I'll have to read this book - it sounds great and will explain a great deal about my grandfather's life.

But I must correct the account of the sinking of the "Colombian," and subsequently the "Balto, the "Fordalen," and later the Varingen.

The crew of the "Colombian" was allowed to abandon ship and transferred to the other ships, abandoning them in sequence as they were bombed and sunk. From "Varingen," the crew "left at 5AM in lifeboats on 10 Nov and rowed 6 1/2 hours to shore, without food or water. The crew reached Camarinas, SPAIN at 11.30AM. No telephone or telegraph or railroad there. Left for Coruna at 8AM on 13 Nov and rowed 8 hours to get there." (words from my grandfather's, Richard H. Richardson, journal. He was 3rd Engineer aboard the "Colombian.")