STILSON-FORD

ONE  OF  THE  MOST  REMARKABLE  SURFACE  BATTLES  OF  WWII

The SS STEPHEN HOPKINS, a U.S. Merchant Marine Liberty ship, was launched in May 1942.  Her maiden voyage took her from San Francisco to Bora Bora, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and then into the Atlantic Ocean bound for British Guiana, where on the morning of September 27, 1942, she met her fate off Surinam.  While proceeding through haze she spotted two ships coming out of the fog not far away.  The ships were the German surface raider STIER and its supply ship TANNENFELS.  The STIER was a former merchant ship disguised as a neutral-flag cargo ship, but her profile had been changed with the addition of fake masts and stacks, and she now carried six 5.9-inch guns hidden behind false deck panels. 

A scant three minutes after the two ships were sighted and they neared to about 1,000-yards, shots suddenly pierced the STEPHEN HOPKINS superstructure.  As Navy Armed Guard gunners and mariners assigned as loaders raced to their guns, they saw a ship off the starboard bow about their same size firing at them.  Thus, began one of the most remarkable surface battles of World War II.  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.  The order was given to steer STEPHEN HOPKINS so the stern with its single World War One era 4-inch gun would point at the enemy and at the same time present the smallest target.  Although severely wounded by shrapnel, the commander of the Armed Guard expertly directed the 4-inch gun at the waterline of the German raider, getting a shot off about every 45-seconds.  They made every shot count as they hit the STIER’s rudder and then damaged its forward guns.

STEPHEN HOPKINS also took damaging shots as one pierced the hull hitting directly into the engine room as the ship went almost dead in the water.  The STIER continued putting shell after shell into the upper works of STEPHEN HOPKINS.  A large caliber shell hit near the 4-inch stern gun killing all the men nearby.  A Merchant Marine cadet saw the 4-inch gun was deserted, so although untrained, he manned the gun alone and fired all five shells left in the ready box, scoring hits with all five.  Very shortly thereafter the cadet was killed by a shell which exploded nearby.  The firefight lasted about half an hour and a total of 35 shells hit STIER, leaving her in shambles as was the STEPHEN HOPKINS.  Both ships were on fire and sinking.  After an hour or so she sank as did the STIER.

Ford Stilson was the Chief Steward aboard STEPHEN HOPKINS, was the crewmember responsible for medical issues, and was in his stateroom when the first shots struck.  He later wrote, “"At the end of this first minute or so word was passed to me that the Chief Mate had been wounded. I went back to my room, secured bandages and antiseptics and proceeded to the bridge deck, where I found the Chief Mate reclining on the deck in the thwartship passageway adjacent to the wheelhouse but very active in shouting orders and advising the Captain to keep her turning with her stern bearing on the enemy. The Mate was shot high in the chest and in the left forearm. I applied a tourniquet and bandaged both wounds.”  After administering to the injured on the bridge, Stilson set up an emergency medical room in the officer’s wardroom and proceeded to attended to injured crewmembers throughout the battle which lasted about half an hour.

 When the battle subsided only one lifeboat existed for crewmembers to escape the sinking ship.  Fortunately, Stilson was one of nineteen men who managed to crowd onto the lifeboat.  With little food and water, a course was set for land 2,200 miles away.  Thirty-one days later the boat reached land at a remote fishing village in Brazil.  During the voyage, three injured crewmembers died in spite of the Stilson’s efforts to save them.  A U.S. Navy lieutenant sent to meet the survivors commented that they “were never for one moment beaten.  After days of being battered together on a cramped lifeboat, they were still lavishing praise on one another, helping one another.”  Fortunately, sixteen men survived the arduous voyage.  When news of the battle was released the STEPHEN HOPKINS was hailed as a “Hero Ship” and the ship and its crew was awarded the U.S. Maritime Commission’s Gallant Ship Unit Citation.  During World War II it was the only U.S. merchant ship to sink a German surface warship.

All crewmembers of STEPHEN HOPKINS were subsequently awarded the Galant Ship Unit Citation.  Additionally, on August 23, 1943 in San Francisco, Stilson was awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award which can be bestowed upon members of that service.

          MERCHANT MARINE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL CITATION

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal to Ford Stilson, Chief Steward on SS Stephen Hopkins on September 27, 1942, for meritorious service under unusual hazards.  Two enemy surface raiders attacked the merchantman upon which he was serving.  Heavy guns of one raider pounded his ship, and machine gun fire from the other sprayed her decks at close quarters.  Answering shot for shot, the gallant merchantman succeeded in sinking one of the raiders before she finally went under carrying many of her fighting crew with her.  With complete disregard for his own safety, Stilson repeatedly exposed himself to heavy enemy fire in ministering to his wounded shipmates during the engagement.  Later, in a lifeboat with eighteen others, he continued to attend the seriously injured and assisted materially in maintaining morale for the thirty-one days before the lifeboat succeeded in making a landing.  His courage and outstanding devotion to duty, in keeping with the highest traditions of American seamanship, will be a lasting inspiration to seamen of the United States Merchant Marine everywhere

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)