Merchant marine - Simple English Wikipedia

# Merchant marine

### From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.

"Merchant marine" usually means one of two things.

It is a term used in many places to talk about commercial ship and crews. A country's merchant marine is made up of every ship owned by company or individuals in that country which is 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 vessels, like cruise ships and ferries, are also included since they are used to make a profit. 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" usually means something different: The United States Merchant Marine (USMM), 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.

Source: http://www.usmm.org/casualty.htmlAmerican Merchant Marine Casualties]

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