World Battlefronts: BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC: New Hazard

Sky-high with an exploding freighter off a Virginia beach last week went the optimism of Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox. The Secretary had assured the U.S. that the U-boat menace had been thrust back 50 miles from the Eastern Seaboard. Not so.

Late one afternoon bathers, startled by the explosion, saw smoke pouring from the freighter close to shore. They saw U.S. subchasers, planes and blimps scattering bombs and depth charges. Then a second freighter shuddered from an explosion.

Both ships had hit floating mines. A new hazard faced the United Nations, who had acknowledged the loss of 290 vessels since...

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