The stories abound

This feels like news reporting from decades ago. Then a mix of current events, local news, analysis and human interest. Now, regurgitated press releases and simplistic opinions about complex issues. From A German Mine Hit and the Ship Split in Half as told to Jake Nevins.

Just another tactical event in a monstrously huge World War but oddly fascinating none-the-less.

We had just left Belgium, where we had delivered all sorts of food and supplies, and I had managed to buy a pair of wooden shoes for my girlfriend, size 8. The return trip brought us the same way we arrived, through the Scheldt River, just south of the North Sea. The plan was to return to our home port in Brooklyn, N.Y., reload the ship and set off to our next destination.

There were about 28 sailors and dozens of merchant mariners aboard the SS Robert L. Vann. It was a routine sea voyage for transporting food, which usually took about six days. All of the sailors on board were gun crew, standing guard in case the vessel came in contact with any German E-boats, which was what the Allies called the Kriegsmarine warships. So far, we hadn’t seen any action. We were fortunate that we never had to dispatch for missions into Russia, where there was a German battleship stationed that would raid on ships carrying supplies for the Allies.

We traveled in convoys, and each ship was armed with a 3-inch, 50-caliber gun on the bow, and a 5-inch, 38-caliber gun on the stern. Each of us had our own 20-millimeter machine gun. The merchant mariners ran the ship and provided the meals; frankly, we were ready to protect the ship in whatever way we could.