Capt. Reinhard Hardegen was among the National Socialists charged with leading the attacks for what the Germans dubbed “Operation Drumbeat,” which spanned May 1942 through April 1943.
He told the Times in 1992 that he initially thought it was a foolhardy mission.
“We were expecting the worst,” Hardegen, then 78, said. “But the Americans were totally unprepared. It was unbelievable how many ships we sank. We had our choice of targets.”
The submarines were so close to shore, he said, that his crew marveled at Coney Island’s Ferris wheel when it was lit up at night.
Read more here at Daily Archives
–
The Second Happy Time – German U-boats Rampage Only Miles off the US Coast
Wreck of Rare Kriegsmarine B-boat Found near the Coasts of Denmark
The Mysterious Voyage of U-530
German U-Boats in Argentina 1945 – U-977
WWII U-Boats in the West German Navy
German miniature submarines – Normandy 1944
German Frogmen Attack – Nijmegen Bridge 1944
Ice Station Kurt – The Secret German Mission to Canada
–
Read about WWII here
VikingLifeBlog 