Murmansk Run and Artic Convoys

Murmansk Run, perhaps one of the most dangerous runs for ships during WWII and was a dreaded passage for most Merchant Mariners. As luck would have it this was the passage my father would make sailing the SS Jame Smith, convoy JW.58. The ship was transporting general cargo which could be anything used in the war effort. The ship would travel across the North Atlantic passed Scotland into Murmansk, Russia, coordinates 68"58'N x 33"5'E. The ship arrived Loch Ewe, Scotland March 27, 1944 and arrived Kola Inlet April 4, 1944 then discharging her cargo in Murmansk. German U-boats and bombers were for sure in the area just waiting to pick off what they could. About 1400 Merchant ships delivered vital supplies to the Soviet Union with 85 Merchant vessels lost. There were 3,000 British sailors and Merchant Marines lost to German attacks from air, sea and artic weather on this run.

My father never talked much about the war when I was growing up but will pass on what I know.


During this passage there were 56 merchant ships and 41 escorts in convoy JW.58, the SS James Smith number 14th in line. Liberty ship engine rooms had what is called sky lights at the top of engine room that could be opened to let hot air out and aided in ventilation. One day he said as he was looking out into the sky and he spotted a German bomber ready to strike. All he said is he just new that one of those bombs/torpedo's had his name on it, but luck was on his side this time. I remember my mother saying that when he left on this run his hair was black but when he returned home his hair was white and is probably why I did not here much from him about the war. I don't know all of the passages he made but do know he received the following Decorations: Merchant Marine Emblem, Atlantic War Zone Bar, Pacific War Zone Bar, Mediterranean-Middle East War Zone Bar, Combat Bar (with stars), Honorable Service Button and Presidential Testimonial Letter. Don't know where all his travels took him but seems like a lot for sure. He had also been given the designation grade of Lieutenant in the United States Maritime Service and later the grade of Lieutenant Commander. He was also Honorably Discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States of America by the United States Coast Guard. Oh, there was one more story I heard that on one of the ships he was on a torpedo landed in the engine room on the main control station but did not explode. Of course no one wanted to get near it or even be in the engine room. As I understand they came back all the way home with this extra unwanted bomb live. More white hair!



I1 know all this information is a lot of facts you may or may not need to know or be interested in but feel that to understand what is to be happen later I need to give you this information. As you will see, a lot of this will have a big effect on me and our family later.

SS JAMES SMITH (OFFICIAL No. 242005)

This would be my fathers first deep sea vessel he would sail as an engineer during WWII the SS James Smith. The ship was a Liberty class freighter, 7181 Tons built in 1942 by Kaiser-Permante yard #1. It had already made several trips delivering various cargo's in support of the war. My father sailed this vessel departing from Philadelphia, PA on February 23, 1944 as Third Engineer. I was born on the crest of a wave and was now four months old when he left. Prior to this we had moved to New Orleans when I was only two months old. My mother was from Chicago and all these moves were a little exciting, but her husband was now leaving for the war effort and it became obvious that her future and her life could change. Before Pop/Dad left on this trip he had been sailing on the rivers with Federal Barge Lines. He worked for them from 1936 to 1943, gaining experience and rank. One of my Aunts had come from Chicago to St. Louis before the move to New Orleans to help out Mom with her two children and the baby, me.



While sailing on the rivers my Dad had given my mother a little 25 caliber pistol for protection while he was gone, never thinking she might have to use it. As the story was told her and my Aunt were sitting around one evening with all of us kids and an unknown man was trying to break in through one of the windows. So my mother who had never shot a gun in her life had to make a decision. Of course the Aunt is pleading with her to get the gun and do something. So she did and took aim at the intruder and let one round off. They said she shot him in the leg but was enough for him to flee to other victims. During the war most of the men were gone from their homes leaving the wives to fend for themselves. Knowing this, lets just call them "undesirables" were on the pray for these very vulnerable women. Who knows for sure how many women were victimized during these times. I believe that was the one and only time my mother ever touched a gun in her entire life. She always hated guns and was even hard for me to have a BB gun growing up.



The SS James Smith was a Liberty 441 feet long and 56 feet wide powered by a three cylinder, reciprocating steam engine, feed by two oil-burning boilers producing 2,500 hp and a speed of 11 knots. Her 5 holds could carry 9,000 tons of cargo, plus airplanes, tanks, and locomotives lashed to its deck.

Libertys could carry 2,840 jeeps, 440 tanks, or 230 million rounds of rifle ammunition. There were 2,751 Liberty ships built and the SS Patrick Henry was first Liberty built and was launched Sept. 27, 1941. These ships were mass produced and one the SS Robert E. Peary was built in Four and Half days at a cost of 2 million dollars. These ships were nicknamed "ugly ducklings" by
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Liberty's were named after prominent (deceased) Americans, starting with Patrick Henry and the signers of the Declaration of Independence. About 200 Liberty's were lost to torpedoes, mines, explosions and Kamikazes during WWII.