Winning the Battle of the Atlantic was critical to Britain's survival in World War II. If the struggle at sea had been lost, Britain would have been forced to surrender. The British Merchant Navy suffered enormous losses, both of ships and men, particularly in the early years. Sailing through U-boat wolf-packs across the Atlantic, or on the perilous routes to Malta and Murmansk, took a special kind of courage. Ships often sank within moments of being torpedoed. This book tells, in graphic detail, of the epic struggle against the Germans, Italians and Japanese, and, in particular, what actually happened when a ship was sunk by mine, aircraft, surface raider or U-boat. The resourcefulness and skill of the seamen enabled a surprising number to survive, including those making long voyages in lifeboats or on rafts. Throughout the War, efforts were made not only to increase the chances of survival by destroying enemy submarines, but also by improving life-saving equipment and rescue procedures. "Survivors" also describes how the crews of sunken ships were treated by the enemy.
At first, most U-boat captains were extraordinarily considerate, but the risk of being attacked brought about a change of attitude. While atrocities remained rare, Hitler's instructions to the U-boats, to show no mercy, added to the many perils that British seamen already faced.