This October 26, 2024 marks the 82nd anniversary of the sinking of the SS President Coolidge. On October 26, 1942, the ship attempted to enter the harbor of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. However, as the ship entered the largest channel, it struck an American mine. The mine was unfortunately omitted from the ship’s sailing orders for the day. The first mine struck near the engine room, and shortly after a second mine would hit near the stern.
Almost immediately, Captain Henry Nelson knew the ship was a loss. However, Captain Nelson held out hope and attempted to run the ship aground, with the idea that the ship–and its contents–could potentially be salvaged after the event.
The SS President Coolidge was built in 1931 and had started its career as a luxury ocean liner. After the start of World War II, the ship would be utilized as a troopship transporting American soldiers from Hawaii to Manila.
On that fateful October day, the SS President Coolidge attempted to dutifully transport the 172nd Infantry Regiment to their task to defend the airfield at Espiritu Santo. The unit originally boarded the ship on October 5th in San Francisco, and immediately enjoyed the luxurious setting only an ocean liner could provide. Even if it meant the Continental Lounge was converted into stacks of soldiers’ bunks.
Within the next 90 minutes after hitting the mine, the roughly 5,000 men aboard disembarked calmly. Even after they clambered down ropes on the side of a slanted, sinking ship, the soldiers maintained the organized effort to make it ashore.
Unfortunately, Captain Nelson was unable to fully beach the ship, as the coral reef in the area blocked his attempts. The ship would soon start its descent into the ocean, stern first.
Remarkably, only two men lost their lives to the sinking. Fireman Robert Reid unfortunately died in the initial mine explosion in the engine room. Additionally, Captain Elwood Joseph Euart also lost his life, but not before saving countless others.
Captain Euart had first made it off the ship with no issues. However, upon hearing of others still trapped aboard in the infirmary, he immediately reboarded. After successfully rescuing all men, Euart was unfortunately unable to escape himself and went down with the ship. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroic act.
The loss of the ship was not only felt by the soldiers themselves, but also felt through the lost supplies onboard. Soldiers were first told to leave all their belongings when it was believed that the ship could be beached and returned to. In addition to the traditional supplies such as food and artillery, the ship also carried nearly the entire Pacific Theater’s stock of quinine, an anti-malaria treatment.
Subsequently, numerous official inquiries were conducted to determine how such an event could occur. It was determined that, simply, the SS President Coolidge was not given all relevant information regarding their sailing – most notably, the location of “friendly” mines in their path. This was not without the attempt to place blame on and the ultimate acquittal of the ship’s captain, Captain Nelson.
To this day, the SS President Coolidge sits where it sank off the coast of Espiritu Santo. In 2013, a diver located the remains of Captain Euart, who was then recovered later in 2014 and given a full military funeral service.
Despite its popularity as a diving location, a few years after Vanuatu won their independence in 1980, the government declared no salvage or recovery of objects would be allowed from the SS President Coolidge. Many experienced divers have explored its resting place and witnessed the remaining helmets, guns, and even Jeeps. Divers even kiss the “Lady” – a statue of an Elizabethan lady and her horse that once sat in the first-class smoking room – for good luck.
Additional Resources
- The Sinking of SS President Coolidge
- UNESCO: The President Coolidge
- SS President Coolidge: Sinking and the Shipwreck
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