Oil tanker splits in two during testing

On 16 January 1943, around 11 p.m., a T2 oil tanker named Schenectady split in two while moored at the shipyard's armament pier on Swan Island, Portland (Oregon). The cracking sound was heard at least 1.6 km away, and the ship had just completed its sea trials, making it the first oil tanker built by the Swan Island shipyard.

Details of the ship's construction

The Schenectady had a keel laid on 1 July 1942, a hull launched on 24 October, and was declared completed on 31 December, finishing six months after the project started and two and a half months ahead of schedule. The ship measured approximately 152 meters in length, though some sources state 159 meters depending on the method of measurement.

Description of the accident

The hull split almost in two, just behind the superstructure, with cracks extending down both sides nearly reaching the keel, which then gave way. The bow and stern sank to the bottom of the river, while the central part lifted out of the water. Only the bottom plates remained intact. Weather conditions were calm, with water temperatures around 4 degrees Celsius and air temperatures near -3 degrees Celsius, with light wind. No one was injured, and no storm was to blame.

Mass production of wartime ships

The United States built 530 T2 oil tankers between 1941 and 1946, as part of a broader effort to produce 2,580 Liberty ships, 414 Victory ships, and 530 T2 oil tankers. This amounted to more than 3,500 hulls in five years, roughly two per day, including weekends. Welding, a faster method than riveting, allowed this pace, though the technique was still relatively new in shipbuilding at the time.

Repair and later service of the Schenectady

The Schenectady was repaired and continued its service without further damage. It entered service in April 1943, three months after the rupture, and was eventually scrapped in 1962. Its construction cost was $2.7 million.

Cause of the rupture

The official Coast Guard report cited a defective weld as the cause, though the investigation commission examined various factors, including internal constraints, sudden temperature changes, or design flaws. Later research suggested a probable brittle fracture due to low-quality steel with high sulfur content, which would have made the steel brittle at low temperatures.

Other similar incidents

The Schenectady was not an isolated case. In 1952, a Coast Guard investigation noted that these ships tended to crack in cold weather, following the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer breaking in two off Cape Cod within hours of each other. The summary of the case noted that the cold was present, the ship was new, and the metal gave way.