The U-boats Attack
In 1941, Admiral Doenitz, Commander-in-Chief of U-boats, believed that "a U-boat could steam directly into the throat of New York Harbor, on the surface , at night, without being challenged. As for the nets and shore batteries, he doubted their effectiveness, if they even existed" (Ref 1, page 71).
This statement was partly true in 1941. The effectiveness of the harbor defenses at this time was limited by the lack of radar, hydrophones, and the magnetic detection loops that would be added in mid-1942. These overdue improvements in coastal defense were implemented in a rush after German submarines had already begun their attacks in American coastal waters. After America entered World War 2 on December 7, 1941, Doenitz implemented his plan named "Operation Drumbeat", by launching submarines to attack the United States on December 12, 1941.
On December 10, 1941, a notice to mariners was issued stating that "A mined area covering the approaches to New York Harbor has been established. Incoming vessels will secure directions for safe navigation from patrol vessels stationed off Ambrose Channel Entrance". Mayor Fiorello La Guardia wondered "if the Republic could even guarantee the defense of Coney Island". Just as in WWI, a submarine net was again erected at the Narrows from Norton's Point in Coney Island to Hoffman Island. The nets and booms were laid by the US Navy Net Depot, Bayonne, NJ.
The vessels YNG-3 and YNG-39 were stationed at the nets and had no propulsion of their own, so they were moved by tugs. Each had a power generator for electricity and steam. The YNG- 39 was equipped with hydrophones for underwater listening, ASDIC gear, and one magneto telephone to Hoffman Island. This was connected in turn to the Harbor Entrance Command Post (HECP) at Fort Wadsworth and to Swinburne Island, the site of the Degaussing Section. The YNG-39 was also equipped with one 50 caliber and two 30 caliber machine guns, as well as a 1-pounder, or "heave to" gun. The YNG-3 was equipped only with visual signaling equipment and armed with Thompson machine guns.
After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the German U-boats began their assault on American shipping on Jan 12, 1942, when Captain Hardegan and his crew of the U-123 sunk the "Cyclops" off Nova Scotia, and the war entered New York waters on Jan 14, 1942, when the U- 123 sunk the"Norness" 60 miles off Montauk Point, Long Island.
On the next evening, the U-123 was following a parallel course westward along the south shore of Long Island, towards New York City. The submarine almost itself beached on the Rockaway shore, as the crew did not have detailed charts of the area and did not anticipate the southward curve of the Rockaways. From the reports of the area including the description of " a hotel, shore lights, and sand dunes backed by low, dark woods", the U-123 probably came close to beaching on the shores of Fort Tilden or Jacob Riis Beach. Fort Tilden is the only part of Rockaway with dunes backed by woods and the Bathhouse building a Riis Park does look like a hotel. Later that night at 10 p.m., Captain Hardegan was viewing the lights of the city of New York at 330 degrees, and the Parachute jump and Wonder Wheel of Coney Island from the U- 123. The men of Fort Tilden posted as lookouts in the 100 foot tall towers at Fort Tilden and Arverne did not spot this target and no action was taken by the shore defenses or patrol aircraft.
The U-123 steered a course of 110 degrees, away from the city, until a ship was sighted at 1:40 a.m., Jan 15, 1999. The British tanker "Coimbra" was sunk 61 miles east of Ambrose light, within sight of residents of the south shore of Long Island. The U-123 turned south towards the Delaware bay, along the New Jersey shore.
The "Pearl Harbor" of the Atlantic
A few German U-boats were responsible for the sinking of a total of 397 ships in the first six months of 1942. There were 171 ships sunk off the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida, 62 sunk in the Gulf of Mexico, and 141 in the Caribbean. A total of 2,403 persons were killed and 1,178 were wounded.
Explosions could be heard and burning wrecks could be seen from the shoreline at night. Dead bodies, debris and oil washed ashore on east coast beaches. Despite all of this, blackouts were never implemented as they were along the coasts of England and Germany. This gave the German submarine crews a tremendous advantage in being able to spot cargo ships running along the coast at night with their lights extinguished. A "dim-out" was eventually mandated, but even with the lights dimmed out, patrol boats were able see the glow of New York from a distance of 25 miles off shore.
A propaganda campaign utilizing slogans such as, "Loose Lips Sink Ships", was used to caution both soldiers and civilians to avoid discussing ship movements. This was intended to hamper German agents from overhearing public conversations and passing this information on to U-boat crews. This popular campaign of posters (click here to see some) was merely a "feel good" measure as German submarines neither utilized or needed such intelligence. The U-boats merely waited offshore, intercepted ship radio transmissions to locate potential targets, and torpedoed any large ship that would come into view.
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