The Finest Hours -

During a violent storm off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, two T2 oil tankers—the SS Pendleton and the SS Fort Mercer —both split in half due to extreme structural stress and 60-70 foot waves.

Against all odds, they located the stern of the Pendleton and successfully rescued 32 survivors . The Finest Hours

All four Coast Guardsmen were awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal for their extreme bravery. Fact Checking "The Finest Hours" - The Frump Report During a violent storm off the coast of

Coast Guard Coxswain Bernie Webber led a four-man crew on the 36-foot motorized lifeboat CG-36500 . Fact Checking "The Finest Hours" - The Frump

The small wooden boat was designed to carry only 12 people ; Webber and his crew faced a broken compass and lost power in a storm with horizontal snow.

The 1952 rescue of the SS Pendleton is widely considered the in U.S. Coast Guard history. The event has been immortalized in the non-fiction book The Finest Hours by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman, as well as a 2016 Disney film starring Chris Pine. ⚓ The Historical Event: February 18, 1952