Another view of the Lafayette lying on her side on 10 February, 1942. The New York City Fireboat Firefighter is seen fighting a stubborn blaze located in the ships ventilation system at the base of the ship’s two forward funnels. The Firefighter was painted over completely in black as soon as America entered the war back in December of 41. This vessel was nearly lost while trying to extinguish the fires on the Lafayette before the ship capsized. The Firefighter had gotten her prow wedged in a porthole opening on the ship as she began to list to port. As the big liners roll to port continued, and lines began to snap on her starboard side, her great weight pushed the prow of the firefighter down into the water. The small boats propellers cleared the water as her stern reared up. Some members of her crew began jumping from the boat as another fireboat, the John J. Harvey, managed to secure a line on the Firefighter stern. Pulling for all she was worth, the Harvey managed to yank the larger fireboat clear of the former Normandie just as she completed her roll over onto her port side. According to a crew member on the Firefighter, it was a very close thing, and the smaller boat was lucky not to have been crushed by the capsizing ocean liner. Those crew members who had jumped overboard from the fireboat were then pulled from the freezing water.
