In January 1941, a state-of-the-art British battleship charges up the Chesapeake Bay on a secret mission. With no fanfare or entourage, the president travels to Annapolis for the rendezvous. Meanwhile, a team of American codebreakers pack their equipment and board a boat at Annapolis, on a secret mission of their own. 

 

Annapolis sailor David Gendell is the author of three non-fiction history books. His 2024 book. “The Last Days of the Schooner America,” was awarded the 2025 Brewington Book prize for maritime history. He is a member of the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s Board of Directors.