NAZI ops in Atlanic

[Navy Vet]

Did the NAZI u-boats ever get close to the east coast (as the Japs [no pun] did to San Fransico in the Pacific)?

[Christoph Awender]

Hello!

Without looking it up. Several boats operated along the east coast. Several ships were sunk off New York and the surrounding area.

\Christoph

[redcoat]

Yes, in fact the operations of the German U-boats off the East coast of the US during the first six months of the war, was the greatest victory( happy-time, as they called it) of the U-boats in the war.
During the first 6 months of the German U-boat offensive near the US east coast, some 397 ships totalling over 2 million tons were sunk. In the process only 7 U-boats were sunk.
It was one( if not the worst) of the greatest naval defeats the US has ever suffered.
check out this web site
http://uboat.net/articles/index.html?article=22

[daveh]

U 1230 on 29/11/44 sailed to within 500 YARDS of the American coast as it un loaded 2 spies. This happened ofF the Maine coast, in Frenchman Bay

See Hitler's Spies D Kahn ISBN 0 09 921720 1 P2 provides a map of the U boats route.

Apart from this U boats operated off the US E coast especially during early 1942 see Operation Drumbeat BY M Gannon ISBN0 06 016155 8

[Andy H]

Several U-Boats operated in the Gulf of Mexico and along the coast of the Southern States of America.

Andy

[Lord Gort]

Yes, their were rich pickings to be had in the carribean and the east coast, U-Boats reaped a rich harvest compared to the disciplined merchant men of the Atlatic British convoys and the MTB protected British east coast shipping lanes.


Operation drum beat was the name of the operation that initially started U-boat operations off the east coast.

[ckleisch]

German submarines were very successful in sinking ships especially off cape hatteras up to Ocean City, Md. My father and mother were in High School and tell stories of going to beach at Ocean City and seeing a tanker sunk off shore during daylight in summer of 1942. Had to stay away from beach for while as oil all over sand. In late 60s as child I remember playing on same beach and being covered in oil residue from time to time.

[Takao]

"U-Boats Off Shore" by Edwin P. Hoyt is an excellent read. Don't know if it is still in print though. My edition is from a book club, so no ISBN availible.