Requisitioned Auxiliary – Chester O Swain

 

 Chester O Swain 

 

Official Number:                      227802

Laid down:

Builder:                                  G M Standifer Construction Corp, Vancouver, WA 

Completed:                            May 1921

Into Service:                           WW2

Out of service:                        1945

Fate:                                     15 December 1947 broken up 

 

Items of historic interest involving this ship: –

 

Background Data:  One of an additional group of American ships which served as Escort oilers during WW2 

 

Career Data

May 1921 completed by G M Standifer Construction Corp. Vancouver, WA as Yard No: 20 named Albertolite for Imperial Oil Ltd., Halifax NS

1928 purchased by Standard Shipping Oil Co of New Jersey, Wilmington, DE – renamed Chester O. Swain

1935 owners restyled as Standard Oil Co of New Jersey, Wilmington, DE – name unchanged

2 December 1941 sailed Boston independently to Baytown arriving 9 December 1941

10 December 1941 sailed Baytown independently to Wilmington NC arriving 17 December 1941

17 December 1941 sailed Wilmington independently to Corpus Christi arriving 23 December 1941

24 December 1941 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Philadelphia arriving 1 January 1942

3 January 1942 sailed Philadelphia independently to Corpus Christi arriving 10 January 1942

11 January 1942 sailed Corpus Christi independently to Charleston SC arriving 17 January 1942

18 January 1942 sailed Charleston SC independently to Corpus Christi arriving 23 January 1942

25 January 1942 sailed Corpus Christi independently

31 January 1942 while on passage from Corpus Christi sighted U-Boat at 32.25N 79.25W reported the sighting with a SSS signal

2 February 1942 arrived at Wilmington NC from Corpus Christi

4 May 1942 five miles E of Cape Fear rescued some of the crew of the ss Bris in a life boat. The ship had been torpedoed on 20 April 1942 seventy miles SW of Bermuda

1942 owners became US WSA – name unchanged

WW2 served as an Escort Oiler, name unchanged

1945 returned to WSA Reserve Fleet and laid up

15 December 1947 arrived Baltimore for demolition by Patapsco Scrap Co