RMS Lancastria was a British ocean liner that played a crucial role during the early stages of World War II. On this fateful day, the ship was anchored off the coast of Saint-Nazaire, France, carrying around 5,500 people, including military personnel and civilians fleeing the advancing German forces. The British were evacuating from France, and the Lancastria was tasked with transporting troops and refugees to safety in Britain. The situation was dire as the Nazi forces were quickly conquering French territory. As the ship sat in the bay, it became a target for the German Luftwaffe, who aimed to disrupt the evacuation efforts. In a tragic turn of events, multiple German bombers attacked the Lancastria, striking it with precision and causing catastrophic damage. The ship caught fire and began to sink swiftly. Chaos ensued as passengers and crew struggled to evacuate. Lifeboats were launched, but many capsized or became overcrowded. The loss of life was staggering, with estimates indicating that as many as 3,000 individuals perished in the disaster, overshadowed by the immediate concerns of the war. The British government initially sought to downplay the incident to maintain morale and avoid panic among the population back home, leading to limited public knowledge of the tragedy at that time.