Shipwrecks of Ocean Island / Banaba: PART TWO

The following information was provided by Captain Brant, Master of SS ROWANBANK, which loaded phosphate at Ocean Island (Banaba) on 20 April 1967. It was a sentimental journey recalling his time as serving as second mate aboard SS TITENBANK which sailed from Nauru to Ocean Island to stand by at the time SS KELVINBANK went on the reef 14 years before. Captain Brant supervised the salvaging of Bank Line stores from the stricken ship." [1]

At an enquiry held in London of Shipping Line, Captain and other people involved with KELVINBANK; the verdict was "Error of Judgement". The Captain of the KELVINBANK was very distressed and was heard to say, "She was the biggest ship I ever had ... and I lost her".

All seafaring men would understand what he felt.

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The Birth of a Liberty Ship SS HAWKING FUDSKE

In World War Two it was necessary to build larger numbers of ships very quickly to replace those being sunk and to provide sea transport for the vast quantities of men and supplies required for military operations.

The United States of America was the country that produced most of these wartime-built vessels and this country designed and mass-produced many hundreds of these ships known as Liberty Ships.

In the year 1943 in Baltimore, USA, one such Libert Ship was being constructed by the Bethlemen Steel Corporation. Her name was the SS HAWKING FUDSKE. The men employed to build the vessel worked round the clock in all weathers to complete the ship in the shortest possible time that she might be fitted out and set sail to help defeat enemies that were threatening the USA and her allies. The real enemy of the SS HAWKINS FUDSKE was far more implacable than those threatening their country of origin in 1943.

After completion, the ship was laid up in reserve for the time she would be required in service. She remained idle up until after the end of the war.

When the war was over and the sea lanes of the world were once more safe for lone merchant men, certain astute businessmen realised the potential of the wartime-built ships and were not slow to take advantage of those remaining afloat. The SS HAWKINS FUDSKE was acquired by the British Shipping Company of Andrew Weirs Bank Line and the ship was duly renamed SS KELVINBANK and put to tramping the oceans with a variety of cargoes.

SS KELVINBANK Arrives at Ocean Island

At 0900 hours on 29 December 1952, SS KELVINBANK arrived at Ocean Island from New Zealand for a load of phosphate - at last she had sighted her enemy.

The ship drifted off Ocean Island awaiting SS ROWANBANK to complete loading.

On Saturday 3 January 1953, SS KELVINBANK came into Home Bay and commenced to load phosphate at A berth. Later that day at 1930 hours the weather deteriorated and SS KELVINBANK left the berth to drift off shore.

Sunday 4 January was a non-weather working day.

At 0615 hours on Monday 5 January, SS KELVINBANK was once more moored at A berth and loading was resumed.

Loading continued until 0253 hours on 6 January, when she was once again sent to sea because of bad weather. Up until this period she had loaded 2159 tons of phosphate.

At 0559 hours the engines were stopped and the vessel continued to move through the water with the momentum of nearly 8500 tons of cargo behind her.

At 0601 hours the engines were again put at slow ahead and it could be that at this moment the Master became aware that his ship was not answering to the helm. Although the helm was hard over to port the bow was not coming around and the Master must have realised that he was entering into a strong inshore current. By going slow ahead on the engine and causing water to flow faster over the rudder he intended to bring SS KELVINBANK around to port and stem the current. At this speed SS KELVINBANK would probably make three and a half knots through the water, that same mass of water was moving towards the reef at three or possibly four knots.

At 0602 hours half-ahead engines were applied, more speed to push the bow up into the relentless current.

At 0603 hours the ship touched bottom and the bow swung to starboard well in the grip of the dreadful onshore set.

At 0604 hours it was too late by far for the triple expansion reciprocating engines to get the bulk moving astern quickly. Full ahead helm still had a-port. The Captain knew she would never make it around without swinging across the reef with propellor and rudder, her only means of salvation.

At 0606 hours with full astern engines, the vessel was on the reef.

At 0607 hours and with the double ring full astern the vessel came heavily on the reef and drove on the sunken wreck of SS OOMA on starboard side in way of No. 3 hatch.

At 0610 hours the vessel held fast on the reef. The engines were stopped. All compartments continually were sounded making heavy water in No. 3 hull in the vicinity of the starboard bilge. Exactly five minutes had passed from the time the Master realised the nature of the hazard until his ship was on the reef. Salvage operations commenced immediately, with the primary consideration being to prevent the SS KELVINBANK from damaging herself further by pounding on the reef in the heavy surf.

Three anchors were run out over the reef's edge from the port side of the ship and wires hove tight to stop the ship from driving farther onto the reef. Next, the cargo was jettisoned in order to lighten the vessel and thus allow her to float clear of the wreckage upon which she had been impaled.

Pumps were placed at No. 3 hatch in an attempt to keep the sea out of the ship while collision mates were placed over the gaping hole in her hull. Throughout, the British Phosphate Commission (BPC) staff and labour together with ship personnel spared no effort in their attempts to save the ten year old ship.

SS TITENBANK, which at the time of SS KELVINBANK ground was drifting off Nauru and was directed to proceed to Ocean Island and stand by the stricken vessel.

SS TITENBANK Arrives at Ocean Island to Assist

At 0630 hours on 7 January, SS TITENBANK arrived and immediately loaded a part cargo so that should she be required to attempt towing SS KELVINBANK clear of the reef, she would be in suitable towing trim.

On 9 January, after the ship had been bumped on the reef for three days, No. 5 double tanks were found to be leaking. On the same day, SS TITENBANK did a trial run to test the strength of the currents and to ascertain the possibility of being used for towing. The easterly currents were still found to be too strong to risk jeopardising SS TITENBANK in a salvage operation.

Two days later on 11 January, at high water another attempt was made to heave SS KELVINBANK off the reef using tackles and the anchors already run out. This attempt was unsuccessful owing to the failure or a chain stopper serving a tackle on the bow anchor and the ship fell back on the reef and sustained further damage.

By 13 January, No. 5 tank top buckled and was leaking, while No. 5 hold became tidal.

On 15 January, a spare anchor from SS TITENBANK was run out attached to a heavy wire from the forward end of the port side of the deck. Using KELVINBANK'S winches an attempt was once again made to heave the vessel clear. This failed when the wire to the midship anchor parted under the strain and the stern of the SS KELVINBANK which had been partly hove clear, fell back heavily onto the compressor and propellor shaft of the SS OOMA.

This proved too much for the strained hull and engineers reported fractured main steam pipes in the engineers reported fractured main steam pipes in the engine room necessitating a shutdown of ships' boilers rendering the steam-driven machinery useless.

For the First Time, She was No a Dead Ship

The following day the wreckage of the OOMA drove through into the engine room of the KELVINBANK causing the compartments to become flooded.

At 1400 hours that same day, after a ten-day battle to save the ship, she was officially abandoned and stores and fittings were transferred to the TITENBANK.

The men involved in the attempt at salvaging the KELVINBANK had worked around the clock in all weather just as the men who had built her. In the latter case, however, the enemy was far older and more experienced in the wrecking of ships.

The Enquiry

At the preliminary enquiry into the grounding held at Ocean Island, all those taking part in the salvaging were highly commended for their unstinted efforts to refloat the KELVINBANK. Although in this case, their efforts were in vain it is a reassuring knowledge that wherever a ship is in distress or aground, men will work in perfect teamwork to salvage the ship, and in very many cases, are rewarded by the sight of a ship once more free of land and sailing off into her own element.

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Continue Shipwrecks of Banaba / Ocean Island, Part One: "Ships Ocean Island Reef Claimed between 1901 - 1928". Original article by Captain John Marine Fisk.

This article was originally published as the Feature Story in the Banaba/Ocean Island News Issue No. 10, July-August 1994. [1]

A comprehensive account of Banaban history is available - "Te Rii ni Banaba: backbone of Banaba" by Raobeia Ken Sigrah and Stacey M. King.

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