Second happy time
Encyclopedia
The Second Happy Time also known among German submarine commanders as the "American shooting season" was the informal name for a phase in the Second Battle of the Atlantic
during which Axis
submarine
s attacked merchant shipping along the east coast of North America
. The first "Happy time"
was in 1940/41.
It lasted from January 1942 to about August of that year. German submariners named it the happy time or the golden time as defence measures were weak and disorganised, and the U-boats were able to inflict massive damage with little risk. During the second happy time, Axis submarines sank 609 ships totaling 3.1 million tons for the loss of only 22 U-boats. This was roughly one quarter of all shipping sunk by U-boats during the entire Second World War
.
and the Mediterranean, and through a close relationship with the United Kingdom
. The U.S. Navy had already gained significant experience countering U-boats in the Atlantic, particularly from April 1941 when President Roosevelt
extended the "Pan-American Security Zone
" east almost as far as Iceland
. The United States had massive manufacturing capacity, including certainly the largest and possibly the most advanced electrical engineering in the world. Finally, the U.S. had a favourable geographical position from a defensive point of view: the port of New York
, for example, was 3,000 miles to the west of the U-boat
bases in Brittany
.
U-boat commander Dönitz
, however, saw the entry of the U.S. into the war as a golden opportunity to strike heavy blows in the tonnage war
. The German Navy no longer had its surface tankers in the North Atlantic to refuel submarines (these had been sunk by Allied
forces after Ultra
intelligence revealed their locations) and the standard Type VII U-boat had insufficient range to patrol off the coast of North America
, so the only weapons Dönitz had on hand were the larger Type IX boats. These, however, were less maneuverable and slower to submerge, making them much more vulnerable than the Type VIIs, and few in number.
beat"), requesting that 12 Type IX U-boats be made available for it. The Naval Staff in Berlin
, however, insisted on retaining six of the precious Type IX boats for the Mediterranean theatre (where they could achieve little) and one of the remaining six encountered mechanical troubles. This left just five long-range submarines for the opening moves of the campaign.
Loaded with the maximum possible amounts of fuel, food and ammunition, the first of the five Type IXs left Lorient
on 18 December 1941, the others following over the next few days. Each carried sealed orders to be opened after passing 20°W, and directing them to different parts of the North American coast. No charts or sailing directions were available: Kapitanleutnant Reinhard Hardegen
of , for example, was provided with two tourist guides to New York, one of which contained a fold-out map of the harbour.
Each U-boat made routine signals on exiting the Bay of Biscay
, which were picked up by the British Y service and plotted in Rodger Winn
's London Submarine Tracking Room, which was then able to follow the progress of the Type IXs across the Atlantic, and cable an early warning to the Royal Canadian Navy
. Working on the slimmest of evidence, Winn correctly deduced the target area and passed a detailed warning to Admiral Ernest King in the United States of a "heavy concentration of U-boats off the North American seaboard", including the five boats already on station and further groups already in transit, 21 U-boats in all. Rear-Admiral Frank Leighton
of the U.S. Combined Operations and Intelligence Center then informed the responsible area commanders, but little or nothing was done.
The primary target area was the "North Atlantic Coastal Frontier", commanded by Rear-Admiral Adolphus Andrews and covering the area from Maine
to North Carolina
. Andrews had practically no modern forces to work with: on the water he commanded seven Coast Guard
cutters
, four converted yachts, three 1919-vintage patrol boat
s, two gunboat
s dating to 1905, and four wooden submarine chaser
s. About 100 aircraft were available, but these were short-range models only suitable for training. As a consequence of the traditionally antagonistic relationship between the U.S. Navy and the Army Air Forces
, all larger aircraft remained under USAAF control, and in any case the USAAF was neither trained nor equipped for anti-submarine work.
British experience in the first two years of World War II, which included the massive losses incurred to British shipping during the "First Happy Time" confirmed that ships sailing in convoy
— with or without escort — were far safer than ships sailing alone. British recommendations were that merchant ships should avoid obvious standard routings wherever possible; navigational markers, lighthouses, and other aids to the enemy should be removed, and a strict coastal blackout
enforced. In addition, any available air and sea forces should perform daylight patrols to restrict the U-boats' flexibility.
None of this was attempted. Coastal shipping continued to sail along marked routes and burn normal steaming lights. On 12 January 1942 Admiral Andrews was warned that three or four U-boats were about to commence operations against coastal shipping, but he refused to institute a convoy system on the grounds that this would only provide the U-boats with more targets.
Despite the urgent need for action, little was done to try to combat the U-boats. The USN was desperately short of specialised anti-submarine vessels. President Roosevelt's 1941 decision
to "loan" fifty obsolete World War I
-era destroyer
s to Britain in exchange for foreign bases, was largely irrelevant. These destroyers had a large turning circle that made them ineffective for anti-submarine work, however their firepower would have been a significant defence against surface attack, which was the major threat in the early part of World War II. The massive new naval construction programme had prioritised other types of ships. While freighters and tankers were being sunk in coastal waters the destroyers that were available remained inactive in port. At least 25 Atlantic Convoy Escort Command Destroyers had been recalled to the U.S. East Coast
at the time of the first attacks, including seven at anchor in New York Harbor
.
When sank the 9,500 ton Norwegian tanker Norness within sight of Long Island
in the early hours of 14 January, no warships were dispatched to investigate, allowing the U-123 to sink the 6,700 ton British tanker Coimbra off Sandy Hook
on the following night before proceeding south towards New Jersey
. By this time there were 13 destroyers idle in New York Harbor, yet still none were employed to deal with the immediate threat, and over the following nights U-123 was presented with a succession of easy targets, most of them burning navigation lamps. At times, U-123 was operating in shallow coastal waters that barely allowed it to conceal itself, let alone evade a depth charge attack.
For the five Type IX boats in the first wave of Operation Drumbeat, it was a bonanza. They cruised along the coast, safely submerged through the days, and surfacing at night to pick off merchant vessels outlined against the lights of the cities.
When the first wave of U-boats returned to port in early February, Dönitz wrote that each commander "had such an abundance of opportunities for attack that he could not by any means utilise them all: there were times when there were up to ten ships in sight, sailing with all lights burning on peacetime courses."
A significant failure in U.S. pre-war planning was lack of any ships suitable for convoy escort work. Escort vessels travel at relatively slow speeds, carry a large number of depth-charges, must be highly maneouvreable and must stay on station for long periods. Fleet destroyers are equipped for high speed and offensive action and not the ideal design for this type of work. There was no equivalent of the British Black Swan class
sloops
or the in the U.S. inventory when the war started. This blunder, highly surprising given that the USN had been involved in anti-submarine work in the Atlantic (see ) was further aggravated by the loss of the obsolete destroyers "loaned" to Britain through Lend-Lease, although these were barely suitable and vulnerable to counter-attack. There was also a lack of aircraft suitable for anti-submarine patrol and aircrew trained to use them.
Offers of civilian ships and aircraft to act as the Navy's "eyes" were repeatedly turned down, only to be accepted later when the situation was clearly critical and the admiral's claims to the contrary had become discredited.
By this time, the second wave of Type IX U-boats had arrived in American waters, and the third wave had reached its patrol area off the oil ports of the Caribbean
. With such easy pickings available and all Type IX U-boats already committed, Dönitz began sending shorter-range Type VII U-boats to the U.S. East Coast as well. This required extraordinary measures: cramming every conceivable space with provisions, filling the fresh water tanks with diesel oil, and crossing the Atlantic at very low speed on a single engine to conserve fuel.
In the United States there was still no concerted response to the attacks. Overall responsibility rested with Admiral King, but King was preoccupied with the Japanese onslaught in the Pacific
. Admiral Andrews' North Atlantic Coastal Frontier was expanded to take in South Carolina
and renamed the Eastern Sea Frontier, but most of the ships and aircraft needed remained under the command of Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll
, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet
, who was often at sea and unavailable to make decisions. Rodger Wynn's detailed weekly U-boat situation reports from the Submarine Tracking Room in London were available but ignored.
Popular alarm at the sinkings was dealt with by a combination of secrecy and misleading propaganda. The Navy confidently announced that many of the U-boats would "never enjoy the return portion of their voyage" but that, unfortunately, details of the sunken U-boats could not be made public lest the information aid the enemy. All citizens who had witnessed the sinking of a U-boat were asked to help keep the secrets safe.
The first sinking of a U-boat by a U.S. Navy ship off the coast of the U.S. did not occur until April 14, 1942, when the destroyer sank the . It has come to light in recent years that the famous "Loose Lips Sink Ships" propaganda
campaign in the U.S. that started in 1942 was not so much designed to deny German agents knowledge of vessels' sailing times, but rather to keep American civilian morale high by reducing communication about how much shipping was being sunk during Operation Drumbeat.
with similar dramatic effects, thus proving that Andrews' initial rejection of the convoy system was wrong.
In March, 24 Royal Navy anti-submarine trawlers
and 10 corvette
s were transferred from the UK for the defence of the U.S. East Coast. That same month the Royal Canadian Navy
began escorting convoys between Boston
and Halifax
. The British also transferred 53 Squadron
, RAF Coastal Command
to Quonset Point
, Rhode Island
to protect New York Harbor during July 1942. This squadron moved to Trinidad
in August, with a U.S. squadron, to protect the critical sea lanes from the Venezuela
n oil fields and then back to Norfolk, Virginia
until the end of 1942. Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy ships took over escort duties in the Caribbean and on the Aruba
–New York tanker run. Fast CU convoys
were organized to maintain petroleum fuel stockpiles on the British Isles
.
The Kriegsmarine, while enormously effective during this period, did not go without losses. Sinkings of German U-boats at the hands of United States forces during this time included:
Second Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. It was at its...
during which Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s attacked merchant shipping along the east coast of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The first "Happy time"
First Happy Time
The First Happy Time was a phase of the Battle of the Atlantic during which Germany Navy U-boats enjoyed significant success against the British Royal Navy and its allies...
was in 1940/41.
It lasted from January 1942 to about August of that year. German submariners named it the happy time or the golden time as defence measures were weak and disorganised, and the U-boats were able to inflict massive damage with little risk. During the second happy time, Axis submarines sank 609 ships totaling 3.1 million tons for the loss of only 22 U-boats. This was roughly one quarter of all shipping sunk by U-boats during the entire Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Background
When war broke out between Germany and the United States on December 11, 1941, the U.S. was in a fortunate position. Where the other combatants had already lost thousands of trained sailors and airmen, and were experiencing shortages of ships and aircraft, the U.S. was at full strength. The U.S. had the opportunity to learn about modern naval warfare by observing the conflicts in the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and the Mediterranean, and through a close relationship with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The U.S. Navy had already gained significant experience countering U-boats in the Atlantic, particularly from April 1941 when President Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
extended the "Pan-American Security Zone
Pan-American Security Zone
During the early years of World War II before the United States became a formal belligerent, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a region of the Atlantic, adjacent to the Americas as the Pan-American Security Zone. Within this zone, United States naval ships escorted convoys bound for Europe...
" east almost as far as Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. The United States had massive manufacturing capacity, including certainly the largest and possibly the most advanced electrical engineering in the world. Finally, the U.S. had a favourable geographical position from a defensive point of view: the port of New York
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
, for example, was 3,000 miles to the west of the U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
bases in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
.
U-boat commander Dönitz
Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz was a German naval commander during World War II. He started his career in the German Navy during World War I. In 1918, while he was in command of , the submarine was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner...
, however, saw the entry of the U.S. into the war as a golden opportunity to strike heavy blows in the tonnage war
Tonnage war
A tonnage war is a military strategy aimed at merchant shipping. The premise is that an enemy has only a finite number of ships, and a finite capacity to build replacements for them. The concept was made famous by U-boat commander Karl Dönitz, who wrote: The shipping of the enemy powers is one...
. The German Navy no longer had its surface tankers in the North Atlantic to refuel submarines (these had been sunk by Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
forces after Ultra
Ultra
Ultra was the designation adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by "breaking" high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. "Ultra" eventually became the standard...
intelligence revealed their locations) and the standard Type VII U-boat had insufficient range to patrol off the coast of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, so the only weapons Dönitz had on hand were the larger Type IX boats. These, however, were less maneuverable and slower to submerge, making them much more vulnerable than the Type VIIs, and few in number.
Opening moves
Immediately after war was declared with the United States, Dönitz began to implement Operation Paukenschlag (often translated as "drumbeat", but literally it means "timpaniTimpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
beat"), requesting that 12 Type IX U-boats be made available for it. The Naval Staff in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, however, insisted on retaining six of the precious Type IX boats for the Mediterranean theatre (where they could achieve little) and one of the remaining six encountered mechanical troubles. This left just five long-range submarines for the opening moves of the campaign.
Loaded with the maximum possible amounts of fuel, food and ammunition, the first of the five Type IXs left Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
on 18 December 1941, the others following over the next few days. Each carried sealed orders to be opened after passing 20°W, and directing them to different parts of the North American coast. No charts or sailing directions were available: Kapitanleutnant Reinhard Hardegen
Reinhard Hardegen
Lieutenant Commander Reinhard Hardegen is a German U-boat Commander who sank 22 ships, amounting to sunk, ranking him as the 24th most successful Commander in World War II. After the war, he spent a year in British captivity before running a successful oil company and serving in Bremen's...
of , for example, was provided with two tourist guides to New York, one of which contained a fold-out map of the harbour.
Each U-boat made routine signals on exiting the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, which were picked up by the British Y service and plotted in Rodger Winn
Rodger Winn
Sir Charles Rodger Noel Winn, CB, OBE, QC, was a British judge and Royal Navy intelligence officer who led the tracking of German U-boat operations during World War II.-Early life:...
's London Submarine Tracking Room, which was then able to follow the progress of the Type IXs across the Atlantic, and cable an early warning to the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
. Working on the slimmest of evidence, Winn correctly deduced the target area and passed a detailed warning to Admiral Ernest King in the United States of a "heavy concentration of U-boats off the North American seaboard", including the five boats already on station and further groups already in transit, 21 U-boats in all. Rear-Admiral Frank Leighton
Frank Leighton
Frank Leighton was an Australian actor best known for two leading roles in films for Ken G. Hall, Thoroughbred and Tall Timbers .-Biography:...
of the U.S. Combined Operations and Intelligence Center then informed the responsible area commanders, but little or nothing was done.
The primary target area was the "North Atlantic Coastal Frontier", commanded by Rear-Admiral Adolphus Andrews and covering the area from Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Andrews had practically no modern forces to work with: on the water he commanded seven Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
cutters
United States Coast Guard Cutter
Cutter is the term used by the United States Coast Guard for its commissioned vessels. A Cutter is or greater in length, has a permanently assigned crew, and has accommodations for the crew to live aboard...
, four converted yachts, three 1919-vintage patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s, two gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s dating to 1905, and four wooden submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
s. About 100 aircraft were available, but these were short-range models only suitable for training. As a consequence of the traditionally antagonistic relationship between the U.S. Navy and the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
, all larger aircraft remained under USAAF control, and in any case the USAAF was neither trained nor equipped for anti-submarine work.
American response
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
— with or without escort — were far safer than ships sailing alone. British recommendations were that merchant ships should avoid obvious standard routings wherever possible; navigational markers, lighthouses, and other aids to the enemy should be removed, and a strict coastal blackout
Blackout (wartime)
A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...
enforced. In addition, any available air and sea forces should perform daylight patrols to restrict the U-boats' flexibility.
None of this was attempted. Coastal shipping continued to sail along marked routes and burn normal steaming lights. On 12 January 1942 Admiral Andrews was warned that three or four U-boats were about to commence operations against coastal shipping, but he refused to institute a convoy system on the grounds that this would only provide the U-boats with more targets.
Despite the urgent need for action, little was done to try to combat the U-boats. The USN was desperately short of specialised anti-submarine vessels. President Roosevelt's 1941 decision
Destroyers for Bases Agreement
The Destroyers for Bases Agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, September 2, 1940, transferred fifty mothballed destroyers from the United States Navy in exchange for land rights on British possessions...
to "loan" fifty obsolete World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
-era destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s to Britain in exchange for foreign bases, was largely irrelevant. These destroyers had a large turning circle that made them ineffective for anti-submarine work, however their firepower would have been a significant defence against surface attack, which was the major threat in the early part of World War II. The massive new naval construction programme had prioritised other types of ships. While freighters and tankers were being sunk in coastal waters the destroyers that were available remained inactive in port. At least 25 Atlantic Convoy Escort Command Destroyers had been recalled to the U.S. East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
at the time of the first attacks, including seven at anchor in New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
.
When sank the 9,500 ton Norwegian tanker Norness within sight of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in the early hours of 14 January, no warships were dispatched to investigate, allowing the U-123 to sink the 6,700 ton British tanker Coimbra off Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook, New Jersey
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit, approximately 6.0 miles in length and varying between 0.10 and 1 miles wide in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, along the Atlantic Ocean coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. The barrier spit encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay...
on the following night before proceeding south towards New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. By this time there were 13 destroyers idle in New York Harbor, yet still none were employed to deal with the immediate threat, and over the following nights U-123 was presented with a succession of easy targets, most of them burning navigation lamps. At times, U-123 was operating in shallow coastal waters that barely allowed it to conceal itself, let alone evade a depth charge attack.
For the five Type IX boats in the first wave of Operation Drumbeat, it was a bonanza. They cruised along the coast, safely submerged through the days, and surfacing at night to pick off merchant vessels outlined against the lights of the cities.
- Reinhard HardegenReinhard HardegenLieutenant Commander Reinhard Hardegen is a German U-boat Commander who sank 22 ships, amounting to sunk, ranking him as the 24th most successful Commander in World War II. After the war, he spent a year in British captivity before running a successful oil company and serving in Bremen's...
in sank seven ships totalling 46,744 tons before he ran out of torpedoes and returned to base; - Ernst KalsErnst KalsErnst Kals was a Kapitän zur See with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded the Type IXC U-boat on five patrols, and sank twenty ships, for a total of 145,656 tons of Allied shipping, becoming the sixteenth highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II...
in sank six ships of 36,988 tons; - Robert-Richard ZappRobert-Richard ZappRobert-Richard Zapp was a German U-boat commander in World War II. As commander of the Type IXC U-boat , he sank sixteen ships on five patrols, for a total of 106,200 tons of Allied shipping, to become the 27th highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's...
in sank five ships of 33,456 tons; - Heinrich BleichrodtHeinrich BleichrodtLieutenant Commander Heinrich Bleichrodt was one of the most successful German U-boat commander of the Second World War. From October 1939 until retiring from front line service in December 1943, he sank 25 ships for a total of . For this he received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, among other...
in sank four ships of 27,651 tons; and - Ulrich FolkersUlrich FolkersUlrich Folkers was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
on his first patrol in sank only a single 6,666 ton vessel, for which he was criticised by Dönitz (though he would later win the Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
.)
A significant failure in U.S. pre-war planning was lack of any ships suitable for convoy escort work. Escort vessels travel at relatively slow speeds, carry a large number of depth-charges, must be highly maneouvreable and must stay on station for long periods. Fleet destroyers are equipped for high speed and offensive action and not the ideal design for this type of work. There was no equivalent of the British Black Swan class
Black Swan class sloop
The Black Swan class and Modified Black Swan class were two classes of sloop of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy. Thirteen Black Swans were launched between 1939 and 1943, including four for the Royal Indian Navy; twenty-four Modified Black Swans were launched between 1942 and 1945, including...
sloops
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
or the in the U.S. inventory when the war started. This blunder, highly surprising given that the USN had been involved in anti-submarine work in the Atlantic (see ) was further aggravated by the loss of the obsolete destroyers "loaned" to Britain through Lend-Lease, although these were barely suitable and vulnerable to counter-attack. There was also a lack of aircraft suitable for anti-submarine patrol and aircrew trained to use them.
Offers of civilian ships and aircraft to act as the Navy's "eyes" were repeatedly turned down, only to be accepted later when the situation was clearly critical and the admiral's claims to the contrary had become discredited.
By this time, the second wave of Type IX U-boats had arrived in American waters, and the third wave had reached its patrol area off the oil ports of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. With such easy pickings available and all Type IX U-boats already committed, Dönitz began sending shorter-range Type VII U-boats to the U.S. East Coast as well. This required extraordinary measures: cramming every conceivable space with provisions, filling the fresh water tanks with diesel oil, and crossing the Atlantic at very low speed on a single engine to conserve fuel.
In the United States there was still no concerted response to the attacks. Overall responsibility rested with Admiral King, but King was preoccupied with the Japanese onslaught in the Pacific
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. Admiral Andrews' North Atlantic Coastal Frontier was expanded to take in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and renamed the Eastern Sea Frontier, but most of the ships and aircraft needed remained under the command of Admiral Royal E. Ingersoll
Royal E. Ingersoll
Royal Eason Ingersoll was a United States Navy four-star admiral who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet from January 1, 1942 to late1944; Commander, Western Sea Frontier from late 1944 to 1946; and Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S...
, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet
United States Fleet Forces Command
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
, who was often at sea and unavailable to make decisions. Rodger Wynn's detailed weekly U-boat situation reports from the Submarine Tracking Room in London were available but ignored.
Popular alarm at the sinkings was dealt with by a combination of secrecy and misleading propaganda. The Navy confidently announced that many of the U-boats would "never enjoy the return portion of their voyage" but that, unfortunately, details of the sunken U-boats could not be made public lest the information aid the enemy. All citizens who had witnessed the sinking of a U-boat were asked to help keep the secrets safe.
The first sinking of a U-boat by a U.S. Navy ship off the coast of the U.S. did not occur until April 14, 1942, when the destroyer sank the . It has come to light in recent years that the famous "Loose Lips Sink Ships" propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
campaign in the U.S. that started in 1942 was not so much designed to deny German agents knowledge of vessels' sailing times, but rather to keep American civilian morale high by reducing communication about how much shipping was being sunk during Operation Drumbeat.
Chronology of attacks off the U.S. East Coast
- 14 January - Panamanian tanker Norness sunk by at 40.44°N 70.908°W
- 18 January - United States tanker Allan Jackson sunk by at 35.95°N 74.33°W (23 of 35 crewmen perish)
- 18 January - United States tanker Malay damaged by U-123 at 35.42°N 75.38°W (5 crewmen perish)
- 19 January - United States steamship City of Atlanta sunk by at 35.7°N 75.35°W (43 of 46 crewmen perish)
- 19 January - Canadian steamship Lady Hawkins sunk by U-66 at 35.0°N 72.5°W
- 22 January - United States freighter Norvana sunk by U-123 south of Cape HatterasCape HatterasCape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America...
(no survivors) - 23 January - United States collier Venore sunk by U-66 at 35.83°N 75.33°W (17 of 41 crewmen perish)
- 25 January - United States tanker Olney damaged by at 37.92°N 74.93°W
- 26 January - United States freighter West Ivis sunk by U-125 (all 45 crewmen perish)
- 27 January - United States tanker Francis E. Powell sunk by U-130 at 37.75°N 74.88°W (4 of 32 crewmen perish)
- 27 January - United States tanker Halo damaged by U-130 at 35.55°N 75.33°W
- 30 January - United States tanker Rochester sunk by at 37.17°N 73.97°W (3 of 32 crewmen perish)
- 31 January - British tanker San Arcadio sunk by at 38.17°N 63.83°W
- 31 January - British tanker Tacoma Star sunk by U-109 at 37.55°N 69.35°W
- 2 February - United States tanker W.L.Steed sunk by at 38.42°N 72.72°W (34 of 38 crewmen perish)
- 3 February - Panamanian freighter San Gil sunk by U-103 at 38.08°N 74.67°W (2 of 40 crewmen perish)
- 4 February - United States tanker India Arrow sunk by U-103 at 38.8°N 73.67°W (26 of 38 crewmen perish)
- 5 February - United States tanker China Arrow sunk by U-103 at 38.73°N 73.30°W
- 6 February - United States freighter Major Wheeler sunk by U-107 (all 35 crewmen perish)
- 8 February - British freighter Ocean Venture sunk by U-108 at 37.08°N 74.75°W
- 10 February - Canadian tanker Victolite sunk by at 36.2°N 67.23°W
- 15 February - Brazilian steamship Buarque sunk by U-432 at 36.58°N 75.33°W
- 18 February - Brazilian tanker Olinda sunk by U-432 at 37.5°N 75.0°W
- 19 February - United States tanker Pan Massachusetts sunk by at 28.45°N 80.13°W (20 of 38 crewmen perish)
- 20 February - United States freighter Azalea City sunk by U-432 at 38.0°N 73.0°W (All of 38 crewmen perish)
- 21 February - United States tanker Republic sunk by at 27.08°N 80.25°W (5 of 29 crewmen perish)
- 22 February - United States tanker Cities Service Empire sunk by U-128 at 28.0°N 80.27°W (14 of 50 crewmen perish)
- 22 February - United States tanker W.D.Anderson sunk by U-504 at 27.15°N 79.93°W (35 of 36 crewmen perish)
- 26 February - United States bulk carrier Marore sunk by U-432 at 35.55°N 74.97°W
- 26 February - United States tanker R.P.Resor sunk by U-578 at 39.78°N 73.43°W (47 of 49 crewmen perish)
- 28 February - United States destroyer sunk by U-578 at 38.70°N 74.65°W
- 7 March - United States freighter Barbara sunk by U-126 at 20.00°N 73.93°W
- 7 March - United States freighter Cardonia sunk by U-126 at 19.88°N 73.45°W
- 7 March - Brazilian steamship Arbabutan sunk by at 35.25°N 73.92°W
- 9 March - Brazilian steamship Cayru sunk by at 39.16°N 72.03°W
- 10 March - United States tanker Gulftrade sunk by U-588 at 39.84°N 73.87°W
- 11 March - United States freighter Texan sunk by U-126 at 21.53°N 76.4°W
- 11 March - United States freighter Caribsea sunk by U-158 at 34.67°N 76.16°W
- 12 March - United States tanker John D. Gill sunk by U-158 at 35.92°N 77.65°W (4 crewmen perish)
- 12 March - United States freighter Olga sunk by U-126 at 23.65°N 77.0°W
- 12 March - United States freighter Colabee damaged by U-126 at 22.23°N 77.58°W
- 13 March - United States schooner Albert F. Paul sunk by U-332 at 26.0°N 72.0°W (no survivors)
- 13 March - Chilean freighter Tolten sunk by at 40.16°N 73.84°W (15 of 16 crewmen perish)
- 14 March - United States collier Lemuel Burrows sunk by U-404 at 39.20°N 74.27°W
- 15 March - United States tanker Ario sunk by U-158 at 34.33°N 76.65°W (7 of 36 crewmen perish)
- 15 March - United States tanker Olean sunk by U-158 at 34.40°N 76.48°W
- 16 March - United States tanker Australia sunk by U-332 at 35.12°N 75.37°W
- 16 March - British tanker San Demetrio sunk by U-404 at 37.05°N 73.84°W
- 17 March - United States tanker Acme damaged by at 35.1°N 76.67°W
- 17 March - Greek freighter Kassandra Louloudi sunk by U-124 four mile off Diamond Shoals gas buoy
- 17 March - Honduran freighter Ceiba sunk by U-124 at 35.72°N 73.82°W
- 18 March - United States tanker E.M.Clark sunk by U-124 at 34.84°N 75.58°W
- 18 March - United States tanker Papoose sunk by U-124 at 34.28°N 76.65°W
- 18 March - United States tanker W.E.Hutton sunk by U-332 at 34.08°N 76.67°W (13 of 36 crewmen perish)
- 19 March - United States freighter Liberator sunk by U-332 at 35.08°N 75.50°W (5 crewmen perish)
- 20 March - United States tanker Oakmar sunk by U-71 at 36.35°N 68.84°W (6 of 36 crewmen perish)
- 21 March - United States tanker Esso Nashville sunk by U-124 at 33.58°N 77.37°W
- 21 March - United States tanker Atlantic Sun damaged by U-124
- 22 March - United States tanker Naeco sunk by U-124 at 33.98°N 76.67°W (24 of 39 crewmen perish)
- 25 March - Dutch tanker Ocana sunk by at 42.6°N 64.42°W
- 26 March - United States Q-shipQ-shipQ-ships, also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships, or Mystery Ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them...
sunk by U-123 at 36.0°N 70.0°W (All of 139 crewmen perish) - 26 March - United States tanker Dixie Arrow sunk by U-71 at 34.98°N 75.55°W (11 of 33 crewmen perish)
- 26 March - Panamanian tanker Equipoise sunk by U-160 at 36.6°N 74.75°W
- 29 March - United States steamship City of New York sunk by U-160 at 35.27°N 74.42°W (24 of 157 crewmen perish)
- 31 March - United States tug Menominee and barges Allegheny and Barnegat sunk by at 37.57°N 75.42°W
- 31 March - United States tanker Tiger sunk by U-754 (1 of 43 crewmen perishes)
- 3 April - United States freighter Otho sunk by U-754 at 36.42°N 71.95°W (31 of 53 crewmen perish)
- 4 April - United States tanker Byron D. Benson sunk by U-552 at 36.13°N 75.53°W (9 of 37 crewmen perish)
- 6 April - United States tanker Bidwell damaged by U-160 34.42°N 75.95°W (1 of 33 crewmen perishes)
- 7 April - Norwegian freighter Lancing sunk by U-552 off Cape Hatteras
- 7 April - British tanker British Splendour sunk by U-552 off Cape Hatteras
- 8 April - United States tanker Oklahoma damaged by U-123 at 31.3°N 80.98°W (19 of 37 crewmen perish)
- 8 April - United States tanker Esso Baton Rouge damaged by U-123 at 31.22°N 80.08°W (3 of 39 crewmen perish)
- 9 April - United States freighter Esparta sunk by U-123 30.77°N 81.18°W (1 of 40 crewmen perishes)
- 9 April - United States freighter Malchace sunk by U-160 at 34.47°N 75.93°W (1 of 29 crewmen perishes)
- 9 April - United States tanker Atlas sunk by U-552 at 34.45°N 76.27°W (2 of 34 crewmen perish)
- 9 April - tanker Tamaulipas sunk by U-552 at 34.42°N 76.0°W (2 of 37 crewmen perish)
- 10 April - United States tanker Gulfamerica sunk by U-123 at 30.23°N 81.3°W (19 of 48 crewmen perish)
- 11 April - United States tanker Harry F. Sinclair Jr. damaged by U-203 at 34.42°N 76.5°W (10 of 36 crewmen perish)
- 11 April - British steamship Ulysses sunk by U-160 at 34.38°N 75.58°W
- 12 April - Panamanian tanker Stanvac Melbourne sunk by U-203 at 33.88°N 77.48°W
- 12 April - United States freighter Leslie sunk by U-123 at 28.62°N 80.42°W (3 of 32 crewmen perish)
- 14 April - British freighter Empire Thrush sunk by U-203 at 35.2°N 75.23°W
- 14 April - United States freighter Margaret sunk by at 35.2°N 75.23°W (All of 29 crewmen perish)
- 15 April - United States freighter Robin Hood sunk by U-575 at 38.65°N 66.63°W (14 of 38 crewmen perish)
- 16 April - United States freighter Alcoa Guide sunk by U-123 at 35.57°N 70.13°W (6 of 34 crewmen perish)
- 17 April - Argentine tanker Victoria damaged by at 36.68°N 68.8°W
- 18 April - United States tanker Axtell J. Byles damaged by U-136 at 35.53°N 75.32°W
- 19 April - United States freighter Steel Maker sunk by U-136 at 33.08°N 70.6°W (1 of 45 crewmen perishes)
- 20 April - United States freighter West Imboden sunk by U-752 at 41.23°N 65.9°W
- 21 April - United States freighter Pipestone County sunk by U-576 at 37.58°N 66.33°W
- 21 April - United States freighter San Jacinto sunk by U-201 at 31.16°N 70.75°W (14 of 183 crewmen perish)
- 29 April - United States tanker Mobiloil sunk by U-108 at 26.16°N 66.25°W
- 29 April - United States tanker Federal sunk by at 21.22°N 76.08°W (5 of 33 crewmen perish)
- 2 May - United States armed yacht sunk by off North Carolina (66 of 68 crewmen perish)
- 4 May - United States tanker Norlindo sunk by U-507 at 24.95°N 84.0°W (5 of 28 crewmen perish)
- 4 May - United States tanker sunk by U-507 at 25.28°N 83.95°W (30 of 34 crewmen perish)
- 4 May - United States tanker Joseph M. Cudahy sunk by U-507 at 25.95°N 83.95°W (27 of 37 crewmen perish)
- 4 May - United States freighter Delisle damaged by at 27.03°N 80.05°W (2 of 36 crewmen perish)
- 5 May - United States freighter Afoundria sunk by U-108 at 20.0°N 73.5°W
- 5 May - United States tanker Java Arrow damaged by at 27.5°N 80.13°W (2 of 47 crewmen perish)
- 6 May - United States tanker Halsey sunk by U-333 at 27.23°N 80.05°W (5 of 28 crewmen perish)
- 6 May - United States freighter Alcoa Puritan sunk by U-507 at 28.67°N 88.37°W
- 8 May - United States freighter Ohioan sunk by U-564 at 26.52°N 79.97°W (15 of 37 crewmen perish)
- 10 May - United States tanker Aurora damaged by U-506 at 28.58°N 90.0°W (1 of 50 crewmen perishes)
- 12 May - United States tanker Virginia sunk by U-507 at 28.88°N 89.48°W (27 of 41 crewmen perish)
- 13 May - United States tanker Gulfprince damaged by U-507 at 28.53°N 91.0°W
- 13 May - United States tanker Gulfpenn sunk by U-506 at 28.48°N 89.2°W (13 of 38 crewmen perish)
- 13 May - United States freighter David McKelvy sunk by U-506 at 28.5°N 89.92°W (17 of 36 crewmen perish)
- 15 May - United States freighter Nicarao sunk by U-751 at 25.33°N 74.32°W (8 of 39 crewmen perish)
- 16 May - United States tanker Sun damaged by U-506 at 28.68°N 90.32°W
- 16 May - United States tanker William C. McTarnahan damaged by U-506 at 28.87°N 90.33°W (18 of 38 crewmen perish)
- 16 May - United States tanker Gulfoil sunk by U-506 at 28.68°N 90.32°W (21 of 40 crewmen perish)
- 19 May - United States freighter Heredia sunk by U-506 at 27.53°N 91.0°W (36 of 62 crewmen perish)
- 19 May - United States freighter Ogontz sunk by U-103 at 23.5°N 86.62°W (19 of 41 crewmen perish)
- 20 May - United States tanker Halo sunk by U-506 at 28.7°N 90.13°W (21 of 42 crewmen perish)
- 20 May - United States freighter George Calvert sunk by U-752 at 22.92°N 84.43°W (3 of 61 crewmen perish)
- 21 May - United States freighter Plow City sunk by U-588 at 39.13°N 69.95°W (1 of 30 crewmen perishes)
- 26 May - United States tanker Carrabulle sunk by U-106 at 26.15°N 89.35°W (22 of 40 crewmen perish)
- 26 May - United States freighter Atenas damaged by U-106 at 25.84°N 89.08°W
- 30 May - United States freighter Alcoa Shipper sunk by at 37.82°N 65.25°W (7 of 32 crewmen perish)
- 1 June - United States freighter West Notus sunk by U-404 at 34.16°N 68.33°W (4 of 40 crewmen perish)
- 1 June - United States freighter Hampton Roads sunk by U-106 at 23.0°N 85.7°W (5 of 28 crewmen perish)
- 3 June - United States freighter M.F. Elliott sunk by off the Florida Keys (13 of 45 crewmen perish)
- 10 June - United States tanker Hagan sunk by U-157 at 22.0°N 77.5°W (6 of 44 crewmen perish)
- 12 June - United States tanker Cities Service Toledo sunk by U-158 at 29.03°N 91.98°W (15 of 45 crewmen perish)
Counter measures get under way
The decision to implement convoys and blackout coastal towns to make ships more difficult to see came slowly. The situation began to change in April when Andrews implemented a limited convoy system in which ships traveled only during daylight hours. Full convoys were in operation by mid-May, resulting in an immediate reduction of Allied shipping losses off the East Coast as Dönitz withdrew the U-boats to seek easier pickings elsewhere. The convoy system was later extended to the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
with similar dramatic effects, thus proving that Andrews' initial rejection of the convoy system was wrong.
In March, 24 Royal Navy anti-submarine trawlers
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
and 10 corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s were transferred from the UK for the defence of the U.S. East Coast. That same month the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
began escorting convoys between Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
. The British also transferred 53 Squadron
No. 53 Squadron RAF
-History:No. 53 squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Catterick on 15 May 1916. Originally intended to be a training squadron, it was sent to France to operate reconnaissance in December that year. The squadron was equipped with BE2Es—swapped for the RE8 in April 1917...
, RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
to Quonset Point
Quonset Point
Quonset Point, also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is contained entirely within the town of North Kingstown. "Quonset" is a Native American word likely meaning "small long place".Quonset Point was the location of Naval Air...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
to protect New York Harbor during July 1942. This squadron moved to Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
in August, with a U.S. squadron, to protect the critical sea lanes from the Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n oil fields and then back to Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
until the end of 1942. Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy ships took over escort duties in the Caribbean and on the Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
–New York tanker run. Fast CU convoys
CU convoys
The CU convoys were a World War II series of fast trans-Atlantic convoys to the British Isles. The earliest convoys of the series were tankers sailing directly from petroleum refineries at Curaçao to the United Kingdom...
were organized to maintain petroleum fuel stockpiles on the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
.
The Kriegsmarine, while enormously effective during this period, did not go without losses. Sinkings of German U-boats at the hands of United States forces during this time included:
- sunk 14 April by destroyer in position 35.917°N 75.217°W off Cape HatterasCape HatterasCape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America...
, first sinking in U.S. waters: sunk 9 May by cutter IcarusUSCGC Icarus (WPC-110)USCGC Icarus was a steel-hulled, diesel-powered Thetis-class patrol boat of the United States Coast Guard that patrolled the Eastern coast during World War II. In 1942, Icarus sank the U-boat U-352 off the coast of North Carolina and took its survivors into custody as prisoners of war...
in position 34.2°N 76.583°W off Cape Hatteras: sunk 13 June by cutter Thetis in position 24.217°N 82.05°W off Havana, Cuba: sunk 30 June by MarinerPBM MarinerThe Martin PBM Mariner was a patrol bomber flying boat of World War II and the early Cold War period. It was designed to complement the PBY Catalina in service. A total of 1,366 were built, with the first example flying on 18 February 1939 and the type entering service in September 1940.-Design and...
aircraft (USN VP-74) in position 32.833°N 67.467°W west of BermudaBermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
: sunk 3 July by Armed ASW Trawler HMS Le Tiger in position 41.48°N 66.38°W by depth charges: sunk 7 July by Lockheed HudsonLockheed HudsonThe Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
aircraft in position 34.833°N 74.917°W off Cape Hatteras: sunk 13 July by destroyer USS Lansdowne in position 9.933°N 81.483°W off Colón, PanamaColón, PanamaColón is a sea port on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. The city lies near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's second city....
: sunk 15 July by two KingfisherOS2U KingfisherThe Vought OS2U Kingfisher was an American catapult-launched observation floatplane. It was a compact mid-wing monoplane, with a large central float and small stabilizing floats. Performance was modest, because of its light engine...
aircraft and ramming by the U.S. motor vessel Unicoi in position 34.85°N 75.367°W off Cape Hatteras: sunk 30 July by US Navy patrol craft, PC 566, in position 28.517°N 90.75°W in the Gulf of Mexico, the only U-boat sunk in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II
See also
- First Happy TimeFirst Happy TimeThe First Happy Time was a phase of the Battle of the Atlantic during which Germany Navy U-boats enjoyed significant success against the British Royal Navy and its allies...
- Attacks on North America during World War IIAttacks on North America during World War IIThe American Theater of World War II was a minor area of operations mainly due to the continent's geographical separation from the central theaters of conflict in Europe and Asia...
- Q-ShipQ-shipQ-ships, also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships, or Mystery Ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them...
- United States Merchant MarineUnited States Merchant MarineThe United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...