Operation Neuland
Operation Neuland | |||||||
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Part of the Atlantic Campaign of World War II | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Karl Dönitz Romolo Polacchini | John H. Hoover | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
11 submarines | |||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
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Operation Neuland (New Land) was the
Background
The Caribbean was strategically significant because of
The Caribbean held additional strategic significance to the
Concept
Declaration of war on 8 December 1941 removed United States neutrality assertions which had previously protected trade shipping in the Western Atlantic. The relatively ineffective
Implementation
U-156
The second patrol of U-156 was under the command of Werner Hartenstein. On the evening of 15 February, U-156 surfaced after nightfall, two miles off Aruba. Hartenstein commenced his attack at 0131 on 16 February, when he fired two torpedoes at the tankers SS Pedernales and SS Oranjestad lying at anchor outside San Nicolaas. Ten minutes later, U-156 moved to within 3⁄4 mile of the Lago refinery and prepared to bombard it with her 10.5 cm deck gun. However, a crewman failed to remove the tampion from the muzzle, and the first shell detonated in the barrel. One gunner was killed, another was seriously injured, and the muzzle of the gun barrel was splayed open. Following the attack, U-156 sailed past Oranjestad, 14 miles to the west, and fired three torpedoes at the Shell tanker Arkansas berthed at the Eagle pier. One struck the ship, causing minor damage, one missed its mark and disappeared in the water, and the third beached itself. On February 17, four Dutch marines were killed as they attempted to disarm the beached torpedo. Hartenstein kept U-156 submerged north of Aruba after daybreak. At nightfall the crew buried the sailor who died when the gun exploded, and the captain received permission to sail to Martinique, where the injured crewman was put ashore. The crew used hacksaws to shorten the damaged gun barrel by 40 centimeters, and used the sawed-off gun to sink two ships encountered after all torpedoes had been expended sinking two other ships. U-156 started home on 28 February 1942.[6]
Date[7] | Ship[7] | Flag[7] | Tonnage (GRT)[7]
|
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 February 1942 | Pedernales | United Kingdom | 4,317 | Tanker torpedoed outside San Nicolaas harbor, but later repaired |
16 February 1942 | Oranjestad | United Kingdom | 2,396 | Tanker torpedoed outside San Nicolaas harbor, and capsized in 48 seconds[8] |
16 February 1942 | Arkansas | United States | 6,452 | Tanker torpedoed at Eagle Pier near Oranjestad but later repaired |
20 February 1942 | Delplata | United States | 5,127 | Freighter torpedoed at 14°45′N 62°10′W / 14.750°N 62.167°W[9] |
25 February 1942 | La Carriere | United Kingdom | 5,685 | Tanker |
27 February 1942 | Macgregor | United Kingdom | 2,498 | Freighter sunk by gunfire |
28 February 1942 | Oregon | United States | 7,017 | 6 crewman killed aboard tanker sunk by gunfire at 20°44′N 67°52′W / 20.733°N 67.867°W[10] |
U-67
The third patrol of U-67 was under the command of
Date[12] | Ship[12] | Flag[12] | Tonnage (GRT)[12]
|
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 February 1942 | Rafaela | Netherlands | 3,177 | Tanker torpedoed in Willemstad harbor, but later repaired |
21 February 1942 | Kongsgaard | Norway | 9,467 | Tanker |
14 March 1942 | Penelope | Panama | 8,436 | Tanker |
U-502
The third patrol of U-502 was under the command of Jürgen von Rosensteil. In coordination with the attacks on Aruba and Willemstad, U-502 waited to ambush shallow draft Lake Maracaibo crude oil tankers en route to the refineries. After three tankers were reported missing, the Chinese crews of surviving tankers refused to sail; and Associated Press broadcast a report that tanker traffic had been halted in the area. U-502 moved north and started home via the Windward Passage after launching its last torpedoes on 23 February.[13]
Date[14] | Ship[14] | Flag[14] | Tonnage[14] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 February 1942 | Tia Juana | United Kingdom | 2,395 | Shallow-draught 'Lake Maracaibo' crude oil tanker |
16 February 1942 | Monagas | Venezuela | 2,650 | Shallow-draught 'Lake Maracaibo' crude oil tanker |
16 February 1942 | San Nicholas | United Kingdom | 2,391 | Shallow-draught 'Lake Maracaibo' crude oil tanker |
22 February 1942 | J.N.Pew | United States | 9,033 | Tanker torpedoed at 12°40′N 74°00′W / 12.667°N 74.000°W,33 killed; 3 survivors[9] |
23 February 1942 | Thallia | Panama | 8,329 | Tanker |
23 February 1942 | Sun | United States | 9,002 | No casualties aboard. Tanker damaged by torpedo at 13°02′N 70°41′W / 13.033°N 70.683°W[15] |
U-161
The second patrol of U-161 was under the command of
Date[17] | Ship[17] | Flag[17] | Tonnage[17] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
19 February 1942 | British Consul | United Kingdom | 6,940 | Tanker torpedoed in Gulf of Paria, but later repaired |
19 February 1942 | Mokihana | United States | 7,460 | No casualties aboard freighter torpedoed in Gulf of Paria, but later repaired[18] |
21 February 1942 | Circe Shell | United Kingdom | 8,207 | Tanker |
23 February 1942 | Lihue | United States | 7,001 | No casualties aboard freighter torpedoed at 14°30′N 64°45′W / 14.500°N 64.750°W[19] |
7 March 1942 | Uniwaleco | South Africa | 9,755 | Whale Factory ship used as a fuel oil carrier[20] |
10 March 1942 | Lady Nelson | Canada | 7,970 | Freighter torpedoed in Castries harbor, but later repaired |
10 March 1942 | Umtata | United Kingdom | 8,141 | Freighter torpedoed in Castries harbor, but later repaired |
14 March 1942 | Sarniadoc | Canada | 1,940 | Freighter exploded and disappeared 30 seconds after torpedo impact[21] 21 lost no survivors |
15 March 1942 | Acacia | United States Navy | 1,130 | USCG lighthouse tender sunk by gunfire south of Haiti |
Luigi Torelli
Luigi Torelli under the command of Antonio de Giacomo sank two ships.[22]
Date[23] | Ship[22] | Flag[22] | Tonnage[22] | Notes[22] |
---|---|---|---|---|
19 February | Scottish Star | 7,300 GRT | freighter | |
25 February | Esso Copenhagen | 9,200 GRT | tanker |
U-129
Under the command of
Date[26] | Ship[26] | Flag[26] | Tonnage[26] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
20 February | Nordvangen | 2,400 GRT | Bauxite freighter sunk with no survivors[27] | |
23 February | George L. Torian | 1,754 GRT | Bauxite freighter | |
23 February | West Zeda | 5,658 GRT | no casualties aboard freighter[28] torpedoed at 09°13′N 69°04′W / 9.217°N 69.067°W[9] | |
23 February | Lennox | 1,904 GRT | Bauxite freighter | |
28 February | Bayou | 2,605 GRT | Manganese freighter | |
3 March | Mary | 5,104 GRT | Freighter[29] torpedoed at 08°25′N 52°50′W / 8.417°N 52.833°W[30] | |
7 March | Steel Age | 6,188 GRT | 33 killed;sole survivor taken captive from freighter torpedoed at 06°45′N 53°15′W / 6.750°N 53.250°W[30] |
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci under the command of Luigi Longanesi-Cattani sank one Allied ship[22] and a neutral Brazilian freighter. There were no survivors from the Brazilian ship, and the sinking was not revealed.[31]
Date[32] | Ship[32] | Flag[32] | Tonnage[32] | Notes[32] |
---|---|---|---|---|
25 February 1942 | Cabedello | 3,775 GRT | torpedoed at 16°00′N 42°30′W / 16.000°N 42.500°W; all 54 hands lost | |
28 February | Everasma | 3,644 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 16°00′N 49°00′W / 16.000°N 49.000°W |
U-126
U-126 patrolled the Windward Passage under the command of
Date[34] | Ship[34] | Flag[34] | Tonnage[34] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 March | Gunny | 2,362 GRT | freighter | |
5 March | Mariana | 3,110 GRT | no survivors from freighter torpedoed at 22°14′N 71°23′W / 22.233°N 71.383°W[30] [36 lost] | |
7 March | Barbara | 4,637 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 20°00′N 73°56′W / 20.000°N 73.933°W[35] | |
7 March | Cardonia | 5,104 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 19°53′N 73°27′W / 19.883°N 73.450°W[35] | |
8 March | Esso Bolivar | 10,389 GRT | tanker damaged by torpedoes within sight of Guantánamo[36] | |
9 March | Hanseat | 8,241 GRT | tanker | |
12 March | Texan | 7,005 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 21°32′N 76°24′W / 21.533°N 76.400°W[37] | |
12 March | Olga | 2,496 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 23°39′N 77°00′W / 23.650°N 77.000°W[37] | |
13 March | Colabee | 5,518 GRT | freighter damaged by torpedoes at 22°14′N 77°35′W / 22.233°N 77.583°W[37] |
Enrico Tazzoli
The large 1,331-ton Enrico Tazzoli under the command of Carlo Fecia di Cossato sank six ships.[22]
Date[38] | Ship[38] | Flag[38] | Tonnage[38] | Notes[38] |
---|---|---|---|---|
6 March | Astrea | 1,406 GRT | freighter | |
6 March | Tonsbergfjord | 3,156 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 31°22′N 68°05′W / 31.367°N 68.083°W with 1 killed | |
8 March | Montevideo | 5,785 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 29°13′N 69°35′W / 29.217°N 69.583°W with 14 killed | |
10 March | Cygnet | 3,628 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 24°05′N 74°20′W / 24.083°N 74.333°W with no casualties | |
13 March | Daytonian | 6,434 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 26°33′N 74°43′W / 26.550°N 74.717°W with 1 killed | |
15 March | Athelqueen | 8,780 GRT | tanker torpedoed at 26°50′N 75°40′W / 26.833°N 75.667°W with 3 killed |
Giuseppe Finzi
The large 1,331-ton Giuseppe Finzi under the command of Ugo Giudice sank three ships.[22]
Date[39] | Ship[40] | Flag[40] | Tonnage[40] | Notes[40] |
---|---|---|---|---|
7 March | Melpomene | 7,000 GRT | tanker | |
7 March | Skåne | 4,500 GRT | freighter | |
10 March | Charles Racine | 10,000 GRT | tanker torpedoed with no casualties[41] |
Morosini
The Marcello-class submarine Morosini under the command of Athos Fraternale sank three ships.[22]
Date[42] | Ship[42] | Flag[42] | Tonnage[42] | Notes[42] |
---|---|---|---|---|
12 March | Stangarth | 5,966 GRT | freighter torpedoed at 22°45′N 57°40′W / 22.750°N 57.667°W | |
15 March | Oscilla | 6,341 GRT | tanker torpedoed with 4 killed | |
23 March | Peder Bogen | 9,741 GRT | tanker torpedoed at 24°53′N 57°30′W / 24.883°N 57.500°W with no casualties |
Results
The Aruba refinery was within
An important link in petroleum product transport from Venezuelan oil fields was a fleet of small tankers designed to reach the wells in shallow Lake Maracaibo and transport crude oil to the refineries. Approximately ten percent of these tankers were destroyed on the first day of Operation Neuland. Surviving tankers were temporarily immobilized when their Chinese crews mutinied and refused to sail without ASW escort.[44] Refinery output declined while the mutineers were jailed until sailings could resume.[45]
Torpedoing ships within defended harbors was relatively unusual through the battle of the Atlantic. U-boats more commonly deployed mines to permit a stealthy exit. Although results were perceived as less significant, the difficulty of attacks in the Gulf of Paria and Castries by U-161 was comparable to Günther Prien's penetration of Scapa Flow.[46]
Patrol of the Windward Passage by U-126 was well timed to exploit dispersion of ASW forces north and south. U-126 sank some ships within sight of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.[47]
Neuland and Paukenschlag were opened with similar numbers of U-boats; but the effectiveness of Neuland was enhanced by coordination with Italian submarines. The level of success by Italian submarines against a concentration of undefended ships sailing independently was seldom repeated and marked a high point of effective Axis cooperation in the battle of the Atlantic.[22]
See also
Notes
- ^ Kelshall pp.7-22
- ^ Kelshall pp.7-18
- ^ Scarborough, William E. "The Neutralitv Patrol: To Keep Us Out of World War II?" pp.18-23 NAVAL AVIATION NEWS March–April 1990
- ^ Kelshall pp.4-24
- ^ Blair pp.503-509&728
- ^ Kelshall pp.26-31,42,47-48&57
- ^ a b c d "Patrol info for U-156". Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ Kenshall p.29
- ^ a b c Cressman p.77
- ^ Cressman p.79
- ^ Kelshall pp.26&32
- ^ a b c d "Patrol info for U-67". Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ Kelshall pp.26,33,35,43-44&54
- ^ a b c d "Patrol info for U-502". Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ Cressman p.78
- ^ Kelshall pp.26,35-42,44,49-51,60-64&67
- ^ a b c d "Patrol info for U-161". Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ Cressman p.76
- ^ Cressman pp.77-78
- ^ "SS Uniwaleco (+1942)". wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Kelshall p.66
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Blair p.508
- ^ Kelshall pp.45&56
- ^ Blair p.507
- ^ Kelshall p.55
- ^ a b c d "Patrol info for U-129". Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ "D/S Nordvangen". warsailors.com. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Kelshall p.53
- ^ Kelshall p.57
- ^ a b c Cressman p.80
- ^ Kelshall p.56
- ^ a b c d e "Leonardo da Vinci" Archived 13 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine at regiamarina.net, Cristiano D'Adamo; retrieved 25 July 2019
- ^ Kelshall p.52
- ^ a b c d "Patrol info for U-126". Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
- ^ a b Cressman p.81
- ^ Kelshall p.60
- ^ a b c Cressman p.82
- ^ a b c d e Enrico Tazzoli Archived 27 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine at regiamarina.net, Cristiano D'Adamo; retrieved 25 July 2019
- ^ Kelshall pp.58&60
- ^ a b c d Giuseppe Finzi Archived 13 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine at regiamarina.net, Cristiano D'Adamo; retrieved 25 July 2019
- ^ "M/T Charles Racine". warsailors.com. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Morosini Archived 30 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine at regiamarina.net, Cristiano D'Adamo; retrieved 25 July 2019
- ^ Blair pp. 504–505.
- ^ Blair pp. 505–506.
- ^ Kelshall p. 43.
- ^ Blair p. 506.
- ^ Kelshall pp. 58–60.
Sources
- Blair, Clay Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters 1939-1942 Random House (1996) ISBN 0-394-58839-8
- Cressman, Robert J. The Official Chronology of the U.S.Navy in World War II Naval Institute Press (2000) ISBN 1-55750-149-1
- Kafka, Roger & Pepperburg, Roy L. Warships of the World Cornell Maritime Press (1946)
- Kelshall, Gaylord T.M. The U-Boat War in the Caribbean United States Naval Institute Press (1994) ISBN 1-55750-452-0
- Morison, Samuel Eliot, History of United States Naval Operations in World War II (volume I) The Battle of the Atlantic September 1939-May 1943 Little, Brown and Company (1975)