n the night of February 18, 1952, two World War II-era T2 oil tankers, the SS and SS were caught in a nor’easter with waves up to 60 feet. Just 10 miles off the coast of Chatham, Massachusetts, the crew aboard (shown above) heard explosive cracking sounds. Within minutes, the ship broke in half, leaving the captain and seven crew members stranded on the bow section, while the chief engineer and 32 crew were left on the stern.
