[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 411 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 411

  Recognizing the exploits of the officers and crew of the S.S. Henry 
Bacon, a United States Liberty ship that was sunk on February 23, 1945, 
                  in the waning days of World War II.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2002

Mr. Goodlatte (for himself, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Hoekstra, Mr. Forbes, and 
   Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia) submitted the following concurrent 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the exploits of the officers and crew of the S.S. Henry 
Bacon, a United States Liberty ship that was sunk on February 23, 1945, 
                  in the waning days of World War II.

Whereas during World War II the United States Liberty ship S.S. Henry Bacon was 
        assigned the task of conveying war materials and supplies to the 
        beleaguered Russian nation via the dangerous Arctic Ocean passage 
        (referred to as the Murmansk Run) from Iceland or Scotland to Murmansk 
        in northern Russia, and faithfully fulfilled its mission;
Whereas in early 1945 the British navy, having rescued a number of Norwegian 
        civilians from occupied Norway and transported them to Murmansk, 
        distributed them among the S.S. Henry Bacon and certain other merchant 
        ships for transportation to England, with 19 of such refugees being 
        assigned to the Henry Bacon;
Whereas a convoy carrying those refugees, designated as Convoy RA 64 and 
        consisting of 35 ships and naval escorts, departed Murmansk on February 
        17, 1945, amid the worst storms ever registered in the Arctic Ocean;
Whereas the S.S. Henry Bacon, with a full crew and refugees aboard, sailing as 
        part of that convoy, suffered damage from the force of the storms and 
        from internal mechanical problems;
Whereas the S.S. Henry Bacon, while suffering from a loss of steering capacity, 
        lost its place in the convoy and became a stray, unable to communicate 
        with the convoy and required to maintain radio silence;
Whereas the S.S. Henry Bacon was left to its own devices and was in such dire 
        straits that engine room workers used a sledgehammer and wedge to 
        physically turn the ship;
Whereas on February 23, 1945, the S.S. Henry Bacon, alone in the freezing sea 
        over 60 miles from the convoy, came under attack by 23 Junker JU-88 
        torpedo bombers of the German Luftwaffe;
Whereas armed with only small guns, the United States Navy Armed Guard aboard 
        the ship and the ship's merchant mariners fought gallantly against the 
        oncoming torpedo bombers;
Whereas although mortally wounded after a German pilot was successful in 
        delivering a torpedo to the ship, the S.S. Henry Bacon fought back, 
        shooting down nine enemy planes;
Whereas when the S.S. Henry Bacon began to sink, her captain ensured that all 19 
        Norwegian refugees aboard received a place in one of the undamaged 
        lifeboats;
Whereas when the lifeboat supply was exhausted, crewmen made rough rafts from 
        the railroad ties that had been used to secure locomotives delivered to 
        Russia;
Whereas the S.S. Henry Bacon went down with 28 members of her crew, including 
        Captain Alfred Carini, Chief Engineer Donald Haviland, Bosun Holcomb 
        Lammon Jr., and the commanding officer of the United States Navy Armed 
        Guard unit aboard, Lieutenant John Sippola, but in its sinking kept the 
        German planes from looking further and locating the main body of the 
        convoy;
Whereas the 19 Norwegian refugees, as well as the other survivors, were rescued 
        by British destroyers and those refugees were ultimately returned to 
        Norway; and
Whereas the actions of the officers and crew of the S.S. Henry Bacon were in the 
        finest tradition of the United States Merchant Marine and the United 
        States Navy and have been recognized by the people of Norway and Russia 
        but, until now, have not been acknowledged by their own Nation: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) recognizes the valiant deeds of the officers and crew 
        of the S.S. Henry Bacon, a World War II United States Liberty 
        ship that was sunk by German aircraft on February 23, 1945; and
            (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
        calling to memory the deeds, exploits, and sacrifices of the 
        officers and crew of the S.S. Henry Bacon.
                                 <all>