Name/Title
We Fight with Merchant ShipsEntry/Object ID
2026.001.01 Description
"Long before Pearl Harbor, unsung American heroes were in this war, carrying precious supplies to ports of freedom in unarmed, plodding cargo vessels through enemy-infested seas. This is the story of the magnificent part our Merchant Marine has played and is playing in greater measure every day. The merchant seaman were the first Americans to see action, the first to suffer casualties. And now that this is global war, their role is even more important. The task of supplying half the world is being done, thanks not only to the gallant crews themselves, but also to the shipbuilders. The persistent high courage of these men often misses the headlines, but its service is beyond valuation.
Here is the story of Boatswain E.T. Cheney, Jr., whose heroic action during a ship disaster won him the first Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal. here is the story of Henry J. Kaiser - but what American doesn't know him? Here is the story of Admiral Land and Admiral Andrews - and Second Officer Frank A. Santina, who won the second D.S.M. Here is the story of Joe Curran and his seamen's union, and of James McDowell Dalzell, the General Superintendent who could built a ship by himself if he just had enough arms and hands.
It takes all these men and thousands like them to solve the staggering shipping problems of global war. The United States, in fifteen peace-time years, produced exactly two dry-cargo ocean-going ships in American yards. Yet from September 1941 to September 1942 we produced 475 merchant ships of all types. Impossible? Almost. We are now producing ships faster than the enemy can sink them - but the United Nations as a whole are behind, losing more than 500 ships in seven months. Well, we're doing something about that.
Here is the story of individual bravery, and of men working together to do a world-saving job against heartbreaking difficulties. Here is the story behind the North African expedition, a miracle of transport, a miracle that must be and will be repeated again and again until victory is won. Here is the story behind the whole war, as thrilling to read as it is vital to our survival."Collection
World WarsBook Details
Editor
The Bobbs-Merrill CompanyEdition
FirstDate Published
1943Date Printed
1943