… Black smoke spread, the passengers shouted (not all, but only those that remained alive)
In fact, the story is sad, full of tragic moments and examples of desperate heroism. The story of how the crew of the Sovetskaya Neft tanker, risking their own lives, saved 438 people from the burning French liner Georges Filippar.
"Just as the feat of the icebreaker Krasin is recorded in the annals of Arctic exploration, the actions of the crew of the Soviet oil tanker will find their place among the immortal examples of courage."
Brithish Weekly
At two o'clock in the morning on May 17, 1932, the tanker "Sovetskaya Neft" received a signal from the caretaker of the Guardafui lighthouse: a large ship was in distress abeam the Cape Gvardafui. Around the same time, the tanker on duty saw a bright dot in the night on the left in the course, at a distance of 15-17 miles. The dot grew and grew in size. Finally, tongues of flame became visible. Having approached, the Soviet sailors saw a terrible picture: the French comfortable motor ship "Georges Filippar", which had overtaken them the day before, has now turned into a fire trap for hundreds of its passengers. The flames had already risen above the masts; through the binoculars it was seen how people descended into the water from the windows, along the bundles of sheets. The liner did not give SOS signals and did not respond to radio requests. Now the decision remained with the Soviet sailors.
One of the best cruise liners of its time - "Georges Filippar" with a displacement of 21,000 tons. Swimming pool made of blue marble, garage for expensive cars of no less expensive guests, tennis court, first class cabins with sea views …
Tanker captain A. M. Alekseev urgently assembled the crew: "There is a burning ship on the horizon. It does not respond to signals. You can see the flame yourself. I consider it my duty to declare that the international practice of merchant shipping does not consider an oil tanker obliged to provide assistance to burning ships. None of our 18 tanks after the delivery of gasoline in Vladivostok it is not degassed. You yourself understand what we risk by approaching this floating fire … We have the right to pass by. There are many ships in this area going to and from the Suez. Apparently, some of them have already received an SOS and are going to help. If we pass by, the law will be on our side. But we are still closest to the burning ship. There are hundreds of people. I decide to go to the burning ship. Your opinion. Please speak up."
The decision was supported unanimously: "We are in a hurry to help!" The Soviet people could not do otherwise.
At four in the morning, the tanker approached the crash site and began an operation to rescue passengers and crew members of the burning ship. The sailors quickly closed the necks of the tanks, prepared the fire pumps, lowered the boats overboard and dumped the ladders. A pile of life bibs had been piled up on deck. The ship's infirmary prepared to receive the casualties.
The first boat under the command of the second assistant V. K. Chablis sailed off into the haze of the Arabian night. The rowers leaned on the oars with all their might. The wind is six points. The excitement of the sea - five points. Twenty minutes later, the boat returned with the first seven rescued. Next came new boats - wounded, burned and frightened people in them.
Among those rescued was a five-month-old girl tied to the back of her father, a French baker. The sailors wrapped up the wet child, and Dr. Alexander Vyunov took great pains to bring the baby back to life. The ship's infirmary was overcrowded, there were not enough places, the victims were placed in all rooms, cockpits, and the dining room. Many of the rescued were half-dressed, many were completely undressed - the seamen of the tanker gave them their personal belongings. We gave away the entire supply of food and fresh water.
Over the next four hours, Soviet oil sailors evacuated from the burning liner and lifted four hundred people out of the water. The last to approach the burning "Filippar" was the boat under the command of the captain's chief mate Grigory Golub. The dying liner, with a strong roll to the port side, was engulfed in flames from tank to stern. Eight French sailors got into the boat, including Captain Vic, who received severe burns to his face and legs. Arriving on the tanker, Captain Vic reported that there were no more survivors on his ship, but somewhere in the sea there should be another boat with the victims: they managed to lower five boats from the Georges Philippe, but only four were lifted aboard the tanker. The search continued all morning. Finally, they found an empty boat - fortunately, the people in it had already been rescued by the cargo ship "Contractor", which arrived at the site of the disaster at 6 am. At dawn, another British steamer, Mosud, joined the rescue operation. The British managed to save another 260 people from the water.
Rescue work was completed in the afternoon, and the tanker "Sovetskaya Neft" headed for Aden. The day after the tragedy, the motor ship "Andre Le Bon" approached the Soviet tanker, with the Soviet flag raised on the mast - the French sailors enthusiastically greeted the heroes who, despite the danger, provided assistance to their fellow countrymen. Before boarding the boats, the French hugged their rescuers. The baker Pierre Renal (the father of that very five-year-old baby) later recalled that, having switched to "Andre Le Bon", no one left the decks to the cabins, even the wounded. Everyone stood and watched the retreating Soviet tanker until it disappeared over the horizon.
The burning Georges Filippar continued its uncontrollable drift in the Arabian Sea for another three days. Finally, on May 19, it was all over - the ship sank 145 miles from Cape Guardafur. 90 people became victims of the sea tragedy. Subsequently, the French commission was never able to find out the exact cause of the disaster. A fire broke out in one of the first-class cabins and quickly spread through the ship thanks to the air conditioners operating at full capacity and numerous furnishings made of combustible materials. The generators were disconnected and the radio station was out of order. The radio operators did not manage to transmit the SOS signal. The only thing that has been established is that during the days preceding the tragedy, the liner's fire alarm went off 8 times, without any signs of fire on board. One theory is that someone deliberately disabled the alarm and then set it on fire.
So it was or not - hardly anyone will know now. The ocean keeps its secrets securely.
People and ships
The news of the exploits of the Soviet Oil crew reached Suez faster than the tanker itself. The ship was skipped out of turn by the Suez Canal, and a representative of the Messageri Maritim company (the one that owned the deceased liner), who had boarded, presented Captain Alekseev with a personalized sextant and a gold watch.
Subsequently, the French Ambassador to the USSR awarded 11 crew members with orders and medals of the Legion of Honor. By the decision of the French government, the tanker "Sovetskaya Neft" was granted an unlimited right of duty-free calling at any of the French ports.
The Sovetskaya Neft tanker served for another half a century. He managed to take part in the Great Patriotic War as an auxiliary ship of the Black Sea Fleet. He delivered soldiers and military equipment to besieged Sevastopol, transported Romanian oil in his tanks, was torpedoed, run aground and for some time was used as a barrage. Arriving in the Far East in 1947, the tanker was damaged by the detonation of explosives on board the steamship General Vatutin (an incident in the port of Nagaevo), but was rescued and enlisted in the Far Eastern Shipping Company until 1984.
Tanker crew
Captain's report on the rescue of the Georges Philippard liner
Tanker "Sovetskaya Neft" is one of two motor ships of the same type of gasoline tankers built at the "Shantie Naval" shipyard according to the Soviet project developed by academicians I. M. Gubkin and A. N. Krylov. The capacity of fuel tanks is 8228 brt, deadweight is 12,350 tons, length is 143, 90 m, width is 17, 37 m, draft in full load is 8, 86 m. In addition to 18 tanks, the vessel had a dry cargo hold for 1000 tons of cargo, two booms and cargo winches … GEM - two two-stroke diesel engines with a capacity of 1400 hp. Travel speed - 11 knots. Crew - 42 people.
