All Brave Sailors: The Sinking of the Anglo-Saxon, August 21, 1940

by J. Revell Carr

In the darkness before moonrise on the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast on August 21, 1940, the night erupted in a fusillade of bullets and shells. The victim was a stalwart English tramp steamer, Anglo-Saxon, part of the lifeline that was keeping besieged England supplied. The attacker was the Widder, a German surface raider, disguised as a neutral merchant ship.
When it was near its prey, the raider unmasked its hidden armament and with overwhelming force destroyed the target ship. Only seven of the forty-one man crew of the Anglo-Saxon managed to get into a small boat and escape the raiders. Seventy days later, two of them, half dead, stumbled ashore in the Bahamas.
The account of the sailors' ordeal -- how first the badly wounded and then the less strong died and were thrown over the side of a fragile boat that had almost no supplies -- is suspenseful and riveting.
On the same day the two survivors reached the Bahamas, the Widder arrived off Brest, in occupied France, her murderous voyage over. Her captain, Hellmuth von Ruckteschell, who sank a staggering twenty-five ships, was eventually tried as a war criminal.
All Brave Sailors is a story of endurance, heroism, brutality, and survival under the most terrible circumstances. It fills a gap in the history of World War II, telling the story of the much neglected sailors and the ships of the merchant marine, fighting against great odds in the early days of the war.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, Maritime, World War II, Survival

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well researched and crafted book, and even though you know what happens, it keeps you intrigued throughout.

The SS Anglo Saxon was a British merchant ship on an outward voyage to Argentina from the UK and sailing independently in the Atlantic after leaving a convoy when it was stalked and attacked by the German raider Widder in mid Atlantic under the aggressive leadership of Helmuth von Ruckteschell. The attack was quick and vicious and only seven men made it of the ship in the ships jolly boat, three of whom were seriously wounded. What followed for these men was thirst, hunger and an almost 3000 miles open boat journey to the Bahamas of whom only two survived to tell the story. The voyage itself is told in great detail of what these men faced on a daily basis and it is a miracle that two men survived the 70 day voyage.

The book covers all angles of this epic and what happened to everyone involved during the rest of the war which for me really added depth to the story. It is a tragic book which just shows that war has no winners and the effects which it leaves upon it's survivors. One of the jolly boat survivors lost his life in the sinking of the ship that took him home, a day out. The other survivor took his own life years later from the trauma he could never overcome and the German raider captain died while serving his prison sentence for war crimes committed during his time as captain of the raider (the only raider captain who was so charged).

The book also shows how the human spirit can endure the unimaginable and how people in great peril can carry each other through these hard times. This book was on my shelf way too long and am glad I finally picked it up and got to read this amazing, yet heart breaking tale. Highly recommended read!

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the darkness of August 21, 1940, the English freighter Anglo-Saxon is ambushed and sunk by the German raider Widder in the deep waters of the Atlantic. Seven men escape the doomed merchant ship, slipping into an eighteen foot boat on the open seas, beginning a 72-day odyssey of thirst, death and survival.

In All Brave Sailors, historian J. Revell Carr recounts the incredible story of the survivors of this nighttime attack on the open seas, vividly recounting the horrors of the assault and the subsequent trek of the survivors across the empty Atlantic in a tiny boat. Often bereft of food and drinkable water, braving blistering sun, storms and even a tropical cyclone, the odyssey is both tragic and heroic, grueling in the extreme and bitterly poignant. In All Brave Sailors, Carr weaves a masterful tale of endurance and survival.

But what sets this book a bit apart from being ‘just’ a survival story is Carr’s attention to the Anglo-Saxon’s attacker: the German warship Widder and it’s curiously complex captain, Hellmuth von Ruckteschell. Disguising its guns and torpedo tubes under faux coils of cable and swing away decking, the Widder prowled the Atlantic as a ‘wolf-in-sheep’s clothing’ and Carr does an expert job of describing the modus operandi of the ship and delivering a compelling biography of the boat’s commanding officer.

On one level, All Brave Sailors is the story of three boats: the hard-scrabble Anglo-Saxon, the sinister Widder, and a lowly jolly boat. Perhaps more profoundly, it is also the story of men -- united, despite nationality, by the sea and the uncommon circumstance of war; within that crucible, some of these men became survivors; others tragic, yet heroic, martyrs; and others perhaps monsters, whose backs seemed turned to that fraternal nautical bond. But Carr wisely keeps things from pure black and white, keeping his cast in the grey, much like the oceans themselves.

[Richard Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a book that opens our eyes to the terrors of the deep for marine merchant sailors during the First and Second World Wars! It also bares the horrors of war from the side of the attacker as well whether they be a U-boat captain or a disguised pirate maurauder. You'll want to spend a number of hours discussing the war crimes of Hellmuth von Ruckteschell the captain who, with his quirky personality switches from being the humanitarian captain who rescues and cares for the crews and passengers of the ships he sinks, to the monster who machine guns ships that have surrendered and sends their entire crews to deep. Author Carr follows his British sailors to the bitter end of the war after their harrowing 2700 mile jolly-boat survival of the sinking of the ship "Anglo-Sazon." This is definitely a heartfelt, well researched tale of the monstrosities of war wreaked upon the merchant mariners and the aftermath. I recommend it to everyone grades 10 through 99.

[Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo saggio storico racconta con grande partecipazione ma altrettanta imparzialità, la tragica vicenda del mercantile britannico Anglo-Saxon aggredito e affondato in pieno Atlantico da una nave corsara tedesca durante la seconda guerra mondiale e l'impossibile viaggio verso la lontanissima terraferma di una iole di salvataggio con a bordo sette marinai sopravvissuti a quel proditorio attacco. Col passare dei giorni, alla deriva e con scarse provviste e acqua potabile, prigionieri in un mare sconfinato, il numero dei sopravvissuti si assottiglia e ben presto solo due giovani uomini rimarranno vivi, ancora sostenuti dalla voglia di non cedere... Scritto benissimo mi ha profondamente emozionato tenendomi a lungo incollato alle sue pagine fino a notte fonda, consapevole una volta di più della scelleratezza della guerra e dell'indifferenza verso la vita umana che l'odio scatena tra gli uomini rendendoli così simili agli animali

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid account of the sinking of a British freighter by a German raider in the Atlantic during WWII and the struggle of a small group of survivors to find safe haven. Perhaps not the most exciting history writing, and definitely not a fell-good story. The sacrifices merchant mariners made to the war effort was enormous and the price paid staggering.

[Mh Weyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably would have given this 3.5 stars if allowed. The book starts very slowly and with far too much background/character crowding before you know the characters (the way My brain works, these details would have been more useful after or midway through the main storyline). My husband agreed and we almost turned off the audiobook. But once they got into the section that described the time in the lifeboat, it was spellbinding. I have read survival stories of similar vein but this touched on different aspects and made me realize what a miracle it was that any of the men survived. But then it grew incredibly morbid and hopeless as man after man committed suicide and/or despaired of life. There was no hope and no indication of a spiritual element except for the villain who was shown both positively and negatively. And of the two lone survivors, neither survived long.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and full of interesting content, although the portion describing the ship-wreck and resulting survival is only about a third of the book (the middle third). The other two thirds are deep dives into the lives of the main characters, including [mostly interesting] details irrelevant to the story. A book worth reading unless you’re only interested in the survival aspects, as I was.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book incorrectly and dangerously tries to say that suicides were the result of noble unselfish thoughts instead of the result of tragic mental disease, as they really are.

[Les Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting, but longer than it needed to be.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed saga of the Anglo-Saxon Freighter ambushed by a German raider. WWI intoWWII

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked. Great representation of the sailors plight during WW2.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A riveting account of the sinking, survivors, sailors, and predators of the Anglo-Saxon merchant marine ship. A terrifying true story.

[Daniel Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with an academic/research approach to writing the book. I would not count this as a blockbuster account with a lot of intrigue but more of a systematic assembly of documents. The author attempts to make the book readable like a novel or movie but often times slips into stating the facts. There are a number of gaps instead of a well rounded and thorough read. Still I found myself looking forward to finding out what happened to each of the Anglo-Saxon survivors who made it to the life boat Jolly.

Another interesting account of unimaginable suffering and strength by Widdicombe and Tappscott - the only two survivors. Good research and background on the German boat and their captain (Ruckteschell) that was the culprit who sunk their ship.

I was drawn to this book after meeting a merchant marine from WW II and talking with him about the harrowing and scary life aboard the ships that were supplying the British before the USA got involved in WW II. Another group of very brave men who paid dearly and sacrificed for their country.

Glad I read the book and would recommend it to those interested in naval WW II history.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read one of those books that not only could you not put it down, but that left you to sit in awe after completing it while trying to comprehend how these events could have occurred? The story of these 2 sailors' fortitude will leave you reeling, but the real devastation is when you realize that this was only 2 of THOUSANDS affected by war. Totally recommend it!! But plan ahead to not sleep at all at night....

[Forrest Tate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting story. However, it is obvious that the author left out a lot of details that fully describe the desperate situation these fellows endured.