On May 19, 1942, a U-boat in the Gulf of Mexico stalked its prey 50 miles from New Orleans. Captained by 29-year-old Iron Cross and King's Cross recipient Erich Würdemann, the submarine set its sights on the freighter Heredia with 62 souls on board. Most were merchant seamen, but there were also a handful of civilians, including the Downs family. Fast asleep in their berths, they had no idea that two torpedoes were heading their way. When the ship exploded, chaos ensued --- and each family member had to find his or her own path to survival.