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SS Fort Mercer

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SS Fort Mercer was a Type T2-SE-A1 tanker built by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., at Chester, Pennsylvania in October 1945.

Loss

On February 18, 1952, Fort Mercer broke in two in a gale, 30 miles east of Chatham, Massachusetts. On the same day SS Pendleton, also a T2 tanker, broke up about 20 miles away. Daring rescues by the United States Coast Guard were carried out for both the bow and stern sections of Fort Mercer as well as Pendleton's stern (Pendleton's bow sank before any rescue could be mounted). Only five members of the Fort Mercer crew were lost, all from the bow.

The stern of Fort Mercer, which remained afloat, was towed to Newport, Rhode Island, outfitted with a new bow and rechristened San Jacinto. The ship again split in half in 1964 and again was rebuilt, renamed this time The Pasadena. The Pasadena was partially salvaged and mostly scrapped in 1983.


SS Fort Mercer Fort Mercerquot inbound passing in the Houston ship channel Texas

References

SS Fort Mercer Wikipedia