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LIBERTY SHIP SS STEPHEN HOPKINS
The SS
Stephen Hopkins was a United States Merchant Marine
Liberty ship that served in World War II. She was
the only US merchant vessel to sink a German surface
combatant during the war.
On September 27, 1942, en route from Cape Town to
Surinam, she encountered the heavily armed German
commerce raider Stier and her tender the Tannenfels. Because of fog, the ships were only two miles apart
when they sighted each other.
The Stephen Hopkins refused to surrender, and the
Stier opened fire. Although greatly outgunned,
the crew of the Hopkins fought back, replacing the
crew of the ship's 4 inch (102 mm) gun with
volunteers as they fell.
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At 9:30 AM that Sunday
morning, Stephen Hopkins' sailors saw a ship about the
same size as the Hopkins firing at them. Explosions rocked the ship
and machine gun fire was raking the decks. One of
the first shells killed two mariners as they stepped on
deck.
Chief Mate Richard
Moczkowski gave orders to steer so the stern of the ship
- with its 4 inch gun - would continue to point at the
enemy ships and at the same time present the smallest
target.
Seaman Barker, in charge
of the 4 inch gun, pointed it directly at the waterline
of the German raider, getting a shot off about every 45
seconds. The shots were accurate, hitting the
raider’s rudder and then damaging the raider’s forward
guns.
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In the forward tub,
Wallace Breck, two other Armed Guard men, and Second
Mate Joseph E. Layman, fired round after round at the
smaller ship. All the guns aboard the Hopkins were
firing as fast as they could be loaded and discharged.
Hit after hit was scored on both enemy ships.
An enemy shell pierced the
Hopkins' half inch steel hull, hitting directly in the
engine room. Those above heard the explosion, then the
roar of steam, as the black gang died at their posts.
The Stier was still
putting shell after shell into the upper works of the
Stephen Hopkins. The Tannenfels kept machine gunning the
Hopkins. The Armed Guard fired their machine guns
right back.
Cadet O’Hara saw the
4-inch gun deserted and dead men on the deck around it.
He loaded and fired all 5 shells left in the ready box,
scoring hits with all five. A few moments later he
was killed by a shell which exploded nearby.
The battle lasted about
half an hour. A total of 35 shells hit the Stier
and she was in as much of a shambles as the Hopkins. Both ships were on fire and sinking.
Commander Horst Gerlach
ordered his crew to set detonating charges to scuttle
the Stier. After an hour or so, the Stephen
Hopkins also sank. The 19 survivors gathered in
one lifeboat, which had little food and water, and began
a 2,200-mile 31-day journey to Brazil. Fifteen men
survived.
Captain Buck was posthumously awarded the Merchant
Marine Distinguished Service Medal for his actions.
So was US Merchant Marine Academy cadet Edwin Joseph
O'Hara, who single-handedly fired the last shots
from the ship's 4-inch gun. O'Hara was the
second cadet to receive this award, and the first to
receive it posthumously. Navy reservist Lt.
Kenneth Martin Willett, gun boss for the 4-inch gun,
was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
The Liberty ships Paul
Buck, Edwin Joseph O'Hara, and Richard Moczkowski, and the destroyer
escort USS Kenneth M. Willett (DE-354) were named in
honor of crew members of the Stephen Hopkins, and SS
Stephen Hopkins II in honor of the ship itself.
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This
primarily wood model of the Liberty ship will have
"STEPHEN HOPKINS" or ANY OTHER NAMES such as the
Jeremiah O'Brien or John W.
Brown per your request. There's no charge for
this service. Please indicate the name of your Liberty Ship during the check
out process.
The model comes with a
regular wooden base
which is about 1/4 of the length of the model. The
large base shown in the photos above is $400 extra. An
acrylic top on top of the large base to cover the
model is $1,200 plus $350 shipping.
47"long
x 7.5" wide x 14.5" tall $5,790
Shipping and insurance in
the
contiguous USA included. Other
countries $500 flat rate.
This model is in stock and can
be shipped within five business days.
26.5"long (1/200 scale)
$2,790 Shipping and insurance in
the
contiguous USA included. Other
countries $250 flat rate.
This
model is built per commission only. We require only
a small deposit to start the process (not full
amount, not even half) $500
The
remaining balance won't be due until the model is
completed, in 3-4 months.
Note that at this size, there are no vehicles nor
landing crafts on deck.
Cadet Edwin Joseph O' Hara
fires shells at the Stier (Painting by W.M. Wilson)
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