TRAINING ORGANIZATION
U.S. MERCHANT MARINE CADET CORPS
39 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, 6, N.Y.
JUNE 25, 1943.
CONFIDENTIAL
From: Cadet-Midshipman Jerome BRODSKY, Second Class, (E-1)
To: Supervisor, U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps
Via: District Cadet Supervisor, New York
Subject: Loss of vessel SS STANVAC MANILA; Report on
1. The vessel to which the writer of the sign clear New York Harbor on April 12th, 1943 bound for Aruba, in convoy period she had only ballast in a cargo tanks, but a deck cargo of seven motor torpedo boats. The ship arrived at Aruba on April 23rd and proceeded to take on Navy fuel oil. After a two day stay at Aruba, the ship proceeded to the Canal Zone escorted by a Navy auxiliary craft. In Balboa, the deck cargo of the P.T. boats was discarded, and she loaded six different P.T. Boats. Two other boats were set up forward on the midshiphouse, the others were placed between the midshiphouse and the after deck. The ship then left Panama bound for New Caledonia, unescorted. We had smooth sailing most of the trip except for the occasional heavy seas and high winds.
2. About 14 days from her point of destination, two of the PT boats started used to use their radar. The radar went dead on May 23rd because their ____ when dead. At 0410, May 24th, the STANVAC MANILA was hit by a torpedo in the fire room on the port side.
3. At the time of the torpedoing, the writer was not on watch. Sleeping in his quarters, he was awakened by the explosion, and quickly dressing proceeded to the #4 boat, which was his emergency station. Upon arriving at a station, all hands assigned to #4 boat waited until the Third Mate arrived at the scene. When he arrived, he ordered all the men of #4 boat to go to #3 boat, because that was on the lee side. #3 boat was lowered away in good order, and after releasing the sea painter, proceeded to pick up some of the members of the crew who were in the water in the vicinity. The ship, meanwhile, was already down by the stern. The sea was moderately heavy and light wind was blowing, making rowing in hand lifting of the lifeboats quite difficult.
4. At about 1030, several U.S. planes circled over the area in order to help us. From the lifeboats, the writer was able to see the STANVAC MANILA sink, after rising to a vertical position. It sank at 1200. After the ship sank all the PT boats floated to the surface, but two of them sing because of have they had damaged by the explosion, and had large holes in the bottom of their hulls.
Subject: Loss of vessel SS STANVAC MANILA: Report on
5. About 1,500, the survivors were picked up by a U.S. destroyer, which also took the four P.T. boats in tow, and took us to Numoa, New Cambodia.
6. The writer did not see any signs of the enemy craft, either before or after the torpedoing of his ship.
Jerome Brodsky
FIRST ENDORSEMENT June 25, 1943
From: DS-NY
To: S-CC
- Forward.
P. BRENNAN
C.P. JENSEN
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