In 1942 my 21 year old grandfather was sailing on the Texaco Owned USS Connecticut from Port Arthur, Texas to Cape Town , South Africa with a full load of gasoline. The German Raider Michel struck the Connecticut and it exploded. Three lifeboats were launched with 56 crew members. Two of the lifeboats were engulfed in fire from the gasoline and only one lifeboat survived with 18 crew members. My grandfather was a second generation German American and spoke fluent German. He said they were treated well while prisoners on the Michel but eventually they were handed over to the Japanese in Yokahama and life became living hell. 2 died while POWs in Japan and eventually 16 were returned home at the wars end. Ironically, I just found a scrap made 31 inch model of perhaps the most famous German Raider " The Atlantis " last week at a local estate sale.