During WWII the United States Navy had a large collection of vessels involved in various campaigns. Among those was the Benson Class Destroyer USS Mayo DD442. In January of 1944 the Mayo was stationed off the coast of Anzio, Italy providing cover fire to the beachhead. The crew was skilled, and efficient, keeping the enemy in check. The Mayo's efforts were instrumental in keeping the Nazi's large guns from firing. On January 24th, the firing continued until 21:01 when a large explosion rocked the ship.

The vessel was nearly blown in two with six men killed and twenty five wounded. Somehow, against all odds, the ship stayed afloat. The valiant efforts of the crew, and a good bit of luck, saved the Mayo. The ship was towed to Naples, for patching. Then the great journey back to the US began by tow, miraculously the ship survived the perilous trip. Upon arrival in New York, she was put into dry dock and four months of repairs followed. After that she went back into service.

Many good men were injured and killed, yet the bravery and skills of those who survived made sure that the ship would survive as well. The damage was so severe that the Mayo should have sunk. Thankfully, it survived and carried it's surviving crew to safety.

-Professor Walter