36]

After the war, a Japanese salvage firm was awarded the contract for salvaging the remains of Mauna Loa and the other wrecks in the harbor, but were prohibited from removing any of the American-owned cargo still remaining.[37] What remains of Mauna Loa lies in Darwin Harbour at position 12°29.86′S 130°49.16′E / 12.49767°S 130.81933°E / -12.49767; 130.81933 at a depth of 60 feet (18 m),[38][37] and is a dive site.[39] Military trucks, Bren Gun Carriers, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and many rounds of .303- and .50-caliber ammunition are among the pieces of Mauna Loa's cargo that still lie strewn about the wreck.[37][39]

Notes

  1. ^ The developed area of a propeller is the surface area of all blades combined. See: Eliasson and Larsson, pp. 174–75, 179.
  2. ^ The Genoa service to which West Conob was allocated was reported as being from unspecified "northern ports".
  3. ^ Oceanic-Matson operated the California–Australia–New Zealand routes, while the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company operated the routes to China.
  4. ^ The other three ships named were Mauna Ala, General M.H. Sherman, and Makiki.
  5. ^ The other seven ships were Iowan, Portmar, West Camargo, Steel Voyager, Jane Christenson, F. J. Luckenbach, and Malama.
  6. Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company. See: Colton, Tim. "Todd Pacific Shipyards, San Pedro CA". Shipbuildinghistory.com. The Colton Company. Archived from the original
    on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  7. ^ Portmar is sometimes referred to as Port Mar in sources describing this convoy and the subsequent attack on Darwin.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "West Conob". Miramar Ship Index. R.B.Haworth. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  2. ^
    Todd Pacific Shipyards
    bought the Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in 1945.)
  3. ^ a b c Drake, Waldo (15 March 1930). "Case-oil rush to Australia underway". Los Angeles Times. p. 6.
  4. ^ a b "Tribute to ship built at harbor". Los Angeles Times. 17 April 1921. p. I-7.
  5. ^ a b c "Shipping and Los Angeles Harbor news". Los Angeles Times. 15 December 1925. p. 19.
  6. ^ a b c d Naval Historical Center. "West Conob". DANFS.
  7. ^ a b c d Jordan, p. 404.
  8. ^ Crowell and Wilson, pp. 358–59.
  9. ^ Naval Historical Center. "West Grama". DANFS.
  10. ^ a b c Andros, p. 123.
  11. ^ Andros, pp. 123–24.
  12. ^ Andros, p. 121.
  13. ^ Andros, pp. 121, 123.
  14. ^ a b "Large shipping deal in making". Los Angeles Times. 18 October 1927. p. 11.
  15. ^ "Large foreign shipment made by local firm". Los Angeles Times. 13 June 1926. p. E12.
  16. ^ "New shipping concern". The New York Times. 23 February 1928. p. 43.
  17. ^ The Register, 5 April 1928, p. 19
  18. ^ Drake, Waldo (19 March 1934). "New service opens today". Los Angeles Times. p. A6.
  19. ^ Drake, Waldo (18 May 1934). "Shipping news and activities at Los Angeles Harbor". Los Angeles Times. p. 19. The newspaper mistakenly reports that she would be renamed Mauna Ala, a name already in use by another Matson ship. For another article listing the correct new name, see Drake, Waldo (4 April 1934). "Shipping news and activities at Los Angeles Harbor". Los Angeles Times. p. A12.
  20. ^ Cave, Wayne B. (25 May 1934). "Shipping news and activities at Los Angeles Harbor". Los Angeles Times. p. 17.
  21. ^ Drake, Waldo (25 February 1936). "Shipping news and activities at Los Angeles Harbor". Los Angeles Times. p. A12.
  22. ^ "Aid given missing ship and sea hunt called off". Los Angeles Times. 24 August 1936. p. A1.
  23. ^ a b Cave, Wayne B. (20 November 1941). "New group of freighters drafted for war service". Los Angeles Times. p. 33.
  24. ^ Source: Williford, pages 177-78, 233, 310-312.
  25. LCCN 61060001
    . Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  26. ^ a b c d e Feuer, p. 6.
  27. ^ a b Tolley, p. 315.
  28. ^ a b c d Cressman, p. 75.
  29. ^ "Tulagi". Miramar Ship Index. R.B.Haworth. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  30. ^ Morison, p. 314.
  31. ^ Feuer, p. 7.
  32. ^
    LCCN 2009397493. Archived from the original
    on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  33. ^ a b Cressman, p. 76
  34. ^ Morison, p. 316.
  35. ^ Morison, p. 319.
  36. ^ Swain, pp. 136–37.
  37. ^ a b c "WWII Wrecks". Darwin Dive Centre. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
  38. ^ "World War II Shipwrecks". Northern Territory Government, Australia. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  39. ^ a b Coleman and Marsh, p. 72.

Bibliography


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