"ABANDON SHIP!" Captain Rockland's voice roared out in anguish as if a surgeon were carving his flesh piecemeal, for to lose a command at sea was undeniably a master mariner's worst nightmare. "Sound Abandon Ship, Max!" With this command, Ken ran from the radio shack, having sent the dreaded message: "SSS--Attacked by enemy submarine." With this command, Chief Mate Max Luther and his men lowered the boats as their sleek new ship sunk slowly to her gun'les. The grueling and bloody surface battle with U-218 was over. And so ended young Ken Mason's second convoy crossing.