During the spring of 1942, German U-Boats made their way to the East Coast, stalking the Outer Banks in North Carolina. This was part of an operation implemented by Rear Admiral Donitz to take advantage of the United States while they were still unprepared for war and reeling from the attack on Pearl Harbor the previous December. A weakened United States Navy was a prime target. They sank merchant vessels carrying resale goods, foods, and supplies without care. By June, they had sunk nearly 400 merchant and civilian vessels. United States civilians watched these ships explode from the shore. This area was named Torpedo Junction for all of the activity it received. Eventually, long range air patrols were started to detect submarine movements, anti submarine vessels were sent out with depth charges, and a coastal convoy was started. Rear Admiral Donitz recalled his submarines when his success in torment began to wane.

I had never heard about this place. I knew that there were U-Boats spotted around New York and New Jersey, but I had no idea they were as far south as North Carolina. I did learn that Cape Hatteras National Seashore is part of Torpedo Junction, so you can actually visit this location. There is a lot of other historical and cultural significance to this park, but I had no idea it was a World War II site as well and now have to add that on my travel list. I cannot imagine how wild it would be to go to the beach and just see ships blowing up. It's so scary to think about going down to the beach for a nice day and having submarines lurking offshore. This was a really informative book, and I am really glad that I found it.