"Two Tankers Down" Breaks New Ground in Famous Cape Cod Rescue

A new book by maritime writer Robert R. Frump tells for the first time the complete story of the rescue effort to save crew members of the SS Pendleton and the SS Fort Mercer. The rescues, which occurred in February 1952, widely are regarded as the Coast Guard's "Finest Hours," as a Collier's Magazine article described them. The book, Two Tankers Down, tells the story of some of the Coast Guard greatest rescue heroes. It is subtitled, "The U.S. Coast Guards Most Incredible Rescue."

Chatham, MA (PRWEB) April 22, 2008 -- "Two Tankers Down," a new book by maritime writer Robert R. Frump, tells for the first time how the crews of the wrecked tankers reacted when their ships split in half.

Monomoy Surfboat launches

"There have been many partial accounts of the wrecks and of the rescues," Frump said. "To my knowledge, 'Two Tankers Down' is the first book to show how the crew and officers of the SS Fort Mercer and the SS Pendleton reacted."

The U.S. Coast Guards Most Incredible Rescue.

There have been many partial accounts of the wrecks and of the rescues

To my knowledge, 'Two Tankers Down' is the first book to show how the crew and officers of the SS Fort Mercer and the SS Pendleton reacted.

Many of the crew and officers performed selfless acts of heroism

But there were also times when crew members, nearly in a panic, rushed the lifeboats on the Fort Mercer stern.

There were far more heroes than not

In all, four Gold Medals were awarded to Coast Guardsmen.

You can pick about four parts of impossible on the Bernie Webber rescue alone

Shooting the Chatham Bar, finding the Pendleton, loading the men on board, then finding his way back. Any single one of those tasks is highly unlikely. What is not widely known is that the men on the Pendleton also performed nearly impossible tasks as well. The chief engineer maneuvered a half-ship and able bodied seamen served in the role of officers.

It was even worse than it seems

because there were in fact four rescues to be performed, one from each half ship.

"Many of the crew and officers performed selfless acts of heroism," Frump said. "But there were also times when crew members, nearly in a panic, rushed the lifeboats on the Fort Mercer stern."

"There were far more heroes than not," continued. "In all, four Gold Medals were awarded to Coast Guardsmen."

The Lifesaving Station at Chatham long has been famous for its response to the wrecks. Bernard C. Webber and his crew piloted a small lifeboat out through towering seas to save most of the crew trapped on the stern half of the SS Pendleton.

"You can pick about four parts of impossible on the Bernie Webber rescue alone," Frump said. "Shooting the Chatham Bar, finding the Pendleton, loading the men on board, then finding his way back. Any single one of those tasks is highly unlikely. What is not widely known is that the men on the Pendleton also performed nearly impossible tasks as well. The chief engineer maneuvered a half-ship and able bodied seamen served in the role of officers."

Finest Hours

In just a matter of hours -- "Their Finest Hours" as Colliers put it -- the Coast Guard went from one tanker being in trouble to having two split clean in two. "It was even worse than it seems," Frump said, "because there were in fact four rescues to be performed, one from each half ship."

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