The incident occurred on December 9, 1947, without warning or a collision, while the ship was stationary USS Ponaganset (AO-86) broke in two on December 9, 1947, while she was tied up at a pier in Boston Harbour. This did not happen at sea and there was no storm involved. The hull fractured suddenly along its length while the ship was stationary at the dock. She did not sink, and there was no major loss of life or serious oil spill reported. USS Ponaganset was a World War II–era fleet oiler built to refuel other naval ships. The break was caused by brittle steel and welding methods common in T2-type tankers built during the war. In cold conditions, the steel could crack without warning, and similar failures happened to many ships of the same design. After the incident, Ponaganset was separated, recovered, and later sold for scrap on January 7, 1949. The event is remembered as a structural failure, not a combat loss or sea disaster. https://ift.tt/kbAnsK1 https://ift.tt/C6ulh2i
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