Engineering analysis of the SS Ohio

Abstract

The S.S. Ohio, that refused to sink under heavy bombardment, was towed to the Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta on August 15th 1942 and saved the Maltese from capitulation during the Second World War. Historical literature, whilst focusing on her excessive bombardment, provides three main hypotheses as to why the T2-tanker did not sink under attack, namely as being: a strong fully welded hull, the density of cargo on-board and the use of water pumps to reduce the flooding rate. An analysis of the vessel’s stability, floodable length and residual strength was conducted to prove or disprove the historical hypotheses. The results showed that the vessel was stable when damaged, was going to sink despite her welded construction and cargo onboard, but the water pumps did decrease the flooding rate. The research will be filling an existing vacuum in the area of knowledge, whilst providing concrete engineering evidence on how the S.S. Ohio survived.