The German liner SS Columbus provides a concrete example of the manpower problem behind the boarding. Facing capture, the ship was scuttled and abandoned, leaving her crew in the Americas rather than returning them to Germany. Crews from Columbus and other immobilized or lost merchant ships contributed to a pool of roughly a thousand German sailors in the region. These were fit, experienced seafarers with technical knowledge and familiarity with ports and trade routes. Britain therefore treated their attempted return as movement of strategic manpower aboard neutral shipping.
Notable Point · 41:51-42:51
SS Columbus adds to Germany's stranded sailors
The scuttling of SS Columbus shows how German liner crews became a pool of skilled personnel stranded in the Americas.