Attacks on North America during World War II by the Axis Powers were rare, mainly due to the continent's geographical separation from the central theaters of conflict in Europe and Asia. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena In Warfare a theater or theatre is defined as a specific geographical area of conduct of armed conflict bordered by areas where no combat is taking place This article includes attacks on continental territory (extending 200 miles [370 km] into the ocean) which is today under the sovereignty of the United States and Canada but excludes military action involving the Danish territory of Greenland and the Caribbean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat meaning "Land of the Greenlanders" Grønland is a self-governing Danish Province located between the The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting

Although not an attack on North America, the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which drew the United States into World War II was the precursor to a number of Japanese assaults on the North American mainland. Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise Military strike conducted by The United States of America —commonly referred to as the World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including At the time, Hawaii was a United States territory and not a state; the Territory of Hawaii did not obtain statehood until 1959. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the United States territory is any extent of Region under the Jurisdiction of the federal Government of the United States, including all The Territory of Hawaii, abbreviated officially as TH, was established on July 7, 1898 and dissolved on August 21, 1959 when

Japanese assaults

Ellwood shelling

The United States mainland was first shelled by the Axis on February 23, 1942 when the Japanese submarine I-17 attacked the Ellwood oil production facilities at Goleta, near Santa Barbara, California. Mainland is usually the Continental part of a region as opposed to the Islands nearby A bombardment is an attack by Artillery fire directed against Fortifications, troops or towns and buildings Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Service Pearl harbor During the Attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 I-17 patrolled north of Oahu. Santa Barbara is a city in Santa Barbara County California, United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Although only the pumphouse and catwalk were damaged, I-17 captain Nishino Kozo radioed Tokyo that he had left Santa Barbara in flames. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. No casualties were reported and the total cost of the damage was officially estimated at approximately $500-1000. ^[1] However news of the shelling triggered an invasion scare along the West Coast. The Battle of Los Angeles is the name given by contemporary news agencies to a sighting of one or more Unidentified flying objects ^[2]

Battle of the Aleutian Islands

Main article: Battle of the Aleutian Islands

On June 3, 1942 the Aleutian Islands, running southwest from mainland Alaska, were invaded by Japanese forces as a diversion to deflect attention from the main Japanese attack on Midway Atoll. The Aleutian Islands campaign was a struggle over the Aleutian Islands, part of Alaska, in the Pacific campaign of World War II. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The Battle of Midway was a major Naval battle, widely regarded as the most important one of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Having broken the Japanese military codes, however, the United States military knew it was a diversion and did not expend large amounts of effort defending the islands. Cryptanalysis (from the Greek kryptós, "hidden" and analýein, "to loosen" or "to untie" is the study of methods for In World War II, Magic was the United States Codename for intelligence derived from the Cryptanalysis of PURPLE, a Japanese foreign Although most of the civilian population had been moved to camps on the Alaska Panhandle, some Americans were captured and taken to Japan as prisoners of war. The Alaska Panhandle, sometimes referred to as Southeast Alaska, is the southeastern portion of the U ^[3]

In what became known as the Battle of the Aleutian Islands, American forces engaged the Japanese on Attu Island and regained control by the end of May 1943, after taking significant casualties in difficult terrain in which hundreds died. The Aleutian Islands campaign was a struggle over the Aleutian Islands, part of Alaska, in the Pacific campaign of World War II. Attu ( Atan in Aleut) is the westernmost and largest Island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of A large invasion force, mainly US, but including some Canadian troops, assaulted Kiska Island on August 7, 1943, but the Japanese had already withdrawn, undetected, ten days earlier. Kiska ( Qisxa in Aleut) is an Island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Although Alaska was a U. S. territory and not yet a state (statehood was not granted until 1959) it was part of the North American continent. This battle also marks the only time since the War of 1812 that U. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies S. territory in North America has been occupied by a foreign power.

In response to the United States' success at the Battle of Midway, the invasion alert for San Francisco was canceled on June 8, 1942. The Battle of Midway was a major Naval battle, widely regarded as the most important one of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Estevan Point lighthouse attack

On June 20, 1942, the Japanese submarine I-26, under the command of Yokota Minoru^[4], fired 25-30 rounds of 5. Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Patrols on the US and Canadian West Coast On 7 December 1941, the I-26 sank the U 5" shells at the Estevan Point lighthouse on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, but failed to hit its target. Estevan point is a Lighthouse located on the headland of the same name on the Hesquiat Pensinsula on Vancouver Island, Canada. Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C ^[5] This marked the first enemy shelling of Canadian soil since the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Though no casualties were reported, the subsequent decision to turn off the lights of outer stations was disastrous for shipping activity. ^[6]

Fort Stevens attack

In what became the only attack on a mainland American military installation during World War II, the Japanese submarine I-25, under the command of Tagami Meiji,^[4], surfaced near the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon on the night of June 21 and June 22, 1942, and fired shells toward Fort Stevens. In battle In World War II I-25 served under the command of Lieutenant Commander Meiji Tagami who had graduated from Class 51 at Etajima Hiroshima The Columbia River (known as Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Fort Stevens guarded the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. The only damage officially recorded was to a baseball field's backstop. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Probably the most significant damage was a shell that damaged some large phone cables. The Fort Stevens gunners were refused permission to return fire, since it would have helped the Japanese locate their target more accurately. American aircraft on training flights spotted the submarine, which was subsequently attacked by a US bomber, but it escaped.

Lookout Air Raid

Main article: Lookout Air Raid

Nobuo Fujita standing by his Yokosuka E14Y "Glen" seaplane. The Lookout Air Raid of 1942 was a minor but historic World War II event that occurred in mountains and forests of Oregon on September 9 1942 Nobuo Fujita ( 1911 - September 30, 1997) ( Jp:藤田信雄 was a Warrant Flying Officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy who WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

The Lookout Air Raid occurred on September 9, 1942. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The first aerial bombing of mainland America by a foreign power occurred when an attempt to start a forest fire was made by a Japanese Yokosuka E14Y1 seaplane dropping two 80 kg (170 pound) incendiary bombs over Mount Emily, near Brookings, Oregon. An airstrike is a Military strike by Air forces on either a suspected or a confirmed enemy ground position A wildfire, also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, brush fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, Peat fire, WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A seaplane is a Fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing (alighting on water Incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are Bombs designed to start Fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as Napalm, Thermite This article is about Mount Emily in southwestern Oregon For others see Mount Emily (disambiguation. Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The seaplane, piloted by Nobuo Fujita, had been launched from the Japanese submarine aircraft carrier I-25. Nobuo Fujita ( 1911 - September 30, 1997) ( Jp:藤田信雄 was a Warrant Flying Officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy who Submarine aircraft carriers are submarines equipped with Fixed wing aircraft for observation or attack missions In battle In World War II I-25 served under the command of Lieutenant Commander Meiji Tagami who had graduated from Class 51 at Etajima Hiroshima No significant damage was officially reported following the attack, nor after a repeat attempt on September 29. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire.

Fire balloons

Main article: Fire balloon

Between November 1944 and April 1945, Japan launched over 9,000 fire balloons toward North America. The term " fire balloon " can mean a small unmanned Hot air balloon for festivities this is also called a Sky lantern. Carried by the recently-discovered Pacific jet stream, they were to sail over the Pacific Ocean and land in North America, where the Japanese hoped they would start forest fires and cause other damage. Jet streams are fast flowing relatively narrow air currents found at the Tropopause, the transition between the Troposphere (where temperature decreases The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions About three hundred were reported as reaching North America, but little damage was caused. Six people (five children and a woman) became the only deaths due to enemy action to occur on mainland America during World War II when one of the children tampered with a bomb from the balloon near Bly, Oregon in the United States and it exploded. Bly is an unincorporated community in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Recently released reports by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian military indicate that fire balloons reached as far inland as Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan (səˈskætʃəwən) is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588276 A fire balloon is also considered to be a possible cause of the final fire in the Tillamook Burn. The Tillamook Burn was a series of Forest fires in the Northern Oregon Coast Range of Oregon in the United States that destroyed a total area of One member of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (United States) died while responding to a fire in the Northwest in 1945; other casualites of the 555th were 2 fractures and 20 other injuries. The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion was an all- black airborne unit of the United States Army during World War II.

German assaults

German landings in the United States

FBI file photo.

Duquesne Spy Ring

Main article: Duquesne Spy Ring

Even before the war, a large Nazi spy ring was found operating in the United States. The Duquesne Spy Ring is the largest Espionage case in United States history that ended in convictions The Duquesne Spy Ring is still the largest espionage case in United States history that ended in convictions. The 33 German agents that formed the Duquesne spy ring were placed in key jobs in the United States to get information that could be used in the event of war and to carry out acts of sabotage: one person opened a restaurant and used his position to get information from his customers; another person worked on an airline so that he could report allied ships that were crossing the Atlantic Ocean; others in the ring worked as delivery people so that they could deliver secret messages alongside normal messages. The ring was led by Captain Fritz Joubert Duquesne, a colorful South African Boer who spied for Germany in both World Wars and is best known as "The man who killed Kitchener" after he was awarded the Iron Cross for his key role in the sabotage and sinking of HMS Hampshire in 1916. Frederick “Fritz” Joubert Duquesne (sometimes spelt Du Quesne pronounced in English as “Doo-Cain’’ (born Cape Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener 1st Earl Kitchener, KG, KP, GCB, OM For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia ^[7] William G. Sebold, a double agent for the United States, was a major factor in the FBI's successful resolution of this case. William G Sebold (10 March (? 1899-February 1970 (? born Wilhelm Georg Debrowski in Mülheim, Germany, was a German spy in the United A split album featuring performances by bands The KGB and Alien Spy that was produced in 1997 For nearly two years, Sebold ran a radio station in New York for the ring, giving the FBI valuable information on what Germany was sending to its spies in the United States while also controlling the information that was being transmitted to Germany. On June 29, 1941, the FBI closed in. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. All 33 spies were arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to serve a total of over 300 years in prison.

Operation Pastorius

Main article: Operation Pastorius

When the United States entered World War II, Adolf Hitler ordered the remaining German saboteurs to wreak havoc on the country. Operation Pastorius was a failed plan for Sabotage via a series of attacks by Nazi German agents inside the United States. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy oppressor or employer through subversion obstruction disruption and/or destruction The responsibility for carrying this out was given to German Intelligence (Abwehr). The Abwehr was a German intelligence organization from 1921 to 1944 In June 1942, eight agents were recruited and divided into two teams: the first, commanded by George John Dasch, with Ernest Burger, Heinrich Heinck and Richard Quirin. George John Dasch ( February 7, 1903 &ndash1992 was a German Spy and Saboteur who landed on The second, under the command of Edward Kerling, with Hermann Neubauer, Werner Thiel and Herbert Haupt.

On June 12, 1942, U-Boat U-202 landed Dasch's team with explosives and plans at East Hampton, Long Island, New York. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. East Hampton is a town located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York and is the easternmost town on the South Shore of Long Island Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous ^[8] Their mission was to destroy power plants at Niagara Falls and three Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) factories in Illinois, Tennessee and New York. However, the team was observed following landing by a Coast Guardsman who immediately raised the alarm. After being captured, Dasch and Burger gave a full confession to the FBI and obtained more lenient treatment.

Kerling's team landed from U-584 at Ponte Vedra Beach (25 miles [40 km] south-east of Jacksonville, Florida), on June 17. This page is for the community in Florida For other places see Pontevedra (disambiguation. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat They were tasked with laying mines in four areas: the Pennsylvania Railroad in Newark NJ., canal sluices in both St. The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Railroad, founded in 1846 Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County. Louis and Cincinnati, and New York City's water supply pipes. The team made their way to Cincinnati, Ohio and split up, with two going to Chicago, Illinois and the others to New York. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. However, the Dasch confession led to the arrest of all of the men by July 10. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia.

All eight were tried, convicted by the Military Commission with six men sentenced to death. President Roosevelt approved the sentences. The constitutionality of the military commissions was upheld by the Supreme Court in Ex parte Quirin and six of the eight men were executed by electrocution on August 8. Ex parte Quirin,, is a Supreme Court of the United States case that upheld the jurisdiction of a United States Military tribunal over the trial Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Dasch and Burger were given thirty-year prison sentences. Both were released in 1948 and deported to Germany. ^[9] Dasch (aka George Davis), who had been a longtime American resident prior to the war, suffered a difficult life in Germany after his return from U. S. custody due to his cooperation with U. S. authorities. As a condition of his deportation, he was not permitted to return to the United States, even though he spent many years writing letters to prominent American authorities (J. Edgar Hoover, President Eisenhower, etc. ) requesting permission to return. He eventually fled to Switzerland and wrote a book, titled Eight Spies Against America. ^[10]

Operation Elster

In 1944 there was another attempt at infiltration, codenamed Operation Elster ("Magpie"). Elster involved Erich Gimpel and German American defector William Colepaugh. Erich Gimpel ( 25 March, 1910 &ndash 1996) was a German Spy during World War II. William Curtis Colepaugh ( March 25, 1918 - March 16, 2005) was an American who following his 1943 discharge from the US Naval Their mission objective was to gather intelligence on the Manhattan Project and attempt sabotage if possible. The World War II Manhattan Project developed the first Nuclear weapon (atomic bomb The pair sailed from Kiel on U-1230 and landed at Hancock Point, Maine on November 30, 1944. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Both made their way to New York, but the operation degenerated into total failure. Colepaugh turned himself in to the FBI on December 26, confessing the whole plan; Gimpel was arrested four days later in New York. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Both men were sentenced to death but eventually had their sentences commuted. Gimpel spent 10 years in prison; Colepaugh was released in 1960 and operated a business in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania before retiring to Florida. King of Prussia is an Unincorporated community in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States.

German landings in Canada

St. Martins, New Brunswick

At about the same time as the Dasch operation (on April 25), a solitary Abwehr agent (Marius A Langbein) was landed by U-boat (possibly U-217) near St. Martins, New Brunswick, Canada. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. The Abwehr was a German intelligence organization from 1921 to 1944 St Martins (2006 pop 386 is a Canadian village in Saint John County, New Brunswick. His mission was to observe and report shipping movements at Halifax, Nova Scotia (a busy departure port for North Atlantic convoys). The City of Halifax (est 1841 is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County Langbein changed his mind, however, and moved to Ottawa where he lived off his Abwehr funds, before surrendering to the Canadian authorities in December 1944.

New Carlisle, Quebec

In November, the U-518 sank two iron ore freighters and damaged another off Bell Island in Conception Bay, Newfoundland, en route to the Gaspé Peninsula where, despite an attack by a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, it successfully landed a spy, Werner von Janowski, at New Carlisle, Quebec on November 9, 1942. For the island also in Newfoundland one of the Grey Islands, see Bell Island. Conception Bay is a Canadian bay located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland. The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British dominion from 1907 (before which the territory had the status of a British colony to 1949 The Gaspésie (official name or also Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé is a Peninsula constituting part of the south shore of the Saint Lawrence New Carlisle Quebec is a small town in the Gaspé region of Quebec, best known as the birthplace of René Lévesque; although he was actually born in Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was soon apprehended after Earl Annett Jr. , manager of the New Carlisle Hotel, at which Janowski was staying, became suspicious and alerted authorities to a stranger using obsolete currency at the hotel bar. ^[11] The R.C.M.P. arrested Janowski on a CNR passenger train headed for Montreal. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Inspection of Janowski's personal effects upon his arrest revealed that he was carrying a powerful radio transmitter, among other things. Janowski later spent some time as a double agent, sending false messages to the Abwehr in Germany, while gathering valuable intelligence for the Allies.

German landings in Newfoundland

Martin Bay

Accurate weather reporting was important to the sea war and on 18 September 1943, U-537 sailed from Kiel, via Bergen (Norway), with a meteorological team lead by Professor Kurt Sommermeyer. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the city in the United States, see Kiel Wisconsin. For the name see Kiel (name. is the second largest city in Norway. It is located on the south-western coast of Norway in the county of Hordaland in between a group of mountains known as De syv fjell They landed at Martin Bay near the northern tip of Labrador on 22 October 1943 and successfully set up an automatic weather station ("Weather Station Kurt" or "Wetter-Funkgerät Land-26"), despite the constant risk of Allied air patrols; this only worked for a short time, however. Modern Labrador Just like its island neighbour Newfoundland early settlement in Labrador was tied to the sea as demonstrated by the Montagnais, Innu and Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Weather Station Kurt, officially Wetter-Funkgerät Land-26, was a Weather station erected by a German U-boat crew in northern Labrador At the beginning of July 1944, U-867 left Bergen to replace the failed equipment, but was sunk en route. The weather station was recovered in the 1980s and is now at the Canadian War Museum. The Canadian War Museum (CWM is Canada ’s national museum of military history

U-Boat operations

United States

The Atlantic Ocean was a major strategic battle zone (Second Battle of the Atlantic) and when Germany declared war on the U. The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous Military campaign of World War II, (though some say it was a series of naval Military campaigns S. , the East Coast of the United States offered easy pickings for German U-Boats (referred to as the Second happy time). The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers The Second Happy Time was the informal name for a phase in the Second Battle of the Atlantic during which Axis Submarines attacked Merchant shipping After a highly successful foray by five Type IX long-range U-boats, the offensive was maximised by the use of short-range Type VII U-boats, with increased fuel stores, replenished from supply U-boats or "Milchkuh". Type IXA Type IXB Type IXC Type IXC/40 Type IXD Type VIIA The Type VIIA boats were designed in 1933 until 1934 as the first of a new generation of attack U-boats Most were built at Deschimag AG Weser in Bremen with U33-36 Sources "The Milkcows" at uboatnet From February to May, 1942, 348 ships were sunk, for the loss of 2 U-boats during April and May. U. S. naval commanders were reluctant to introduce the convoy system that had protected trans-Atlantic shipping and, without coastal blackouts, shipping was silhouetted against the bright lights of American towns and cities.

Several ships were torpedoed within sight of East Coast cities such as New York and Boston; indeed, some civilians sat on beaches and watched battles between U. The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern The City of New York S. and German ships. The only documented World War II sinking of a U-boat close to New England shores occurred on May 5, 1945, when the U-853 torpedoed and sank the collier ship Black Point off Newport, Rhode Island. When the Black Point was hit, the U. S. Navy immediately chased down the sub and began dropping depth charges. The next day, when an oil slick and floating debris appeared, they confirmed that the U-853 and its entire crew had been destroyed. In recent years, the U-853 has become a popular dive site. Its intact hull, with open hatches, is located in 130 feet of water off Block Island, Rhode Island. Block Island is part of the US state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island ^[12]

Once convoys and air cover were introduced, sinking numbers were reduced and the U-boats shifted to attack shipping in the Gulf of Mexico, with 121 losses in June. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world In one instance, the tanker Virginia was torpedoed in the mouth of the Mississippi River by the German U-Boat U-507 on May 12, 1942, killing 26 crewmen. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Unterseeboot 507 (usually abbreviated to U-507) was a German Type IXC Submarine of the Kriegsmarine built for service in the Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. There were 14 survivors. Again, when defensive measures were introduced, ship sinkings decreased and U-boat sinkings increased.

The cumulative effect of this campaign was severe; a quarter of all wartime sinkings—3. 1 million tons. There were several reasons for this. The naval commander, Admiral Ernest King, was averse to taking British recommendations to introduce convoys, U. Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King GCB ( November 23, 1878 &ndash June 25, 1956) was Commander in Chief United States S. Coast Guard and Navy patrols were predictable and could be avoided by U-boats, poor inter-service co-operation, and the U. S. Navy did not possess enough suitable escort vessels (British and Canadian warships were transferred to the U. S. east coast).

Canada

From the start of the war in 1939 through to VE Day, several of Canada's Atlantic coast ports became important to the resupply effort for the United Kingdom and later for the Allied land offensive on the Western Front. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia became the primary convoy assembly ports, with Halifax being assigned the fast or priority convoys (largely troops and essential materiel) with the more modern merchant ships, while Sydney was given slow convoys which conveyed bulkier materiel on older and more vulnerable merchant ships. The City of Halifax (est 1841 is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County See also Sidney Sydney (2001 population 24115 is an urban community in Nova Scotia, Canada 's Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Both ports were heavily fortified with shore radar emplacements, search light batteries, and extensive coastal artillery stations all manned by RCN and Canadian Army regular and reserve personnel. Military intelligence agents enforced strict blackouts throughout the areas and anti-torpedo nets were in place at the harbour entrances. Despite the fact that no landings of German personnel took place near these ports, there were frequent attacks by U-boats on convoys departing for Europe. Less extensively used, but no less important, was the port of Saint John which also saw war materiel funnelled through the port, largely after the United States entered the war in December 1941 and the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline from central Canada (which crossed the state of Maine) could be used to transport in aid of the war effort. Saint John is the largest city in the Province of New Brunswick, and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Canadian Pacific Railway ( The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Although not crippling to the Canadian war effort, given the country's rail network to the east coast ports, but possibly more destructive to the morale of the Canadian public, was the Battle of the St. Lawrence, when U-boats began to attack domestic coastal shipping along Canada's east coast in the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence from spring 1942 through to the end of the shipping season in late fall 1944. The Battle of the St Lawrence involved a number of submarine and anti-submarine actions throughout the lower St Saint Lawrence River (in French: fleuve Saint-Laurent; Kahnawáˀkye in Tuscarora, Kaniatarowanenneh meaning big waterway Gulf of Saint Lawrence (French golfe du Saint-Laurent) the world's largest Estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Newfoundland

Three significant attacks took place in 1942 when German U-boats attacked four iron ore carriers serving the DOSCO iron mine at Wabana on Bell Island in Newfoundland's Conception Bay. Iron ores are rocks and Minerals from which Metallic Iron can be economically extracted The Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation (also DOSCO) was a Canadian Coal mining and Steel manufacturing company Wabana is a Canadian town and the largest and only incorporated community on Bell Island in the province of Newfoundland For the island also in Newfoundland one of the Grey Islands, see Bell Island. The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British dominion from 1907 (before which the territory had the status of a British colony to 1949 Conception Bay is a Canadian bay located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland. The ships S. S. Saganaga and the S. S. Lord Strathcona were sunk by U-513 on September 5, 1942, while the S. Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. Rosecastle and P. L. M 27 were sunk by U-518 on November 2 with the loss of 69 lives. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 However, one of the most dramatic incidents of the attack occurred after the sinkings when the submarine fired a torpedo that missed its target, the 3000 ton collier Anna T, and struck the DOSCO loading pier and exploded. As a result of the torpedo missing its target, Bell Island became the only location in North America to be subject to direct attack by German forces during World War II. For the island also in Newfoundland one of the Grey Islands, see Bell Island. On October 14, 1942, the Newfoundland Railway ferry SS Caribou was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-69 and sunk in the Cabot Strait south of Port aux Basques. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Newfoundland Railway was a railway which operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988 See also Newfoundland Railway Marine Atlantic CN Marine Cabot Strait (détroit de Cabot is a Strait in eastern Canada approximately 110 Kilometres wide between Cape Ray, Newfoundland and Channel-Port aux Basques (also Port aux Basques) is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Newfoundland Caribou was carrying 45 crew and 206 civilian and military passengers. 137 lost their lives, many of them Newfoundlanders.

Caribbean

German submarines shelled a Standard Oil refinery on Dutch-owned Aruba on February 16, 1942, causing no damage. Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing transporting refining and marketing company Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[13][14]

A German sub shelled the island of Mona, some 40 miles from Puerto Rico, on March 2. "Mona Island" redirects here Mona is also an ancient or poetic name for the island of Anglesey or the Isle of Man. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good No damage or casualties resulted.

An oil refinery on Curacao was shelled on April 19. Curaçao (ˈkjuːrəsaʊ in English Dutch: Curaçao, Papiamento: Kòrsou) is an Island in the southern Caribbean Sea, Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer

Mexico

Although not an attack on Mexican territory, the sinking of the Mexican tanker Faja de Oro and El Potrero de Llano by the German U-boat, U-160, on May 21, 1942 off Key West, prompted the entry of Mexico against Germany, Japan and Italy into World War II. The Faja de Oro ("Golden Belt" was a Mexican oil transporter that was sunk during the Second World War. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Key West is a city in Monroe County Florida, United States. The city encompasses Key West, the namesake island the part of Stock Island The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Mexico and Brazil were the only Latin American countries to send troops to fight overseas against Germany and Japan.

False alarms

The Battle of Los Angeles

Main article: Battle of Los Angeles

In an incident now known as The Battle of Los Angeles, the U.S. Army fired several thousand anti-aircraft shells into the air over Los Angeles, California during the night of February 24-February 25, 1942 at two stationary Unidentified Flying Objects, in which none of the targets were intercepted or damaged at all. The Battle of Los Angeles is the name given by contemporary news agencies to a sighting of one or more Unidentified flying objects Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The target was later officially determined to be a lost weather balloon. A weather or sounding balloon is a Balloon (specifically a type of High altitude balloon) which carries instruments aloft to send back information ^[15][16]{According to article "Battle of Los Angeles" "In addition to several buildings damaged by friendly fire, three civilians were killed by the anti-aircraft fire, and another three died of heart attacks attributed to the stress of the hour-long bombardment. ")

The San Francisco Bay Area on alert

In May and June 1942, the San Francisco Bay Area underwent a series of alerts:

• May 12: A twenty-five minute air-raid alert. The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Strategic bombing is a Military strategy used in a Total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability to wage war rather
• May 27: West Coast defenses put on alert after Army codebreakers learned that the Japanese intended a series of hit-and-run attacks in reprisal for the Doolittle Raid. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States Cryptanalysis (from the Greek kryptós, "hidden" and analýein, "to loosen" or "to untie" is the study of methods for Hit-and-run tactics is a tactical Doctrine where the purpose of the combat involved is not to seize control of territory but to inflict damage on a target and immediately The Doolittle Raid, 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese home island of Honshū
• May 31: The battleships USS Colorado and USS Maryland set sail from the Golden Gate to form a line of defense against any Japanese attack mounted on San Francisco. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Operational History Pre-war operations Colorado sailed from New York City on 29 December 1923 on a maiden voyage that took her to Portsmouth World War II Seaman Leslie Short addressing Christmas cards near his machine-gun brought the first of his ship's guns into play shooting down one of two torpedo planes The Golden Gate is the North American Strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city

Radio silences

On June 2, 1942 , a nine-minute air-raid alert, including at 9:22 pm a radio silence order applied to all radio stations from Mexico to Canada. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the status maintained in telecommunications see Radio silence. This article is about radio broadcasting for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

Notes

See also

• Black Tom Explosion – Possible German sabotage in World War I
• Bell Island, the only location in North America to be subject to direct attack by German forces in World War II
• Weather Station Kurt

Further reading

• Dobbs, Michael. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Black Tom currently redirects here For the Marvel Comics character see Black Tom Cassidy. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All For the island also in Newfoundland one of the Grey Islands, see Bell Island. Weather Station Kurt, officially Wetter-Funkgerät Land-26, was a Weather station erected by a German U-boat crew in northern Labrador Saboteurs: The Nazi Raid on America ISBN 0-375-41470-3 (2004)
• Duffy, J. P. TARGET: AMERICA, Hitler's Plan to Attack the United States, Praeger Publishers; PB: The Lyons Press (A Booklist review)
• Gimpel, Erich. Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of Books and audiovisual materials for all ages Agent 146: The True Story of a Nazi Spy in America ISBN 0-312-30797-7 (2003)
• Griehl, Manfred. Luftwaffe over America: The Secret Plans to Bomb the United States in World War II ISBN 1-85367-608-X (2004)
• Horn, Steve (2005). The Second Attack on Pearl Harbor: Operation K And Other Japanese Attempts to Bomb America in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-388-8.  
• Mikesh, Robert C. Japan's World War II Balloon Bomb Attacks on North America, Smithsonian Institution Press, (1973)
• Kesich, Gregory D. (April 13, 2003), 1944: When spies came to Maine, Portland Press Herald, <http://travel.mainetoday.com/regions/da/spies.shtml> 
• Webber, Bert. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Silent Siege: Japanese Attacks Against North America in World War II, Ye Galleon Press, Fairfield, Washington (1984). ISBN 0-87770-315-9 (hardcover). ISBN 0-87770-318-3 (paperbound).

External links

• American targets
• Japanese submarine attacks
• German Sabotage operations
• the bay area at war
• army responses
• Details of German secret agents landed in North America
• Red White Black & Blue - feature documentary about The Battle of Attu in the Aleutians during World War II
• Defense of Americas
• The Battle of the St. Lawrence