Athenia's Last Voyage

The documentary, "Athenia's Last Voyage," tells the little-known story of the firstship sunk by Germany in the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Using filmedinterviews 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 Canadianstraveling in the British Isles to return home immediately. They are joined by Britishcitizens 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 theBritish Isles for Canada Sept. 2, the day after Germany invades Poland. England andGermany declare war the next day at 11 a.m. By sunset the ship is 250 miles northeastof 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. Womenand chi