Tells the story of the merchant fleet during World War II, the non-fighting service in which 32,000 men died, yet whose essential role has never been fully appreciated. Action seen by merchantment and their crews is told with insight, from the early days of war to the day of victory on the Rhine, the complete operation of the fleet is examined, with vivid accounts of the horrific losses undegone, the heroism of the crews and the sacrificies endured.