The history of the s.s. Monterey

April 1942 to NOVEMBER 1943

Thanks to Berna Bender for her insight to research this

information and make it available to us.

On April 22, 1942, the Monterey sailed for Adelaide, from San Francisco for service in the Atlantic. She sailed from Adelaide for New York, via the Canal, arriving on June 20, 1942. She immediately embarked more than 5,800 passengers for Glasgow, Scotland, and on the following trip-also to Glasgow-carried more than six thousand passengers.

Since her total number of fixed berths was only 3,841, the double loading required the establishment of a new system of feeding and sleeping aboard ship. Half the troops were assigned to cabins and public rooms converted to dormitories, and the others shifted for themselves on deck. The two groups then exchanged quarters every twenty-four hours.The Stewards Department achieved the incredible feat of feeding 5,660 enlisted men in 2 1/2 hours, an average of 37 men a minute.

On November 2, 1942 the Monterey joined one of the huge Armadas under convoy for the North African invasion, arriving in Cassablanca, Morocco, on November 18th, ten days after the first assault troops had gone ashore. It was a new experience for the crew when Arab stevedores worked with Army battalions in lightering the cargo ashore. Her sister ship, the Mariposa, was to share the same experience when she arrived at Oran on November 21st. Three more trips were made to Casablanca without incident. The Monterey returned to her home port of San Francisco, via the Canal, June 15, 1943.

On June 26th, she sailed for Brisbane, expecting to return to San Francisco, but received orders to proceed to New York again. The trip through the Canal and the Caribbean was uneventful, despite the constant presence of Navy Patrol bombers overhead and occasional instructions to change course to avoid submarines which had made attacks on vessels ahead.

Upon her arrival in New York she Embarked the largest number of passengers to be carried on a Matson ship during the first three years of the war--6,855 soldiers! She proceeded under convoy for Oran on August 21st, disembarking her passengers during several alerts while in harbor at Oran. Enemy reconnaissance planes were frequently seen but no action was engaged on this trip.

The Monterey embarked 6,747 troops in New York, sailing on October 8th for Liverpool, Gibralter and Naples, on what was to prove her first actual combat voyage. At 6:11PM on November 6th, she was in a convoy of 22 ships in column of threes under a broken overcast, when about 25 junker planes attacked without warning, using torpedoes and glider rocket bombs.

The planes came over in two waves, diving through the smoke screen laid down by the escort vessels and a heavy curtain of anti-aircraft shells and tracers. At least three of the attacking planes were shot down. One pilot came in low on the port beam of the Monterey and had to raise suddenly to avoid crashing into her side. As he raised over the ship, he carried away the antenna between her masts, and the angle of flight was such that the planes belly was exposed to the batteries of 20 mm. and Bren guns of the Tennis Deck. In a hail of gunfire the plane lost its flying speed and cashed into the water.

Two merchant ships and one destroyer in the convoy had been hit. The escort Commander requested the Monterey to undertake rescue operations for one of the stricken ships, the Grace Liner Santa Elena. The starboard lifeboats of the Monterey were lowered away, and survivors were picked up directly from the Santa Elena, from the water, and from temporary refuge aboard a destroyer which was also standing by. The lifeboats of the Santa Elena also brought many survivors to the Monterey, and scrambling nets, lines and ladders were lowered to the waiting lifeboats. The injured were brought aboard by tackle and litters at the "E" deck sideports. A total of 1,675 survivors were taken aboard: 1,644 Canadians from the Santa Elena and 31 survivors that had been picked up by the destroyer from the other stricken vessel, a Dutch ship. Four men were lost.

The entire operation was extremely fortunate in having a moderate sea and in not having enemy submarines in the vicinity during the rescue. The Monterey was just picking up her last lifeboat when her escort advised her that he had just had a torpedo cross his bows and ordered her to depart at full speed, which she did, arriving at Philippeville early on the morning of November 7th. The survivors were given food and warm blankets as they came aboard and were later billeted among the troops. Captain Johason was given a commendation from the Commander of Destroyer Squadron 16, and later awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for the rescue operation.

This excerpt and the full World War II history of the Monterey was provided to Berna Bender in February 1971 from Paul Thompson, Cruise Consultant, Pacific Far East Line Inc.