A Merchant Marine Story-- Part 2

During World War II, some 243,000 Merchant Mariners braved attack by enemy subs, ships and planes. And then, there were those pesky storms.

Walt Nichols, age 85 in 2010, remembers seeing a ship torpedoed on the second night of his first convoy, " The ship went down very fast, bow first, and I could see people falling into the water. I remember crying, screaming, cursing Germans, being hysterical. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I just could not believe I was watching men die."

He learned that German U-boats were most likely to attack at dusk or dawn when the ships would be silhouetted on the horizon. They would often strike on pack (several submarines in a group), fire torpedoes at a line of ships, then submerging to avoid depth charges.

Storms scared him the most when 40 foot and higher waves crashed aboard.

Also, he recalls once seeing two destroyers closing in on a U-boat and sinking it when it suddenly hit him that 50 guys, probably not unlike him, had just died.

I don't know, but floating around on a ship loaded with oil or ammunition and hoping an enemy submarine doesn't fire a torpedo at you is not my idea of a pleasant situation.

Honor the Merchant Marine. --GreGen