MIRACLE OFF CAPE COD (PT 2) THE PENDLETON/FT.MERCER TANKER RESCUES 1952

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

Jon Hagadorn

Society & Culture, History

4.4 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 11 October 2020

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In part two we cover the finding of the Pendleton bow section with all hands lost, and the rescue of the Ft. Mercer bow and stern sections in high seas off Cape Cod. At the end- parts of a Cape Cod Times interview with Andrew Fitzgerald; portions of the Coast Guard memorial flag ceremony for Berne Webber with words from USCG Master Chief Petty Officer Jack Downey; also included a Disneyworld tribute for Andrew Fitzgerald. Credits given in this episode to ,The Finest Hour' authors Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman. There were dozens of heroes involved in the 1952 rescues and they didn't all make this story but their courage and sacrifices are appreciated, as is the U.S. Coast Guard Service and the men and women who served and who serve today. Enjoy 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries on the Podbean Podcast App today! Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.podbean.app.podcast iOS - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/podbean-podcasts-on-the-go/id973361050?ls=1&mt=8 NEW 1001 Ghost Stories & Tales of the Macabre is now playing at Apple Podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-ghost-stories-tales-of-the-macabre/id1516332327 NEW Enjoy 1001 Greatest Love Stories on Apple Devices here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-greatest-love-stories/id1485751552 Enjoy 1001 Greatest Love Stories on Android devices here: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=479022&refid=stpr. Get all of our shows at one website: www.1001storiespodcast.com CALLING ALL FANS.. REVIEWS NEEDED SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). YOUR REVIEWS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! LINKS BELOW... Open these links to enjoy our shows! APPLE USERS Catch 1001 RADIO DAYS now at Apple iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-radio-days/id1405045413?mt=2 Catch 1001 Heroes on any Apple Device here (Free): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-heroes-legends-histories-mysteries-podcast/id956154836?mt=2 Catch 1001 CLASSIC SHORT STORIES at iTunes/apple Podcast App Now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-classic-short-stories-tales/id1078098622 Catch 1001 Stories for the Road at iTunes/Apple Podcast now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1001-stories-for-the-road/id1227478901 ANDROID USERS- 1001 Radio Days right here at Player.fm FREE: https://player.fm/series/1001-radio-days 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales:https://castbox.fm/channel/1001-Classic-Short-Stories-%26-Tales-id1323543?country=us 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries: https://castbox.fm/channel/1001-Heroes%2C-Legends%2C-Histories-%26-Mysteries-Podcast-id1323418?country=us 1001 Stories for the Road:https://castbox.fm/channel/1001-Stories-For-The-Road-id1324757?country=us Catch ALL of our shows at one place by going to www.1001storiesnetwork.com- our home website with Megaphone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	The Oh, Thanks for joining us everyone at 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories and Podcast, and Part 2 of Miracle off Cape Cod.
0:37.0	This is your host, John Haggadorn, and it's great to be back with you today.
0:40.9	In Part 1, we covered the backstory of the 1952 New England and Nor'aster, and of the two T2
0:46.5	tankers that both split in half within five hours of each other in that terrible storm
0:51.7	near the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts,
0:53.7	leaving four separate tanker sections, each one with crew,
0:57.6	floundering helplessly in 60 to 70 foot waves and a blinding ice and snowstorm that would end up claiming 42 lives and many more
1:06.1	had it not been for the incredible efforts of the US Coast Guard.
1:10.1	We ended part one with Bernie Weber's arrival back at Chatham Coast Guard station with 32 survivors, a miracle rescue, as it was called by some of the press.
1:19.0	But the story would not be complete without telling that the heroism shown by other Coast Guard details as they fought
1:24.5	impossible seas trying to save the other three ship halves and crews, those being the bow of the Pendleton
1:31.2	and the stern and bow sections of the Fort Mercer.
1:34.8	While Bernie Weber was unloading the Pendleton survivors in Chatham Harbor,
1:39.1	the 32 crewmen still alive on the Fort Mercer's bow were huddled together trying to stay warm.
1:46.0	Several of their crewmates had fallen to their deaths in an earlier rescue attempt.
1:50.0	The first vessel to reach the Fort Mercer was the Short Splyse, which was a transport ship, but the seas were too large for any attempt to get close, so the Short's place had to stand by, ready to try to grab any men who jumped or fell into the water.
2:05.0	Two Coast Guard airplanes, despite the terrible weather and high winds,
2:09.0	were able to make a pass over the Fort Mercer Stern section and reported in on what they were seeing, which was that the lifeboats were gone and that the stern section was almost awash, meaning there didn't appear to be much time before it sank.
2:23.7	Earlier that day, the radar equipment newly installed at Chatham
2:27.0	Life Savings Station was picking up two strange large objects
2:30.9	just five miles offshore from Chatham, and they had radioed one of the two
2:35.1	planes both of which were fighting to stay aloft in the brutal storm to check it out and
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jon Hagadorn, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jon Hagadorn and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.