SS Santa Elisa
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SS Santa Elisa |
| Owner | United States Maritime Commission (USMC)[2] |
| Operator | Grace Line[2] |
| Port of registry |  Wilmington, Delaware[1] |
| Builder |
|
| Yard number | 179 |
| Launched | 29 May 1941 |
| Completed | July 1941 |
| Fate | Sunk by Italian |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Type C2-G ship |
| Tonnage | 8,379 GRT |
| Length | 439 ft 0 in (133.81 m)[1] |
| Beam | 63 ft 2 in (19.25 m)[1] |
| Draft | 27 ft 5 in (8.36 m)[1] |
| Decks | three decks |
| Propulsion | 2 screw propeller[1] |
| Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h)[5] |
| Crew | 11 officers, 45 sailors, 10 Naval Armed Guardsmen (83 total)[2] |
| Armament | unknown, but included 20 mm guns |
SS Santa Elisa was a refrigerated
Operated by the
Santa Elisa eventually sank at approximately 07:17 on 13 August near position 36°20′N 11°28′E / 36.333°N 11.467°E, and 28 survivors, including Francis A. Dales who was awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for his involvement in the convoy, were rescued by HMS Penn and landed at Malta.[3][4] Frederick A. Larsen, Jr. the Junior Third Mate on SS Santa Elisa also was awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for courage, heroism above and beyond the call of duty. After the Santa Elisa's sinking, Dales and Larsen volunteered to board the damaged SS Ohio and helped defend it against further attacked until the Ohio reached Malta on 16 August 1942 suspended between the British destroyers Bramham and Penn. The award was given by Admiral Emory S. Land.[6]
Notes
- ^ Lloyd's Register of Shipping (1856). Register of Ships (1940–41 ed.). London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Scan of page "S" (pdf) hosted at Plimsoll Ship Data. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ a b c Browning, p. 199.
- ^ a b Greene & Massignani, page 254
- ^ a b Woodman, page 430-431
- ^ a b "Santa Elisa (2240800)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ usmm.org Heroes
References
- Browning, Robert M. (1996). U.S. Merchant Vessel War Casualties of World War II. OCLC 32310902.
- Greene & Massignani, Jack & Allessandro (1999). The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940-1943. ISBN 1-885119-61-5.
- Woodman, Richard (2000). Malta Convoys 1940-43. ISBN 0-7195-5753-4.
- Moses, Sam (2006). At All Costs. ISBN 978-0-345-47674-6.
