Even a banana boat was fair game in the U-boat war, this was the case for the SS Nicarao of the United Fruit
Company on May 15, 1942 when, without warning the U-751 slammed a torpedo into her starboard side. The
thirty-nine man crew began to abandon the ship immediately and launched two boats, both of which were
quickly swamped, their only recourse was to jump over the side and swim to the liferafts. The ship went down
in less than five minuets, but all 38 men got off. Sadly while attempting to get to the liferafts eight men
drowned. The remaining survivors were luckier than many as they were picked up the next day by the Esso
Augusta.