SS Ohio The SS " Ohio " was an oil tanker built for the Texas Oil Company , ( now Texaco ) . The ship was launched on 20 April 1940 at the Sun Shipbuilding Yard in Chester , Pennsylvania . She was requisitioned by the Allied forces to re - supply the island fortress of Malta , during the Second World War . The tanker played a fundamental role in Operation " Pedestal " , which was one of the fiercest and most heavily contested of the Malta Convoys , in August 1942 . Although " Ohio " reached Malta successfully , she was so badly damaged that she had to be effectively scuttled in order to offload her cargo , and never sailed again . The tanker is fondly remembered in Malta , where to this day she is considered to be the saviour of the beleaguered island . Construction and launch . " Hull 190 " , as the " Ohio " was referred - to before her launch , was a skilful compromise , promising broad cargo - carrying capacity to the merchant and speed , balance and stability to the mariner . Above the waterline , the construction echoed the outward curve of a schooner ' s bow , bearing the influence of the old American clipper ship design . The design of " Hull 190 " was influenced also by the menace of a rearming Germany and a Japanese Empire bent on military expansion . The approach of war had influenced this design , the unofficial conversations between military and oil chiefs resulted in a ship of 9 , 264 gross register tons , 515 feet in overall length , and capable of carrying of fuel oil , bigger and with a larger capacity than any other tanker previously built . The ship was completed in the unusually short time of seven months and fifteen days . The Westinghouse turbine engines developed 9 , 000 driveshaft horsepower at ninety revolutions per minute , which allowed a maximum sixteen knots , a speed never attained before by any screw tanker . Her method of construction was controversial . For some years , the issue of welding versus riveting had been raging on both sides of the Atlantic . " Hull 190 " was built using the new - fashioned welded method , hopefully proving once and for all its reliability . The ship also had a composite framing system with two longitudinally continuous bulkheads , which divided the ship into twenty - one cargo tanks . The ship was launched the day after that scheduled , prompting superstitious fear in the welders , steel - cutters and other craftsmen who had assembled to watch her launch . " Hull 190 " was christened in a ceremony presided over by the mother of the President of the Texas Oil Company , Mrs . Florence E . Rodgers who , grasping the ceremonial bottle of champagne in her hand pronounced the words : The ship slid down No . 2 slipway , entering the waters of the Delaware River . The existence of the " Ohio " would , in its initial years , be uneventful and ordinary , plying between Port Arthur and various other American harbours . She set a speed record from Bayonne to Port Arthur , covering in four days and twelve hours , an average of more than seventeen knots . Malta , " Pedestal " planning and the " Ohio " . Britain was , in 1942 , waging an active war in the Mediterranean against the Italian forces in North Africa and Rommel ' s Afrika Korps . Critical to this theatre of operations was the island of Malta , sitting in the middle of Axis supply lines , capable of causing severe shortages to the German and Italian Armies in North Africa , if properly supplied with munitions , aircraft and fuel . Munitions and aircraft were , to a large extent , available to the island . In fact , British forces took advantage of a short lull in the heavy and continuous Axis attacks to fly in sixty - one Spitfire Mk V aircraft from , which immediately improved the aerial defensive situation . Nonetheless , food , ammunition and aviation fuel remained in critically short supply . Successive attempts to try to resupply the islands proved to be a failure ; previous convoys such as " Harpoon " and " Vigorous " ( from Alexandria in Egypt ) , saw most of their merchantmen sunk and their escorts damaged . " Ohio " ' s sister ship , SS " Kentucky " , was part of the " Harpoon " convoy from Gibraltar . She was crippled by German aircraft and eventually sunk by Italian cruisers . On 18 June , the Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet cabled the British Prime Minister , Winston Churchill , expressing doubts about the possibility of attempting another convoy run after the disastrous failure of " Harpoon " and " Vigorous " . Three days later , the " Ohio " steamed into the mouth of the Clyde , under the command of Sverre Petersen , a former Master - in - Sail from Oslo , in Norway . In early May 1942 , a radio message had reached Captain Petersen which diverted the ship to Galveston in Texas , and then ordered the tanker to proceed to Britain . Before leaving , the " Ohio " was fitted with one gun on its stern , and a AA - gun in the bows . She then moved to Sinclair Terminal , Houston in Texas , where the ship loaded a full cargo of of petrol ( gasoline ) , finally sailing on 25 May . " Ohio " discharged her cargo at Bowling - on - the - Clyde , and then steamed out into the tideway and anchored , awaiting orders . Here , the captain received a letter from Lord Leathers , the head of the British Ministry of War Transport , bidding the master a personal welcome and " " . . . your safe arrival in the Clyde with the first cargo of oil carried in a United States tanker . " " However , the euphoria that such a message brought to the crew soon turned into resentment and anger . A telegram was received the same day by the head office of Texaco , from the War Shipping Administration , announcing simply that the " Ohio " was being requisitioned " ' pursuant to the law ' " . The immediate reaction was a cabled message from Mr . T . E . Buchanan , General Manager of Texaco ' s Marine Department to the firm ' s London agent , that on no account was " Ohio " to leave her discharging port of Bowling - on - the - Clyde . A period of indecision , meetings and debates between the highest American authorities and their British counterparts soon ensued . The master was told that further orders would arrive soon afterwards . The decision was finally taken two weeks later , when a launch sped out to the ship anchored in the Clyde and Texaco ' s London agent , accompanied by an official of the British Ministry of War Shipping came over the side . They met the Captain , who was informed that the ship was to be confiscated and handed over to a British crew . The American crew and the captain were exasperated by the seemingly outrageous order , but had no other option but to give in , and started to pack their kit whilst British seamen began to take the ship over . On 10 July , Captain Petersen handed over the ship . There was no formal ceremony , and little goodwill . The American flag was taken down , and " Ohio " henceforward sailed under the " " Red Duster " " . Overnight , she was transferred from American to British registry . For convenience in management , the tanker was handed over on 25 July to the Eagle Oil and Shipping Company , which was warned of the importance of the impending convoy and that " " . . . much might depend on the quality and courage of the crew . " " As the British crew started to assemble , it became clear that a large convoy was being planned . Command of the ship passed to Captain Dudley W . Mason , who at thirty - nine had already held other commands , while James Wyld was to be Chief Engineer . Forty - eight hours after " Ohio " had been transferred to British registry , her crew was completed . The ship ' s company numbered seventy - seven , including no fewer than twenty - four naval ratings and soldiers to serve the guns . The ship was then moved to King George V Dock in Glasgow , for the fitting of Oerlikon and Bofors anti - aircraft guns . " Ohio " and " Pedestal " . Departure . After the disastrous failure of the mid - June convoys , it was wondered if Malta could hold out on the meagre supplies rescued from ' Harpoon - Vigorous ' until another convoy could be organised . Escorting merchant ships in the brilliance of a Mediterranean moonlit period was courting inevitable disaster . This situation limited operations in the immediate future to the moonless period in July or August between the 10th and 16th of those months . July passed as the " Ohio " could not be fitted - out in time . Once the due planning had been carried out it was decided to begin the operation in August . " Ohio " steamed down to Dunglass on the Clyde and loaded 11 , 500 tons of kerosene and diesel fuel oils . She was the only ship carrying these supplies which were so vital to Malta ' s survival . Before she sailed , however , special strengthening was given to the tanker to protect her against the shock of bombs exploding near her . In the previous convoy , the tanker " Kentucky " had been sunk with only a few hours ' repair work needed on a steam - pipe , which had been broken by the force of such explosions . The Ministry was determined that this should not happen again , and so the " Ohio " ' s engines were mounted on rubber bearings , to reduce shock , and all steam - pipes were supported with steel springs and baulks of timber . While the merchant ships were gathering in the Clyde Estuary , the naval forces had already reached Scapa Flow . Admiral Syfret joined there on 27 July and held a convoy conference on 2 August ; the same day , all leave had been stopped . At eight o ' clock that evening , two hours before dusk , the convoy sailed . The fourteen ships , led by formed up , it was dark by the time they reached the open sea . Axis attacks and damage . The convoy entered Gibraltar in heavy fog on 10 August . A day later , four torpedoes from the German submarine " U - 73 " sank the aircraft - carrier , killing 260 men , and losing all but four planes . On this day , German bombers attacked the convoy . On 12 August twenty Junkers 88 s attacked the convoy , while a further combined strike by 100 German and Italian Regia Aeronautica planes attacked the merchantmen . It was during the ensuing mayhem that the tanker was torpedoed by the Italian submarine " Axum " and caught fire . The " Ohio " was hit amidships , where a huge pillar of flame leapt high into the air . " Ohio " seemed to be out of control . Captain Mason ordered the engines to be shut down , with all deckhands available fighting the fire with the deck water - lines . Lighted kerosene bubbled up from the fractured tanks , while little gouts of flame spattered the deck to a distance of thirty yards from the blaze . Fortunately , the flames were put out and the tanker managed thirteen knots after being repaired . The blast destroyed the ship ' s gyro and knocked the magnetic compass off its bearings , while the steering gear was put out of action , forcing the crew to steer with the emergency gear from aft . A hole , 24 feet by 27 feet , had been torn in the port side of the midships pump - room . The explosion had also blown another hole in the starboard side , flooding the compartment . There were jagged tears in the bulkheads and kerosene was spurting up from adjoining tanks , seeping in a film up through the holes in the hull . The deck had been broken open , so that one could look down into the ship . From beam to beam the deck was buckled , but the ship held together . Another sixty Stuka dive bombers attacked the convoy , focusing on " Ohio " . A series of near misses ensued as the tanker approached the island of Pantelleria . Bombs threw spray over the decks of the tanker , while aircraft used their machine - guns . One near - miss buckled the ship ' s plates and the forward tank filled with water . The three - inch ( 76 mm ) gun at the bows was twisted in its mountings and put out of action . A formation of five Junkers 88 s was broken up by the tanker ' s anti - aircraft guns , with the bombs falling harmlessly into the sea . Another plane , this time a Junkers 87 , was shot down by an " Ohio " gunner ; however , the aircraft crashed into " Ohio " ' s starboard side , forward of the upper bridge , and exploded . Half a wing hit the upper work of the bridge and a rain of debris showered the tanker from stem to stern . The plane ' s bomb fortunately failed to detonate . Captain Mason was telephoned from aft by the chief officer , who told Mason that the Junkers 87 had crashed into the sea and then bounced onto the ship . Mason ' rather curtly ' replied : " Oh that ' s nothing . We ' ve had a Junkers 88 on the foredeck for nearly half an hour . " As the ship turned slowly to comb torpedoes , two sticks of bombs fell on either side of the tanker . The vessel lifted , and went on lifting until she was clean out of the water . Cascades of spray and bomb splinters lashed the deck , she fell back with a crash . The " Ohio " had differential gearing which slowed the propeller automatically ; on other ships , the same effect would have shaken the engines out of their rooms . Continuously bombed , the tanker kept on steaming until another explosion to starboard sent her reeling to port . The engine - room lights went out , plunging it into darkness . The master switches had been thrown off by the force of the explosion , but they were quickly switched on again by an electrician . This time , the ship had not escaped damage . The boiler fires were blown out , and it was a race against time to restore them before the steam pressure dropped too low to work the fuel pumps . The engineers lit the fire starter torches to restart the furnaces . The complicated routine of restarting went forward smoothly and within twenty minutes the " Ohio " was steaming at sixteen knots again . Then another salvo of bombs hit the ship , shaking every plate , and once more the engines slowed and stopped . The electric fuel pumps had been broken by the concussion . While the crew desperately tried to reconnect the electrical wires and restart the engines via the auxiliary steam system , the engine - room was filled with black smoke until the engines were properly re - lit . The ship was making alternate black and white smoke and , with oil in the water pipes and a loss of vacuum in the condenser , the " Ohio " started to lose way slowly , coming to a stop at 10 . 50 am . The crew abandoned ship , boarding that had come to " Ohio " ' s aid alongside another destroyer , . The latter ship was soon to leave the stricken tanker after being ordered to go in search of the cruiser , which had been crippled by Italian motor torpedo boats . The tow . " Penn " ' s commanding officer , Commander J . H . Swain RN , offered Captain Mason a tow with a heavy ten - inch manila hemp rope . With the tow - line in place , " Penn " moved ahead , straining its engines to the limit ; the " Ohio " continued to list to port . The two ships were not making any progress , even drifting backwards due to the easterly wind . Now both ships were sitting ducks , and as another serious attack developed , the destroyer went to full speed to part the tow . A German bomber dived on the tanker and was shot down by the " Ohio " ' s gunners , but just before its demise , the aircraft ' s crew released their cargo . A bomb hit the tanker just where the initial torpedo had hit her , effectively breaking her back , just as night was setting in . The ship was abandoned for the night . The day after , " Penn " was joined by the minesweeper . The two ships towed the tanker and succeeded in making up to five knots , overcoming the tendency to swing to port . However , another attack blasted the group of ships , snapping the tow lines and immobilizing the " Ohio " ' s rudder . Another bomb hit the fore - end of the front deck , forcing the engineers out of the engine room . Once more , Mason gave the order to abandon ship , as two more air attacks narrowly missed the tanker . A superficial examination showed that the rent that had developed in the amidships section had widened and that the ship had indeed almost certainly broken her back . The two ships around the tanker were joined by HMS " Bramham " and by " Ledbury " , ( the latter returning from her search for " Manchester " ) . Meanwhile " Rye " had again begun to tow " Ohio " with the newly arrived " Ledbury " acting as a stern tug . With less pull from " Ledbury " , a fair speed was maintained , but steering proved impossible . A stabilizing factor was needed , thus Commander Swain edged " Penn " to the starboard side of " Ohio " . " Rye " , joined by the " Bramham " , slowly got under way once more , with the " Ledbury " acting as a rudder . Another Axis air attack began just as the group of ships was moving at six knots . At 10 . 45 AM the first wave of dive - bombers came low over the water . Only one oil bomb landed close to " Ohio " s bows , showering her with burning liquid . Then came three more echelons of German planes . This time , however , close air support from Malta was available . Sixteen Spitfires , of 249 and 229 Squadrons from Malta , had sighted the enemy . The first enemy formation wavered and broke . The second formation also broke , but one section of Junkers 88s succeeded in breaking free , making for the tanker . These were swiftly followed by the Spitfires . Three of the German planes were shot down or maneuvered to evade the Spitfires ; nonetheless one bomber held its course , and a 1 , 000 - pound bomb landed in the tanker ' s wake . The " Ohio " was flung forward , parting " Rye " s tow , buckling the stern plates of the tanker and forming a great hole . Arrival . " Ohio " was sinking not much more than forty - five miles west of Malta . Under the protection of the Spitfires , the danger of enemy attacks receded . After the tow line was parted , the " Ledbury " was still secured to the " Ohio " by a heavy wire which had been pulled round by the heavily yawing tanker , and had ended up alongside the " Penn " , facing the wrong way . After a quick analysis of the possibilities , it was decided to tow the tanker with a destroyer on either side of the tanker . " Bramham " was immediately ordered to make for port , while " Penn " remained coupled to the starboard side . The speed was increased but kept to five knots , " Ohio " ' s deck was awash amidships . Now under the protection of the coastal batteries of Malta , the group of ships were slowly moving around the island , approaching Grand Harbour . The coastal batteries fired on a creeping U - Boat ' s conning tower , and scared off a group of E - Boat s . Slowly , the group approached the tricky harbour entrance , near Zonqor Point . Here the group dispersed before a British - laid minefield . At 6 . 00am , with " Ohio " still hovering on the edge of the minefield , the situation was eased by the arrival of the Malta tugs . With destroyers still linked on either side of the tanker , these sturdy ships made fast ahead and astern and the tanker was soon proceeding up the channel to the Grand Harbour entrance . There , a fabulous welcome awaited them . On the ramparts above the wreck - strewn harbour , on the Barracca , St Angelo and Senglea , great crowds of Maltese men and women waved and cheered and a brass band on the end of the mole was giving a spirited rendition of Rule Britannia . Captain Mason , however , standing at the salute on the battered bridge of the " Ohio " , could spare not a moment ' s thought for the pride of bringing the ship to harbour , since the creaking plates showed that the " Ohio " might still go to the bottom of the Grand Harbour . Pipes were now hauled aboard and emergency salvage pumps began to discharge the kerosene . At the same time , a fleet auxiliary , the " Boxall " , began to pump the 10 , 000 tons of fuel oil into her own tanks . As the oil flowed out , the " Ohio " sank lower and lower in the water . The last bit of oil left her and simultaneously her keel settled on the bottom . Her captain , Dudley William Mason , was subsequently awarded the George Cross . Aftermath . After " Ohio " reached Malta , the ship broke in two from the damage she had sustained . There were insufficient shipyard facilities to repair the tanker , so the two halves were used for storage , and later barracks facilities for Yugoslavian troops . On September 19 , 1946 the two halves of the Ohio were towed ten miles offshore and scuttled by gunfire from a destroyer . Epilogue . The final ship built for the Texaco fleet was the " Star Ohio " , in honour of the famous Second World War tanker . She is operated by Northern Marine Management on behalf of Chevron . The nameplate and wheel of the Ohio are preserved in the National War Museum ( Malta ) in Valletta .