The quiet heroes

"The maintenance of trading links with the outside world, and the United States of America in particular, was absolutely critical not just for vital war supplies but for the sustenance of the civil population." "The successful outcome of the Battle of the Atlantic - 'a close run thing' if ever there was one - resulted from many factors such as the Ultra code-breaking, the industrial might of America and the development of anti-submarine warfare. But none of these would have succeeded had it not been for the extraordinary bravery and tenacity of the merchant sailors who manned the defenceless vessels that were the target of their merciless U-Boat predators."--BOOK JACKET.