The SS Leopoldville, a converted 11,500 ton Belgium passenger ship, left the harbor of Southampton on December 24, 1944, with over 2,000 men of the 66th Infantry Division. Just five miles from its destination of Cherbourg, she was torpedoed by the U-486. HMS Brilliant came alongside to rescue as many soldiers as possible. She was only able to take 500 but when she returned, nothing was left. Of the 2,235 souls it was presumed that 515 went down with the ship. Another 248 will die from injuries which include hypothermia. 

Many of the men from the 262 Medical Department, on the sinking ship, stayed to care for the wounded instead of being rescued. From the medical group there were only eight survivors, of which three of them needed to be hospitalized. 19 bodies from the medical detachment were never found.

Surviving soldiers of the 66th were ordered not to tell anyone back home about the incident. Their mail was heavily censored and after the war they were told if they mentioned anything their benefits would be cancelled. The documents about the attack remained classified until 1996.

Volunteers with Stories Behind the Stars wrote the stories of all 763 Americans lost in the sinking.