M.S. Bidwell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
M.S. Bidwell in 1920. From the www.fleetsheet.com collection | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Baltimore Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Co. (Baltimore MD) - later the Baltimore
division of Bethlehem Steel Shipbuilding Bidwell: Hull# 112, for US Shipping Board, Tanker, DWT: 10,950, Delivery: Sep-20 |
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Monday, April 6, 1942: Unarmed U.S. tanker Bidwell, bound from Corpus Christi, Texas, to New York City, is torpedoed by German submarine U-160 about 30 miles east of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, 34°25'N, 75°57'W, but manages to reach Hampton Roads under her own power. One man of her 33-man crew is lost in the torpedoing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
February 4, 1932: Explosion of the Sun Oil tanker M.S. Bidwell at the
Sinclair Dock Marcus Hook, PA "During the night Feb. 4,1932 at 12:30 am. the M.S. Bidwell an oil tanker belonging to the Sun Oil Company In Marcus Hook, Pa. exploded and burned at the Sinclair Dock. Seventeen men aboard were killed including the Captain, Joseph Rivers of Hollis, New York. His wife Viola Rivers aboard at the time was injured and rescued from the frigid waters of the Delaware River by Edward J. Cartain of Chester who swam to her resue. He was employed at Sinclair Refining and subsequently awarded the Carnegie medal for heroism. The Captain's Wife Viola Rivers, was treated at Chester Hospital and subsequently relocated to Chester. Several of the deceased were from Chester, others from Linwood, Pa. and Philadelphia. A little known fact is that the second mate, 33 years of age from New York, was the natural father of Veronica Lake the hollywood actress. The Bidwell survived another 31 years and was torpedoed once during WW2. After logging 2 million miles it was sold to the Greek Government. The last Master was Captain Fredrick Burgess. Two sons of the late Captain Rivers, both served on the Bidwell as merchant seamen before its demise." - Harold Rivers (Son of Capt. Rivers) From: OldChesterPa.com: Tragedies |
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Information on 1942 attack supplied from: |
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M.S. Bidwell 9/19/54: From Collection of Dave Boone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Broke up: Hamburg on 04/17/1965 |
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Copyright ©2007 by Minor W. Kates, Jr. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED