Merchant marine

Merchant marine is a term used in many places to talk about commercial ships and crews. A country's merchant marine is made up of all the ships owned by companies or individuals in that country which are used to make money. Most of a country's merchant marine is usually made of ships that carry things from place to place, like oil tankers and freighters. Other ships, like cruise ships and ferries, are also included because they are used to make money. When a country is at peace, its merchant marine works independently. Some countries, though, require merchant ships to work for their armed forces in times of war.

In the United States, "Merchant Marine" has a different meaning. The United States Merchant Marine (USMM) is a part of the military which is controlled by the government in both peace and war. When the United States is at war, the USMM is used to carry military supplies. In World War II, nearly one out of every twenty-six American merchant mariners was killed, a higher portion of men than in the Army, Navy, or even the Marines.

References

 Other websites 
 The Marine Society 
 International Merchant Marine Community  
 United States Merchant Marine Academy
 Canadian Merchant Navy: Second World War 
Official database of deceased Canadian Merchant Mariners 
 SwissWorld: The Swiss Merchant Navy 
Photos of the Merchant Marine Memorials in London

Category:Naval transport