Queen Mary and the Cruiser

On the afternoon of 2 October 1942, the cruiser HMS Curacoa was to rendezvous with the Queen Mary, one of the largest liners afloat, to escort the passenger ship and her cargo of nearly 10,000 U.S. troops to Great Britain. With no hint of danger, the 81,237-ton liner came down on the cruiser and sliced her in half.

Nearly 340 men died, almost all within minutes of the collision.

This is a full, detailed account of the disaster.