Adams, Eustace L. Hell Afloat.

Abstract based upon the first installment of this multi-part serial. Argosy’s tagline proclaims: “War-casualty Pete Jordan and beauteous Mickey Lane find that there is terror greater than the fear of death when the y are abandoned on a sinking luxury liner out in the South Pacific. A truly memorable novel of war-time castaways.” Their “luxury liner” is the fictitious CALISTRALIA, far off normal shipping lanes en route to the United States from Australia. Torpedoed by a Japanese submarine a few days out of Auckland, New Zealand, the liner is abandoned by crew and passengers and left to sink. However, she doesn’t sink, happily enough for Jordan and Lane who, for various plot devices, had been unwittingly left aboard the ship. But they’re not alone: two loutish oilers are discovered in the ship’s engine room. While Jordan — a decorated Army Air Corps officer — wants to try and get the ship running again (he’s afraid that the ship — apparently already caught in a strong, southerly-pulling current — will drift to the uninhabited wastes of Antarctica), the oilers have but two things on their minds: drink (amply furnished by the stocks of the CALISTRALIA’s 1st Class Bar) and women. Make that “Woman,” with nightclub songstress Mickey intended to fill the bill. Installment #1 concludes with stalwart Jordan about to take on the surly oilers.