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SS President Coolidge Suffers Naval Blunder in WWII
SS President Coolidge
Like the old Chinese proverb, “A bee stinging a weeping face,” the troopship SS President Coolidge experienced one mishap after another before it became a victim of friendly fire in WWII. When it struck the first mine, Capt. Henry Nelson figured he might save his 654-foot vessel, but the second hit convinced him it was pointless and he had to save the 5,340 U.S. Army and naval personnel aboard.
On October 26, 1942, the Coolidge entered the main channel of Luganville Harbor on the island of Espiritu Santo, the largest of a chain of islands known at that time as New Hebrides. The chain became Vanuatu after gaining independence in 1980. The troops were sent there for harbor defense, airfield protection and support for forces stationed at Guadalcanal and other Pacific garrisons. The Pacific Theater of Operations was a hotbed of action in battles against the Japanese and all the island harbors were heavily protected. Unfortunately, Capt. Nelson’s sailing orders accidentally omitted the presence of mines anchored throughout the harbor of the large Luganville military base. Contributing to the oversight, base support failed to send a patrol boat to escort the ship through the channel, assuming the captain had received entry instructions from Navy headquarters. The captain was warned of enemy submarines around the islands, but nothing was said about mines.
Realizing the damage done amidship and at the stern, the captain ran his ship aground and gave orders to abandon it. Within 90 minutes, all but two of the more than 5,000 men aboard reached shore safely. A navy fireman in the engine room and an army captain who was helping his men escape from the infirmary, were the only causalities. When the ship struck the coral reef, it was so close to land, many men simply waded ashore.
Assuming the vessel would remain aground, orders were given to hustle ashore and leave everything behind. But the supplies, equipment and personal belongings were lost when the Coolidge slid off the reef, down a slope and settled in deep water on its port side. Navy salvors returned to the wreck for its propellers, engines, steam turbines and some of the cargo. They opened two holes in the starboard side to gain access to the engine room. This enables sport divers to explore part of the ship that otherwise would have been difficult to penetrate. Much of the cargo remains throughout the wreck thanks to a law passed in 1983 when the Republic of Vanuatu declared the Coolidge a marine reserve.
“The Lady” is a ceramic frieze hanging in the first class lounge. Credit: American President Lines, Ltd.
Named after Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, the ship was seven years old when the American Presidents Line bought it from the John Dollar Steamship Company in 1938. A luxury passenger liner based in San Francisco, it sailed to Manila in the Philippines via Kobe, Japan and Shanghai, China. It was short-lived as a troopship outfitted in 1941 and lost a year later.
The loss of a vessel this size and the scenario of its demise was shocking to military commands and civilians alike. Loaded with needy military supplies for our fighting men and Allies, it struck a blow at a critical time when the war was in its infancy. However, historians who looked back put a positive spin on the tragedy. They lamented the loss of two brave men, but cited the possibility of what could have happened had the captain not acted so swiftly. Capt. Nelson was acquitted of all accusations in three inquiries held by military commissions to determine how the mistake transpired. In the final analysis, the high command was the goat and the captain a hero.
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aug 24, 2016 capt euart id
http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/924176/soldier-missing-from-world-war-ii-accounted-for-euart/
Thank you for sharing this with us. I’m sure there are many interesting stories about the President Coolidge and those who were aboard. This is one of them. Thanks again.
Thank you for this interesting story of the Calvin Coolidge. It was the first ship my brother served on during WW II.
Mary Lou, Oh good, you read my article about the President Coolidge. It surely has a lot of interest for you since your brother served on it. Please keep reading “Always Another Shipwreck” on Numa.net.
I have a “Domain of the Netunus Rex” Certificate which is a tradition when one crosses the equator, dated 1 month befor the Coolidge sunk . It was given to a Charles J . Panepintos BM2C.. From what I gathered he passed in 2001 and lived in Dunkirk NY . Interesting item though.Does anyone know of him ?
I have a “Domain of the Netunus Rex” Certificate which is a tradition when one crosses the equator, dated 2 weeks befor the Coolidge sunk . It was given to a Charles J . Panepintos BM2C.. From what I gathered ehe passed in 2001 and lived in Dunkirk NY . Interesting item though. Does anyone know of him ?
Very interesting. I’ve seen the certificate given to those who cross the equator. You probably have checked Google, but if you haven’t, look up Charles J. Panepinto, Dunkirk, New York. More than one comes up, but in a few pictures that come up, it shows a sailor. I guess that’s him. But it doesn’t come up with a write-up. You would have to research the 12 Charles Panepintos that are listed.
My father S. Sergeant Frank J. Svihula was on the USS Coolidge when it sank and lived to tell the story. My Dad was in the Army in WW II and survived the sinking and also went on until 1943 until he was discharged from the Army. He had stories to tell but kept the awful stories from my brothers and I until we were adults and could understand how horrible the war was.
Thank You,
Cathy Wos
Thank you so much for your article. My uncle was on that ship when it sank. He and his buddies found a can of pineapple left over from the Japanese. All of their supplies went down with ship. They proceeded to devour the fruit but apparently it was tainted. He never could even stand the smell of pineapple after that. He returned safely and lived a long life. He was James A. Wood
Elaine: I’m so glad you liked m article. And I’m so glad your uncle and his buddies got off before their ship sank. Your story about them eating the pineapple reminds me of the time I tried to keep up with two Baltimore Colts National Football League players who were drinking shots of tequila. That was a long time ago and to this day I can’t drink anything with tequila in it! Keep reading articles, especially the ones about the island of Tristan da Cunha written in three parts, April, May, June, 2020. Best regards, Ellsworth
My dad was aboard the SS Coolidge on that fateful day. As a child I remember him telling me the story of what happened.
He was going over the railing with all his gear aboard he was stopped by a Sargeant. That Sargeant saved my father’s life. He took all my dad’s gear off and threw it overboard. Had he gone into the water with all that gear he would have most certainly drown. When he reached shallow water he and other soldiers walked across the sharp coral. Many lost their boots to the coral. They had nothing when they reached dry land and waited many weeks for resupply.
As I watch dive videos of the wreck I think that my dad walked those decks. I can’t help but be saddened yet happy that he and all but two men survived the sinking.
This is a very interesting story. I’m so glad your Dad survived. And thank goodness that sergeant came along. In my research I read where the soldiers had to wade through shallow water and cross over the coral reef to reach shore. It’s very sad that two lives were lost in the sinking.
Thank you for this article. My dad was on the ship that day, too. I was born in 1947 so the experience, still fresh in his mind, was a frequent bedtime story for my younger siblings and me. A young lieutenant, he and other officers waited until all enlisted men had left the ship. He talked about how grateful he was, once aground, to run into a friend from college (Texas A&M) who was already stationed there, as, like the others from the ship, my dad had nothing but the shirt on his back. He spent the rest of the duration of the war there In the Philippines.
Many thanks. What an interesting story. And wasn’t it an amazing event of how he met an old friend when he got off the ship. And he had only his shirt and no other belongings, but he was happy to have made it ashore. Thanks again. Best regards, Ellsworth
My uncle was aboard this ship that day as well. He was injured when one of the mines loosened a rivet and it hit his hip. I do remember he mentioned they had no supplies and it was over several weeks until supplies got there to the island. I asked his son, my cousin, about where he served and he mentioned the name of the troopship and the island and said his father didn’t really want to talk about it after the war. Your article was very interesting and I am enjoying the reads and footage about the ship as I am doing our family ancestry.
Kay: Oh good, I’m glad you enjoyed the article. I’m sorry your uncle suffered an injury, but I’m glad he survived. I did not know about the supplies for the survivors taking so long to reach the island. It’s great that you are researching your family ancestry. If you want a picture of the ship to put with your notes, send me an email & I will try to send you one as an attachment. Thanks again for your kind words. Best regards, Ellsworth [email protected]
My Uncle Robert Reid was the (Bobby) the Naval fireman who died after the ship hit the mine. Family said he was a most handsome man with light cocoa skin and green eyes, he never had a chance to marry . My Uncle James Reid (Jimmy) was a preteen smuggled aboard with Capt. Nelson’s permission, Jimmy had been abused bu the Japanese fore smuggling food to family in hiding. Biracial Filipino American was particularly abhorrent to the Japanese. Capt Nelson allowed him to stowaway & work with in the kitchen with the Filipino cooks. They were the eldest son of Bertrand Julian Reid, who was Scots American Officer who arrived in the Philippines after the Spanish American War. Fell in love with the P.I. and stayed as the Civil Engineer for the Protectorate in Manila. He married Cristeta Dionesia Laracas, daughter of a man who owned an inter island shipping fleet. They had 11 children before WWII. He survived Santos Tomas POW Camp. Son Charles Reid died at the Battle of the Bulge. He married his love Gloria; Bobby’s nieces were named named Pamela and Denise. Of the 5,340 US Army and Navy personal, It’s truly amazing that only Uncle Bobby and a medic perished. Prayers up for all, past and present in Service.
What an interesting story! Thanks for sharing. I am sorry to learn about your uncle. He gave his life for his country. The fate of the President Coolidge is one of the most unusual of the war. Many relatives of the men aboard have contacted me asking for more information.
According to US Certificate of Identity from 1940, my father was a passenger on this ship. It was a 3 week voyage from China to Los Angeles. Chinese seeking a better life took great risks and lied to gain passage to the US as “Paper Sons”.
Thank you. This is very interesting. Most of the comments from viewers have been about relatives lost during the war. When I researched the President Coolidge, I didn’t read much about the ship when it was carrying passengers in peace time. It surely had an interesting history. Thank you again for writing.
My husband was onboard the USS President Coolidge on its last trip across the Pacific before it became a troop ship. He was nine years old and with his parents and sister, they were returning from the Philippines for a state-side vacation. His father worked for the Marsman Mining Company in Paracale. They sailed from Manila November 20, 1941 and there were rumors that the USS President Hoover was overdue leaving Yokohama so the U.S. Navy re-routed them south through Mindora Strait and east through the Torres Strait between Austraiia and New Guinea. Prior to entering the strait, the Coolidge was joined by the freighter A.T. Scott and the Heavy Cruiser Louisville which served as escort. They cleared the strait on December 3, 1941 and entered the Coral Sea approximately December 7. The escort received a radio message concerning the Pearl Harbor attack and was instructed to commence submarine air patrols and imposed blackout conditions on all ships. Evasive action dictated a zigzag intermediate course during the balance of the run into Honolulu, arriving on December 16. They received one hundred wounded from Pearl who were evacuated to stateside hospitals and they arrived at the Golden Gate on Christmas day. The Coolidge was quickly converted to a troop transport and carried men and equipment to New Zealand and Australia during the early part of 1942. On her seventh military voyage, she entered the harbor at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides. Navy blinker signals were ignored and the Coolidge struck a U.S. minefield which was protecting the harbor entrance and sank in 135 feet of water.
Thank you so much for sharing this. It adds even more history to the saga of the SS President Coolidge. I’m sure others, especially those who have sent in comments, will be interested in this too. Best Regards, Ellsworth
According to some old militarily files my great grandfather was aboard when it sank his name was Robert Shover and he has been awarded the bronze star award
I’m so glad your grandfather earned this award. This was a sad and crazy mishap. There is a lot of interest in this shipwreck as you can see by the comments.
Hi Ellsworth, I would love to connect with you and Carolyn Norton as my grandfather was on the Coolidge on her last trip out of shanghai on what I heard was Nov, 23rd, 1941. I am wondering if he was one of the two doctors on board that I had read about.