Different Battles: The Search for a World War Hero
In 1942, Nazi submarines prowled the Florida coastline, sinking merchant vessels in a campaign that brought World War II directly to American shores. Off the Vero Beach coast, Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteer Kit Johnson piloted his small fishing boat through dangerous waters to rescue 22 survivors from the torpedoed tanker Java Arrow. The German U-boat responsible was commanded by Peter Cremer, one of the war's most accomplished submarine commanders.
A Son's Search for His Father's War Story
Four decades after the rescue, author Rody Johnson confronted a painful reality: his father had never spoken about his wartime heroism and now suffered from Alzheimer's disease. The details of that fateful night in 1942 were slipping away forever. Determined to preserve his father's legacy, Johnson embarked on an investigation that would take him across the Atlantic to Germany, where he tracked down the very U-boat commander whose torpedo had created the emergency his father responded to.
Two Heroes from Opposite Sides
Different Battles reconstructs the dramatic naval encounter off Florida's coast with vivid detail, drawing from historical records, survivor accounts, and interviews with participants. The narrative alternates between the tense moments of the 1942 attack and the author's contemporary search for answers. What emerges is a nuanced portrait of two men—Kit Johnson and Peter Cremer—each serving their country with courage and skill, each a hero in their own right despite fighting on opposing sides.
Historical Context and Personal Discovery
The book provides insight into the often-overlooked Battle of the Atlantic as it played out along the American coastline. German U-boats operated with devastating effectiveness in 1942, targeting oil tankers and cargo ships within sight of Florida beaches. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers like Kit Johnson, civilian sailors in small boats, formed the first line of defense and rescue operations during this critical period.
Rody Johnson's investigation reveals not just the mechanics of naval warfare but the human dimensions of conflict. His meetings with Peter Cremer in Germany add depth to the historical record, showing how former enemies could recognize each other's service decades after the guns fell silent. The author's personal journey to understand his father before Alzheimer's erased those memories adds emotional weight to the historical narrative.
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform in April 2016, this paperback offers readers both a detailed account of a specific WWII incident and a meditation on memory, heroism, and the complex nature of war. The 1940s setting is brought to life through careful research and the author's dedication to honoring both his father's service and the historical truth of that dangerous period in American waters.
