I found it a difficult read. Young inexperienced men doing their best, there were 5000 soldiers on ships but how many sailors on the single US Battleship not named. Sh!t happens in war and some poor sucker has to explain and make sense of it.
Indeed a sad tale George and it brings to mind something of a similar nature during the preparations for the 'D' Day landings. Off the coast of Devon in Lyme Bay while exercising on a trial beach landing, over 900 Americans lost their lives when a patrol of German 'E' Boats came upon the landing craft. Havoc reigned and history tell the tale. Needless to say for the sake of the Allies moral, this was also a depressed story.