Down the Persian Gulf, past the sandy, heat-shimmering wastes of southern Arabia, a grubby tanker plowed. It was tiny (632 tons) and slow (7.5 knots), but last week the Rose Mary was the most celebrated oil tanker in the world.
As the Rose Mary, bound for Italy, neared the British colonial port of Aden, a strange battle took place on board between two crackling wireless receivers. Over one radio, Shipowner Nicolo Rizzi from Italy ordered Captain Giuseppe Jafrate to put in at Aden. Over the other, Italian Count Ettore della Zonca, who had chartered the ship, exhorted: "Go ahead! The...
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