Number 314 • summer 2020 PowerT HE M AGAZINE OF E NGINE -P OWERED V ESSELS FRO M T ShipsHE S T EA M SHI P H IS T ORICAL S OCIE T Y OF A M ERICA UNION OIL TANKER TRIO SanSinena • Torrey Canyon • Lake PaLourde 16 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE THE “SUNNY SOUTHERN ROUTE” TO EUROPE 10 MARINE PROPULSION TO THE MODERN ERA 28 THE NASA MOONFLEET 38 GRAND CELEBRATION 46 A QE2 STORY 50 EXPERIenCE THE ACTIon of WORLD WAR II AFLoat! Aboard the Liberty Ship JOH N W. BROW N The SS JO HN W. B the great fleet of over 2,700ROWN war-built Liberty Ships and the last operational is one of the last operating survivors from troopship of World War II. The ship is a maritime museum and a memorial to the shipyard workers who built, merchant mariners who sailed, and the U.S. Navy Watch Our Website Armed Guard who defended the Liberty ships during World War II. The Joh for Our 2021 Cruise W. Bro wn is fully restored and maintained as close as possible to her World Schedule War II configuration. Visitors must be able to walk up steps to board the ship. N H H H H H H H H H H H H These exciting 6 hour day cruises Donate Online period entertainment and flybys (conditions permitting) of wartime aircraft. Tour to Support the on-board museums, crew quarters, bridge and much include more. lunch, See the music magnificent of the 40’s, John Brown 140-ton triple-expansion steam engine as it powers the ship through the water. H H H H H H H H H H H Our 2020 C ruises have been suspended H The Ship Store is check our website, ssjohnbrown.org, or our Facebook page for our upcoming 2021 cruise schedule and news about SS Joh but you're invited to Open: T-shirts, Mugs support to keep the ship operational during this period — please support the N W. Bro & More! JOHN W. B wn roWN with an online donation or purchase from . We need your our Ship Store at ssjohnbrown.org. H DONATE online at: www.ssjohnwbrown.org H For information call: 410-558-0164 Visit our Ship Store at www.ssjohnwbrown.org Project Liberty Ship is a Baltimore based, all volunteer, nonprofit organization. FLoat! AR II A ORLD W PowerTHE MAGAZINE OF THEShips STEAMSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA TIon of W CE THE AC ERIen MANIFEST • N u m b e r 3 14 • s u m m e r 2 0 2 0 EXP THIS QUARTERLY MAGAZINE has been continuously published by The Steamship Historical UNION OIL TANKER TRIO Society of America since first by Terry Tilton . 16 appearing as The steamboat bill of Facts in 1940 . THE STEAMSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, INC., (SSHSA) was organized in 1935 as a means of bringing together those amateur and professional historians interested in the history and development of steam navigation, past and present, and THE PILOT HOUSE . 4 incorporated in the Commonwealth The sunny southern Q&A WITH of Virginia in 1950 as a tax-exempt route to europe STEAMBOAT BILL . 5 education corporation . FULL STEAM AHEAD . 6 by William H . Miller . 10 IN ADDITION TO POWERSHIps, REGIONALS the SSHSA produces other books and High Seas . 54 publications of marine interest, a Mid-Atlantic . 57 marine Propulsion to list of which is available online and New York . 59 from the Warwick headquarters . the modern era Overseas . 61 by James Shaw . 28 New England & SSHSA MEETINGS are normally Eastern Canada . 62 held annually . Several local West Coast . 64 chapters also meet regularly . Great Lakes / Seaway . 69 MEMBERSHIP in SSHSA includes Southeast & Gulf Ports . 72 subscriptions to Powerships, the NAsA’s moonship Fleet Southwest Pacific . 75 by Eric Pearson . 38 Telegraph, and Ahoy! Dues Western Rivers . 77 are in various classes, beginning at TUGBOATS . 80 $50 00. for Annual Members . REVIEWS . 83 FOR FURTHER DETAILS, write: HEARD ON THE Steamship Historical FANTAIL . 85 Grand Celebration Society of America, by Robert Engler . 46 FROM THE 2500 Post Road, COLLECTION . .86 Warwick, RI 02886 ON THE COVER: The stern of the SS sansinena, constructed by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company . – Visit our websites Terry Tilton collection . ABOVE: Bow www.sshsa.org A QE2 story section of crude oil tanker SS sansinena by Rob Lightbody . 50 H DONATE online at: www.ssjohnwbrown.org lies partially submerged at Berth 46 in the www.shiphistory.org Port of Los Angeles after it exploded . – Ted H For information call: 410-558-0164 Quackenbush photo . PowerShips (formerly titled Steamboat Bill) (ISSN 0039-0844)—founded in 1940 by Jay Allen—is published quarterly as a cooperative effort by the steamship Historical society of America, Inc., 2500 Post road, Warwick, rI 02886, a non-profit organization Visit our Ship Store at www.ssjohnwbrown.org dedicated to promoting the activities of marine historians in the field of self-propelled vessels. material for possible publication is always welcome and should be sent to the editor; Jim Pennypacker, 4 snead Ct., Palmyra, VA 22963. No remuneration can be made for such materials, and no responsibility for it is accepted, although every effort will be made for its safe handling. All contributions are subject to editing. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the society; the burden for accuracy rests with the contributors. Contributors represent that they are the sole author of their Work, that the Work is an original work of authorship which does not infringe on the copyright rights of others, and that the author has the unencumbered right to publish the material. Subscription to PowerShips is by membership of $50.00 (US$) per year in the steamship Historical society of America, Inc. $30 of each member’s dues goes toward receiving PowerShips. single copies of available issues may be purchased. Periodical postage paid at Warwick, rI, and additional offices. POsTmAsTER: send address changes to SSHsA, 2500 Post road, Warwick, rI 02886 USA. Phone +1 401 463 3570, fax +1 401 463 3572. No part of PowerShips may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the publisher. PowerShips summer 2020 • 3 PowerShips EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jim Pennypacker 17 Church st., 2nd Floor, Lambertville, NJ 08530 email: [email protected] The Pilot House Phone: +1 610-883-7988 ASSOCIATE EDITORS Peter T. Eisele NAsA moonships, marine Propulsion, 74 Chatham street, Chatham, NJ 07928 email: [email protected] union Oil tankers and more . Laurence Miller 11321 sW 134th Avenue, miami, FL 33186 email: [email protected] M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR POSTPONED CEAN INER ALA WILL NOW ’ O L G CONTRIBUTORS take place November 7, 2020, at the historic squantum Association in east William G.T. Barber Ted Blank Charles H. Bogart David M. Boone Providence, rhode Island. The night will be a celebration of some of the biggest Peter T. Eisele William A. Fox names in transatlantic travel: the America, the Leviathan, and the highlight of the John A. Fostik Roddy Sergiades Ievent, the SS United States. Tickets are $150 per person and are available now. The event Donald Leavitt James L. Shaw Mark Shumaker Rich Turnwald will sell out, so make your reservation today. Julia Winters G. Justin Zizes EDITORIAL PLANNING COMMITTEE Articles Wanted Jim Pennypacker Andrew Coggins In This Issue Laurence Miller Roland Parent We’re continually looking for Jim Shuttleworth Marifrances Trivelli • NASA’S MANNED SPACE FLIGHT NETWORK articles for the upcoming issues of Matthew Schulte James Zatwarnicki, Jr. provided tracking, telemetry and communications ART DIRECTOR Powerships . If you would like with manned spacecraft. During the Apollo John Goschke, Cornerstone media, Inc. to write an article, send me a note email: [email protected] program (1961-72) the network included five ADVERTISING SALES (editor@sshsa org). describing your modified instrumentation ships. In NAsA’s Richard L. Barwis, IV, Cornerstone media, Inc. article idea and we’ll talk . In addition 674 Fairhaven street, Palm bay, FL 32907 moonship Fleet, author eric Pearson sheds light on to articles on engine-powered ships of email: [email protected] these seaborne communication platforms and the Phone: +1-321-220-0346 all kinds, we’re interested in articles EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER vital coverage they provided for the Apollo missions. on Ocean Liners, Ship Builders, Matthew S. Schulte, M.S. email: [email protected] • In LIves of the LIners, William miller shares Mechanical Aspects, Ship Models, PRINTING the colorful recollections of the late Lewis and Merchant Marine, Ship Preservation, Perfection Press 1200 Industrial Drive, Logan, IA 51546 ruth Gordon about their frequent trips to the Ship Interiors and Memorabilia . Of SSHSA HEADQUARTERS mediterranean in the 1950s and ’60s aboard many course, we welcome articles on all 2500 Post road, Warwick, rI 02886 email: [email protected] Phone: +1-401-463-3570 of the ships of the Italian Line and American topics of interest to SSHSA members . Web: www.sshsa.org, www.shiphistory.org export Lines. SSHSA OFFICERS Don Leavitt, President, south ryegate, VT • FollowIng a brIef hIstory of marine propulsion, Jim shaw presents an overview Barry W. Eager, Vice President, berlin, mA of modern marine engines, including diesels, two-stroke and four-stroke, short- and Nicholas Langhart, V.P./secretary, Westminster, mA Eric Takakjian, Acting Treasurer, Fairhaven, mA long-stroke, smokeless engines, the world’s most powerful marine diesel, and a look at SSHSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS engines offering better fuel economy and less air pollution. Odd Brevik, Ormond beach, FL Douglas Bryan, Cohasset, mA • Capt terry tilton offers a in-depth history of a trio of union Oil tankers, built in Andrew Coggins, Jr., blacksburg, VA Patrick Dacey, Glen Gardner, NJ the 1950s by Newport News shipbuilding – Sansinena, Torrey Canyon and Lake Palourde .