Here’s a topic both for any veterans reading this, and also for any of you who have researched the Armed Guard or collected memories from those who served. The subject has come up as I’ve explained to my kids what their great-grandfather did as part of the Armed Guard. Some of those Liberty Ships would carry large amounts of fuel as cargo, sometimes even their only cargo [?] that trip if I understand things. Now, if you are the crew on that voyage, are you sailing with an even higher-than-normal tenseness and anxiety, knowing you are moving a giant bomb at 8 knots? Or would you have an odd, almost mysterious sort of calm, knowing also that if a German sub nails you, you probably won’t feel a thing? We all process things in our own way, but I can’t help but wonder if there was a common way to spiritually deal with that dangerous duty. I’d love to learn what any of you know.
Submarine sighted glub…glub while funny and trying to be macho was just that. Have known a few AG sailors and as with all us veterans, anyone who says they weren’t scared were either lying or crazy in the head. Our Victory ships sailed faster that Liberty ships and made it harder for the older U-Boats to attack as they had slow submerged speed, and 3 knot gain on surface still had to move fast to catch. Thank god war ended before the newest of the U-boats got into service in bug numbers as they had a submerged speed of 14 knots and even faster on the surface. Also thank god for the sailors on the escorts and Hunter Killer groups. These combined with the AG saved many lives indeed.
