Convoy PQ-17 was a group of ships that were traveling together across the ocean during World War II. Imagine you and your friends playing a game of "follow the leader" while walking to school. That's kind of like what these ships were doing - they were following a big ship called a "convoy leader" to make sure they all stayed together and didn't get lost.
But during the war, there were big, scary enemy ships that would try to attack these convoys. It was like playing "tag," but with real weapons and a lot of danger. And that's exactly what happened to convoy PQ-17 - some big enemy ships started chasing them and trying to "tag" them with torpedoes and bombs!
So, the leaders of the convoy decided that the best thing to do was to split up and scatter, like when you and your friends try to hide during a game of hide and seek. Some of the ships tried to outrun the enemy, while others tried to blend in with the sea by painting themselves white or gray.
It was a very scary time for everyone on board those ships, and many of them were damaged, destroyed, or lost. Some got real hurt and some lost all their things. But some made it through and it was all because they worked together and came up with a plan to stay safe.