Portrait of David Scherman. (Photo by Hansel Meith/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Portrait of David Scherman. (Photo by Hansel Meith/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

Many LIFE photographers were at the front during World War II, but no one else could claim that one of his photos helped sink a German vessel. In April 1941, David Scherman (1916-1997) was heading for Cape Town on the Egyptian Zamzam, when it was shelled by a German raider. Scherman took a picture of the raider from a lifeboat, then hid the film. When the Germans discovered there had been Americans aboard, they transferred them to a ship. The Americans were repatriated, and the photo ran in LIFE. The British navy, which had been pursuing such a raider, had the picture posted aboard all ships. Eight months later, a British plane spotted the raider and sank her. In 1953, according to Scherman, LIFE’S Managing Editor Ed Thompson said to him, “l want you to become an editor and claw your way to the top.” Scherman went on to be an editor at LIFE for two decades, the only staff photographer ever to achieve such a switch.

Adapted from The Great LIFE Photographers

A view of Adolf Hitler's burning mountain house, "The Eagle's Nest." (Photo by David E. Scherman/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

A view of Adolf Hitler’s burning mountain house, “The Eagle’s Nest.” (Photo by David E. Scherman/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

People climbing down a ladder, trying to board an already overfull lifeboat, as the SS Zam Zam sinks. (Photo by David E. Scherman/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

People climbing down a ladder, trying to board an already overfull lifeboat, as the SS Zam Zam sinks. (Photo by David E. Scherman/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation)

More Like This

Steve McQueen aims a pistol in his living room. (Photo by Loomis Dean/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Loomis Dean

Drawing room at Notre-Dame-de-Vie withPortraits of Picasso and wife Jacqueline taken by David Douglas Duncan (Photo by Gjon Mili/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

David Douglas Duncan

Sidney Poitier in a scene from "Porgy and Bess," 1959. Photographer

Gjon Mili

Closeup of beautifully weathered hands of Navajo woman modeling turquoise bracelet & ring made by Native Americans. (Photo by Michael Mauney/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation) Photographer

Michael Mauney

Photographer

Anthony Linck

Bikini clad actress Jayne Mansfield posing with shapely bottles floating around her in her pool. (Photo by Allan Grant/The LIFE Picture Collection © Meredith Corporation). Photographer

Allan Grant