SS Emidio was a 6,912-ton tanker of the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, which became the first casualty of the Imperial Japanese Navy's submarine force action on California's Pacific Coast. It was one of four attacks on shipping, the others being Samoa, Larry Doheny, and Montebello, all attacked off the coast of California before Christmas. Emidio was sailing in ballast from Seattle, Washingtonen route to San Pedro, California. The found Emidio off Cape Mendocino on the early afternoon of 20 December 1941, immediately attacking with its 14 cm deck gun. Realizing that the situation was futile, Captain Farrow raised a white flag and gave the order to abandon ship. Ignoring the surrender, I-17 continued firing from its deck gun, blasting three crew members who were lowering a lifeboat overboard. Four crew members remained on board: a radio operator and three engineers. I-17 fired a torpedo which struck the engine room and killed two of the engineers and injured the third. In total I-17 hit the tanker with five shells from its 14 cm deck gun and one torpedo killing five crew members. A Catalina flying boat of 44 Patrol Squadron attacked I-17 with depth charges, but the submarine dove and escaped. The United States Coast Guard cutterShawnee rescued the remaining 31 survivors who had rowed 16 hours to Humboldt Bay. The abandoned tanker drifted north and broke upon the rocks off Crescent City. The bow drifted into the harbor, where it lay until scrapped in 1959. The remains of the hull are still in the harbor, near a commemorative plaque. The site has been declared a California Historical Landmark #497.
Awards
Louis George Finch, Able Seaman on the SS Emidio was given the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal by The President of the United States. This was for his extraordinary courage and disregard of his own safety in voluntarily going into the sea to lighten an overload lifeboat. He stayed in water for one and half hours till another lifeboat came. For the President the award was given by Admiral Emory S. Land.
