What the Plaque/Guide Says:
Nearby are portions of the hull of the General Petroleum Corporation tanker S.S. Emidio, which on December 20, 1941 became the first casualty of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s submarine force action on California’s Pacific Coast. The ship was attacked some 200 miles north of San Francisco and five crewmen were killed. Abandoned, the vessel drifted north and broke up on the rocks off Crescent City. The bow drifted into the harbor, where it lay near this marker until salvaged in 1950.
More about California Historical Landmark #497:
The I-17 submarine, captained by Kozo Nishino, first fired at the lifeboats with a deck gun as the S.S. Emidio tried to outrun it. As a tanker, the Emidio had no guns on board and had no choice but to stop and hoist the white flag while sending out an SOS.
That’s when the I-17 fired a torpedo at the ship. One of the oilmen on board, named B.F. Moler, was just outside the path of the torpedo and watched it whiz past him in the engine room! Though it gave him a broken rib and punctured lung, he was still able to scramble his way to the upper deck, jump overboard and survive!
Some bombers with depth charges scared off the I-17, which would later go on to attack the Ellwood Oil Company refinery in Santa Barbara, firing the first enemy shells to land on continental US soil in World War II!
31 survivors were able to escape to safety after the torpedo hit, but the Emidio never sank, finally running aground 85 miles north of where it was torpedoed! Luckily for the marine life, the ship was on a return trip and had no oil on board to dump!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the Del Norte County Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
Beach Front Park and Picnic Area
SW corner of Front and H Sts
Crescent City, CA 95531
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!
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