Five houses away lived a tanker captain now deceased. He ran a tanker up and down the eastern seaboard of the US during the worse period as well. He probably was very lucky to survive that time.

He related his experiences to me many years ago. It is old history now but no valid reason other than the smearing of one naval officer in charge of the area right or wrong has emerged. The officer is credited basically with making no effort to stop the carnage.

As for leaving all the lights on shore blazing away during this period had to make it twice as dangerous. Where the politicians afraid to let the public know the war was going on just offshore at the time? Life at higher levels mind the ships and cargos must have been considered cheap.