War Sailor — International waters
The convoy routes of the North Atlantic — where German U-boats hunted Allied merchant ships, and Norwegian tanker crews faced the horror of burning oil spreading across the sea around stricken ships.
The Battle of the Atlantic was WWII's longest continuous campaign, running from 1939 to 1945. In 1942-43, U-boats sank over 1,600 Allied ships. Norwegian tanker crews suffered particularly horrific deaths when their oil cargoes ignited, creating burning slicks that spread around survivors in the water. The campaign's outcome was decided by improved Allied convoy tactics and the breaking of Enigma.