Riccma02 t1_iwguz3s wrote
Reply to comment by jaedev6 in TIL that the civilian sailors of the U.S. Merchant Marine had a higher casualty rate during World War II than any branch of the armed forces. by p38-lightning
Yup, the US strategy was literally to launch ships faster than the Germans could sink them. A disturbing number of the surviving war built liberty ships failed catastrophically right after the war. Merchant Marines were torpedo fodder.
Jaggedmallard26 t1_iwhkdxh wrote
It didn't help they did what America did in every other aspect of both world wars and ignore the lessons its allies had learned from already fighting the war for 3 years. The Americans were slower to adopt the convoy system the brits had been refining that made it significantly safer.
SteveThePurpleCat t1_iwikdmj wrote
US admirals were famously Anglophobic, they actively rejected any advice from the British rather than just ignored it.
Convoys? Anti-sub escorts? Zig-Zag? Turning lights and radios off? Pfft, that's just for the weak English.
Hang on, where did all of our Merchants go? Oh, to bits you say...
Halvus_I t1_iwijwao wrote
> liberty ships
Wow, 2710 made, only 4 left.
ru_empty t1_iwitp66 wrote
Got to tour one. It was surprising they turned them out in such high numbers
firebat707 t1_iwhwjfx wrote
Well when you make a ship injust over a month, there are going to be some corners cut.
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