Nazis vs New York - Axis Operations to Attack 'The Big Apple'
Mark Felton Productions・30 minutes read
Hitler declared war on the US, leading to German U-boats targeting Allied supply ships along the US and Canadian shores, with Operation Drum Beat successfully leading to defensive measures by the US Navy against U-boat attacks in US waters. Despite efforts like the America Bomber project and submarine attacks, the Axis powers' ambitions to directly attack New York City during World War II were largely unfulfilled.
Insights
- Operation Drum Beat, initiated by Admiral Carl Dönitz with U-boats like the U-123 led by Captain Reinhard Hardegen, aimed to disrupt Allied supply lines and led to defensive measures by the US Navy in response to U-boat attacks along the Eastern seaboards of the US and Canada.
- The Axis powers, including Germany and Italy, attempted various innovative strategies like rocket-armed U-boats, man torpedo submarines, and the America Bomber project to target US cities like New York, showcasing the technological aspirations and challenges faced during World War II.
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Recent questions
What was Operation Drum Beat?
Operation Drum Beat was a German U-boat operation initiated by Admiral Carl Dönitz in response to Hitler declaring war on the US after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The operation aimed to extend the U-boat war to the US shores by targeting Allied supply ships along the US and Canadian Eastern seaboards.
Who led the successful U-boat attacks near New York City?
Captain Reinhard Hardegen led the successful U-boat attacks near New York City during Operation Drum Beat. Despite physical challenges, Hardegen commanded the Type 9B U-123 submarine, sinking vessels like the SS Cyclops and Coimbra, and refraining from entering New York Harbor due to lack of accurate charts.
What defensive measures did the US Navy institute against U-boat attacks?
In response to the success of Operation Drum Beat, the US Navy instituted convoys, dimmed Coastal lights, and implemented other defensive measures to counter U-boat attacks in US waters. These measures were crucial in protecting Allied supply ships from further U-boat attacks.
What was the Germany's America Bomber project?
The Germany's America Bomber project aimed to develop long-range aircraft like the Junkers Ju 390 to reach New York City during World War II. Despite building prototypes, logistical challenges and political decisions prevented the full realization of the project, leaving it as a significant "what if" scenario in history.
Who led the Mediterranean raids using the "Pig" man torpedo?
Bazi, a fascist supporter and submarine commander, led successful raids in the Mediterranean using the innovative "Pig" man torpedo. Bazi planned to extend operations to the United States, targeting New York Harbor to impact American morale, seeking assistance from the German Navy for a large mother submarine to carry the attack equipment across the Atlantic.
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Summary
00:00
Operation Drum Beat: U-boat Attacks on US
- Hitler declared war on the US on December 11, 1941, following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, leading to the German operation "Drum Beat" to extend the U-boat war to the US shores.
- German U-boats aimed to starve Great Britain into submission by attacking merchant ships bringing essential supplies from the US and Canada, leading to Operation Drum Beat to target Allied supply ships along the US and Canadian Eastern seaboards.
- Admiral Carl Dönitz initiated Operation Drum Beat with five long-range submarines, including the Type 9B U-123, equipped with 22 torpedoes, a 10.5 cm naval gun, and 20 and 37 mm flak cannons, under the command of Captain Reinhard Hardegen.
- Hardegen, despite physical challenges, led U-123 to attack Allied ships near New York City, sinking vessels like the SS Cyclops and Coimbra, witnessing the Manhattan skyline from the sea, and refraining from entering New York Harbor due to lack of accurate charts.
- The success of Operation Drum Beat led to US Navy instituting convoys, dimming Coastal lights, and other defensive measures to counter U-boat attacks in US waters.
- Hardegen continued successful U-boat operations, earning accolades and a meeting with Hitler, but post-war, he transitioned into politics and lived to be 105 years old.
- The Germany's America Bomber project aimed to develop long-range aircraft like the Junkers Ju 390 to reach New York City, with prototypes built but never fully realized due to logistical challenges and political decisions.
- The feasibility of the Ju 390 reaching New York and back was debated, with claims of test flights near the city and the aircraft's potential capabilities, but conclusive evidence remains elusive.
- While Germany and Japan failed to directly attack US mainland cities during World War II, they attempted various strategies like U-boat attacks on the East Coast and Japanese submarine shelling on the West Coast, with limited success.
- The Axis powers' ambitions to attack New York City during World War II remained largely unfulfilled due to technological limitations, physical barriers, and logistical challenges, leaving the America Bomber project as a significant "what if" scenario in history.
18:07
"Submarine Commander's Secret WWII Missions"
- Bazi, a fascist supporter and submarine commander, led successful raids in the Mediterranean using the innovative "Pig" man torpedo.
- Bazi planned to extend operations to the United States, targeting New York Harbor to impact American morale.
- Bazi sought assistance from the German Navy for a large mother submarine to carry the attack equipment across the Atlantic.
- The Leonardo D Vinci, a Marcone class submarine, was modified for the mission to New York, removing the deck gun and creating a cradle for the man torpedo.
- Sea trials for releasing and retrieving the man torpedo were conducted in September 1942, with the mission set for December due to daylight and intelligence requirements.
- Disaster struck when the Leonardo D Vinci was sunk by the Royal Navy in May 1943, and Italy signed an armistice with the Allies in September 1943.
- The abandoned man torpedo submarine, CA2, was discovered intact in 1945 but later scrapped.
- German experiments with rocket-armed U-boats began in 1941, with the V1 flying bomb developed as a cruise missile for London bombings.
- Plans to mount V1s on U-boats were suggested in 1943, with the V2 missile, a long-range guided ballistic missile, posing a bigger technical challenge.
- Project Proof Stand 12 aimed to develop submarine cargo containers to tow V2 missiles to the US Coast, but technical difficulties hindered progress before the war ended.
35:54
US Navy intercepts U-boats, foils missile threat.
- US Navy hunter killer groups and USAAF aircraft were prepared by January 8, 1945, to intercept any U-boats approaching the American Coast.
- German Armaments Minister Albert Speer's radio broadcast in January 1945 heightened US Government concerns about V1 and V2 missile attacks on New York City by February 1, 1945.
- In April 1945, US intelligence discovered a group of nine U-boats departing from Norway towards the North American Coast, named Gruppe Zolf, aiming to divert anti-submarine forces from British waters.
- Operation Teardrop was initiated, leading to the destruction of several U-boats by US naval forces, with the last U-boat being destroyed on May 5, 1945, and the remaining four surrendering on May 7, 1945, without any V1 missiles found aboard.
