Holder, William "The Big Trip"

North Atlantic convoy tale. Argosy’s tag line pretty much tells it all: “With two lost ships on his record, and a leaky old scow for his last command, Captain Lennon knew the only thing that could save the McBAIN was a miracle – and U-boats don’t believe in miracles.” Suffice to say that Lennon overcomes a surly, ill-trained crew, many engine breakdowns and bad weather to get his freighter successfully across the Atlantic. And that miracle? – it does come when the McBAIN takes on a surfaced German submarine and bests the U-boat at her own game. Result: one sunk sub and Lennon’s “jinx” now beaten.