The unsung heroes of the North Atlantic, the Arctic Seas and other Oceans during the war-torn years between 1939 and 1945, were without doubt the sailors who manned Britain's merchant ships. This book contains a collection of previously untold tales of some of the most extraordinary incidents that occurred to the ships and men who kept Britain's vital maritime lifeline open at that difficult time. It describes the horrors of destruction and survival in mid-Atlantic, how lightly-armed trawlers and tramp ships took on attacking U boats - and won - and many other portrayals of the contribution and sacrifices made by merchant seamen.