Everyone on deck can only stare in horror as the huge bows of the cruiser slam into
the side of your ship! The impact throws men everywhere, slamming them into walls
or knocking them into the water. Your head slams against a bulkhead. You are
dazed, and the whole deck tilts crazily. There is a horrible shuddering and a tearing
and grinding sound. You look up to see a massive wall of steel rush in front of you.
Your mind cannot understand what is happening. Men are screaming in pain and
terror. The cruiser has cut your ship in half!
You look ahead but the bridge and everything in front of it is gone! One of the
surviving officers orders the crew to abandon ship before the stern half goes down
as well. You help lower the boats as other ships rush to your rescue. You operate
without conscious thought. Your mind is in shock. Many of your friends are gone.
You can't believe how quickly everything happened. As you row away from what is
left of your ship your mind is still in a daze.
Suddenly your ship's stern slips quickly under water. A few seconds later there is a
huge series of underwater explosions. Massive towers of water are thrown up
behind you. Some of the boats capsize. What's going on? What new horror is
this? Then someone realizes - it's your ship's depth charges. As the stern sinks
deeper underwater, the water pressure has set off the ship's depth charges.
Eventually you reach safety on another escort ship. As the war continues you
resume your duties but your mind keeps replaying those few minutes over and over
again. Your heart is saddened by the loss of so many good friends - gone in just a
few seconds. Fog holds a special terror for you for the rest of the war.
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