The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.

Friday, March 27, 2015

The Brutal Murmansk Run-- Part 1: 45 Minutes of Daylight

From the Feb. 17, 2013, Ottawa (Canada) Citizen "Brutal Murmansk Run kept Russian supplied during Second World War" by Dave Brown.

The Arctic Ocean across the top of Europe gets 45 minutes of winter daylight in what is referred to as the Murmansk Run.  Earlier this year, the Russian Embassy in Ottawa put out a call asking for veterans who made the run to come forward.  In most cases, family members of deceased showed up, but also one actual veteran did.

Alex Polowin, 88, was an underaged Royal Canadian Navy volunteer for the Murmansk Run.  Here is his memories of it:

He was one of 275 crew members on the HMCS Huron, a Tribal-class destroyer.  Murmansk duty started at Scapa Flow, the home base of British Grand Fleet located at the top of the British Isles.  They would spend many boring weeks at anchor in bleak landscape.  There was little entertainment ashore.

The Murmansk Run usually only took place during the winter to take advantage of the lack of sunlight.

--HreGen

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