Northwind (1951) -- Discussion: Questions, Comments and Coordination

[Michael]

[ggordon]

November they are back in Seattle. So by skipping October, I bypassed the treacherous Inside Passage.

December, 1951 will be interesting because that was when I was born not far away in Portland.

[Michael]

Clever move!!!

[ggordon]

Doctors and a member of the press boarded at Port Angeles at 2310 on November 6:

The following men were received aboard from boat at Port Angeles. Dr. W. P. Taylor P.H.; Dr. H. R. Terry Jr. P.H.; Wesley Mount HM1 (P.H.), Charles J. Keim (Port Angeles Evening News and Associated Press)

https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 8_0057.JPG

[Randi]

Mysterious...

[Michael]

I've seen that on other ships: distinguished people, members of the press, film crews etc. You've got to show how all that defense money is being spent.

[ggordon]

An explanation for the late night departure from Seattle and stopping at Port Angeles to pick up doctors and a reporter appears at the start of the log the next morning, November 7.

Underway Straits of Juan De Fuca to scene of marine disaster

https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 8_0058.JPG

[ggordon]

The Northwind arrived in the vicinity of the S.S. George Walton on November 8:

0000 Underway Pacific Ocean to assist SS GEORGE WALTON, reported position 49 deg 46' n, 133 deg 20' W
0725 made radar contact with object at 285 T dist 17.2 mi.
0820 Visually sighted vessel believed to be S.S. George Walton - range 9.5 miles.
1530 manuevering in vicinity of SS GEORGE WALTON
1555 hove to in vicinity of SS GEORGE WALTON

https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 8_0059.JPG

Present world events interfere with continuing the transcription for now, but a peek ahead to Nov. 9 showed that the Northwind spent the entire day maneuvering in fog and ice unsuccessful in getting close enough to board the George Walton.

[Michael]

[ggordon]

Found a short preview of what's to come:

GEORGE WALTON SS caught fire when 350nm W Cape Flattery on the 6th November 1951 & sank in tow when 40nm Nw Cape Flattery on the 18th November 1951. She was on route from Portland, Oregon for Bombay.

https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?231755

and a document with details here:
https://www.wrecksite.eu/docBrowser.aspx?13357?7?1

[ggordon]

That link is to a site with only the first page. The entire redacted document going into great detail is located here:
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO% ... walton.pdf
Northwind's involvement begins on page 10.

[ggordon]

The entire day on November 9 involved maneuvering in the vicinity of the SS George Walton. There was intermittent fog and winds up to force 10 and 11. My previous report following a quick look ahead at the log for this day erroneously stated that there was ice. While skimming through the log, the word "in" looked like "ice."

https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 8_0060.JPG

[ggordon]

November 10 was another full day of just maneuvering around the S.S. George Walton.

[ggordon]

November 11 still just maneuvering around the S.S. George Walton.

[Randi]

That doesn't sound impressive, but I bet it was exhausting.

[ggordon]

November 12 still maneuvering around SS George Walton then on November 13:

0800 circling the S.S. George Walton
0856 Boat #5 departed for S.S. George Walton with boarding party and towing gear.
1115 Working party aboard S.S. George Walton rigging towing gear.
1200 rigging towing gear on SS GEORGE WALTON.
1210 Fired line across WALTON, to pair messenger.
1328 Last messenger from Walton.
1355 Messenger paired from Walton to Northwind, commenced pairing towing Hawser to Walton.
1455 Tow rigged, standing by for working party.
1503 Working party departed Walton, LCVP standing off while tow is brought to course.
1600 Underway as before towing the SS George Walton
2000 In company with Tug Barbara Foss.

https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 8_0066.JPG

[ggordon]

Early November 14 the towing hawser parted. Does this mean it broke, or did they intentionally disconnect the tow line allowing the Barbara Foss to handle towing?

0000 Underway Pacific Ocean for Seattle Washington with SS GEORGE WALTON in tow
0004 Towing Hawser parted, stopped engines, hove to to bring towing gear aboard.
0115 Towing gear aboard, underway, various courses and speeds to warn merchant vessel away from derelict George Walton.
0320 Underway at 45 RPM to open range on SS GEORGE WALTON.
0800 Hove to in vicinity of SS. George Walton in company with Tug Barbara Foss
1015 Barbara Foss underway with S.S. George Walton in tow.
1243 Various courses to close SS GEORGE WALTON.
1307 Closed to within one (1) mile of SS GEORGE WALTON
1618 underway on various courses closing the SS George Walton
1915 underway on various courses closing the SS Walton

https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 8_0067.JPG
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 8_0068.JPG

[Michael]

Broke.

[ggordon]

November 15 - 17 the Northwind followed the SS George Walton, which was being towed by the Tug Barbara Foss. Then on a windy, rainy, foggy night on November 18:

1745 began fog signals.
1900 received the information on radio telephone from the Tug Barbara Foss that her tow line was apparently fouled on the bottom and that the
SS Walton was not on the Foss's radar screen.
1902 began radar and searchlight search for SS George Walton with negative results. Maneuvering on various courses at various speeds.
1945 received information from Tug Barbara Foss that the SS George Walton had apparently sunk while under tow. The estimated latitude and
longitude of the sunken vessel is 48 deg 46.5' N and 125 deg 48' W in 36 fathoms of water. The Tug Barbara Foss also reported that upon heaving in her
wire hawser that it was necessary to cut it since it was apparently fast to the sunken vessel. The Commander 13th Coast Guard district was immediately
advised of the situation.

https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 8_0075.JPG

[Michael]