Considering what an independent lot these merchant ship captains were, and that many of them chaffed under Royal or US Navy direction, it seems somewhat realistic that they occasionally act in this every-man-for-himself manner. There weren't a lot of civilian steamer captains back then trained in precision naval maneuvers. Just keeping them in column and at a consistent speed with the convoy was a major undertaking for the escorting warships at least early in the war.
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