Plot

The documentary, "Athenia's Last Voyage," tells the little-known story of the first ship sunk by Germany in the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Using filmed interviews with a dozen survivors and descendants of survivors, plus vintage photos, newsreel footage and 3-D animation, the film weaves a story heroism and sacrifice. In the final week of August, 1939, the threat of war prompts Americans and Canadians traveling in the British Isles to return home immediately. They are joined by British citizens and refugees from Germany and Eastern Europe seeking to escape the conflict. All come together on Athenia, a modest, mid-sized passenger ship. She sails from the British Isles for Canada Sept. 2, the day after Germany invades Poland. England and Germany declare war the next day at 11 a.m. By sunset the ship is 250 miles northeast of Ireland, and almost everyone on board believes they are out of danger. But a half hour later Athenia is crippled by a torpedo from a German submarine. Women and children board lifeboats first, causing families to be separated. After abandoning Athenia, passengers in lifeboats battle wind, rain, and rising seas throughout the night before a Norwegian freighter and a yacht owned by a Swedish millionaire come to their rescue. Tragically, one lifeboat is chopped to pieces by the freighter's propeller and another boat capsizes during rescue operations. The next morning Athenia's chief officer discovers that an unconscious woman has been accidentally left aboard the sinking ship, which remains barely afloat. He leads a desperate effort to rescue her just minutes before Athenia sinks. Three more rescue ships arrive and families are separated as the ships take survivors to three different countries. The tragedy of Athenia caused world-wide shock, but it faded from view, leaving questions that would take years, and even decades to answer: Why was Athenia sailing alone and unprotected at a time of war? Why did a young German submarine commander attack a passenger ship? Why don't we know more about the tragedy today? "Athenia's Last Voyage" answers these questions and reminds us of the terrible price civilians pay in wartime.