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January 1942, a brash U-boat skipper surfaces to give his crew a once-in-a-lifetime view of the Manhattan skyline, part of a secret Nazi operation. He commands one of five submarines ready to bring the war to America's doorstep.
In early 1942, Nazi U-boats launch a secret operation off the US East Coast, threatening vital shipping near New York during WWII.
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Key Takeaways
- Operation Drumbeat marked a bold Nazi attempt to disrupt US shipping near its own coast early in WWII.
- U-boat commanders like Hardigan were aggressive and willing to take risks to achieve success.
- American coastal defenses were initially inadequate to counter the U-boat threat.
- The physical and mental toll on U-boat crews was severe due to austere conditions and long patrols.
- Despite limited resources, German U-boat strategy aimed to strangle Allied supply lines.
What the video covers
- January 1942, Nazi U-boat captain Reinhard Hardigan leads a secret mission near Manhattan as part of Operation Drumbeat.
- Five German submarines target merchant ships and vital oil shipments along the US Eastern Seaboard shortly after the US enters WWII.
- Hardigan aggressively attacks a British oil tanker just 85 miles from Manhattan, igniting flames visible from shore.
- The German U-boat fleet uses larger Type IX submarines to carry out daring operations close to American shores.
- Despite Hitler's focus on the Soviet Union, Karl Dönitz pushes for aggressive U-boat warfare against the US.
- American defenses are initially unprepared for the U-boat threat, leading to significant early losses.
- The harsh conditions aboard U-boats challenge crews physically and mentally during long patrols.
- Navigational hazards and lack of proper charts complicate U-boat operations near the shallow American coast.
- The US begins mobilizing resources to defend the Eastern Seaboard after early U-boat attacks.
- The video highlights the strategic importance and risks of submarine warfare in the Atlantic during WWII.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction: U-boat Mission Near Manhattan
- 02:40Operation Drumbeat: Nazi Submarine Strategy
- 04:42Hardigan's First Attack and Its Impact
- 06:50German Command and Hitler's Focus
- 09:01Targeting Allied Merchant Ships
- 11:44Challenges of U-boat Life and Navigation
- 14:10Christmas at Sea and Crew Morale
- 16:44American Response and Coastal Defense
- 20:14Conclusion: The Early U-boat Threat to the US
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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doorstep with determined enemies in the Pacific and the Atlantic and barely a month since the start of their War how much damage will these OTS inflict before the United States can fight [Music] back in World War II subc weapon allows Warriors to fight
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With determined enemies in the Pacific and the Atlantic, and barely a month since the start of their war, how much damage will these U-boats inflict before the United States can fight back?
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York a British oil tanker steams to join an Atlantic Convoy to England well inside American Waters it expects no danger a lurking Nazi ubot Skipper capan lutant Reinhard hardigan cannot believe his Good Fortune as he prowls the Dark
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Back in World War II, sub-weapon allows warriors to fight from beneath the waves with cunning force and tenacity. Their enemies strike back.
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night's Sky sending Flames high in the air u123 has torpedoed 65,000 barrels of oil just 85 mil from the lights of Manhattan with no response from American defenses it's an opening strike of what the Germans call palen schlock operation
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Revolutionary but still sometimes primitive, it's a desperate bid to change the course of war. Their stories are legend.
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the same donut wants to smack the Americans Hitler wants him to smack the Americans there's no question but Hitler's primary focus is on the ground war and defeating the Soviet Union he doesn't fully appreciate the potential of ubot warfare to strangle
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In January 1942, off the coast of Long Island, New York, a British oil tanker steams to join an Atlantic convoy to England, well inside American waters. It expects no danger.
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along the Eastern Seaboard the vital cargo shipping particularly the vital oil move individually up and down the American Coast to the Convoy assembly points this is a particular vulnerability D's hand picks a group of ubo commanders for the job
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A lurking Nazi U-boat skipper, Kapitänleutnant Reinhard Hardigan, cannot believe his good fortune as he prowls the dark water. The tanker has almost run into his German submarine.
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The Creeks Marina Harding knew to become something like an hero or an ace he had to perform very well so he needed to be aggressive and risk a lot to have success he'll have few patrols to secure his
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Hardigan will not pass up an easy shot and positions his U-boat. At 3:41 a.m., he fires a single torpedo. Less than a minute later, the explosion lights up the night sky, sending flames high in the air.
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showers or washing laundry perishable foods last only about a week in the humidity of the ubot after that the crew relies mostly on canned goods and other preserves the austere conditions take a toll on hardigan the abdominal injury from his
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U-123 has torpedoed 65,000 barrels of oil just 85 miles from the lights of Manhattan. With no response from American defenses, it's an opening strike of what the Germans call "Palen Schlock," Operation Drumbeat.
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men in chronic pain and underfed hardigan focuses on the job at hand a larger submarine called type 9's allow them to attempt the daring operation the 250t length makes it more than 30 ft longer than the type sevens
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And for America, it struck too close to home. One month earlier, the Japanese ambush on Pearl Harbor catches the United States off guard.
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area the crew of u123 spends the Christmas of 1941 at sea hardigan has Christmas trees placed in every compartment for the men to decorate [Music] letters and packages from home are distributed with food and music The Crew can leave the war behind if only for a
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In Germany, commander of U-boats Karl Dönitz begs the Führer for a chance to do the same. Dönitz wants to smack the Americans. Hitler wants him to smack the Americans.
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east coast of North America but even their Captain doesn't know where exactly hardig reveals the details of their mission York they are to Seek and Destroy Merchant ships in the waters around New York City the four other uots
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There's no question, but Hitler's primary focus is on the ground war and defeating the Soviet Union. He doesn't fully appreciate the potential of U-boat warfare to strangle the Allied war effort.
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proper nautical charts because the Germans had prepared for this before the war all he has is a sort of a map of New York a general chart of the waters and a guide book to safely negotiate inore shipping
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Hitler grants Dönitz only limited resources for an audacious plan. Dönitz hopes to shock the U.S. with a series of submarine attacks right off the American coast.
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North Atlantic it's not the place where you want to be a low press trough creates stormforce winds and rough Seas 30ft waves crash across the conning Tower but to maintain full speed hardigan rides u123 on the surface sub emerged his speed is limited
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The targets will be merchant ships, which transport goods along the Eastern Seaboard. The vital cargo shipping, particularly the vital oil, move individually up and down the American coast to the convoy assembly points.
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year of War five Nazi uots Cruise towards operational areas from Canada's Gulf of St Lawrence to Cape hatus North Carolina the ubot commanders are very excited about doing this they had got very very frustrated in the Autumn of
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This is a particular vulnerability. Dönitz handpicks a group of U-boat commanders for the job.
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storms u123 reaches the East Coast early capan lutant Reinhard hardigan and his crew have been on constant watch they discover and stalk an enemy Target 110 mi from the coast it could be a merchant ship or an Allied
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This includes Reinhard Hardigan, an ambitious officer. His combat career is about to be cut short.
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commanders are always very aggressive and the sight of an Allied merchant ship was something that hardigan could not uh could not resist targeting the steamer hardigan launches his first torpedo torpedo fire to ignite a fiery glow against the night
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His career was limited due to his bad health from an aircraft accident before the war when he served in the aeronautical service of the Greek Marina.
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Target the radio sending the distress call seconds later another explosion brightens the night's sky passengers and crew of the ship Cyclops drift for 20 hours only two are killed in the initial attack 86 more die from exposure to the
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Hardigan knew to become something like a hero or an ace, he had to perform very well, so he needed to be aggressive and risk a lot to have success.
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trouble his attack has announced the presence of a Nazi ubot to the Allies he expects heavy defenses as he nears the coast but it turns out the ubo mission was not a surprise after all American rear Admiral Adolphus Andrews
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He'll have few patrols to secure his legacy.
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exist America has only been at War for for a few weeks and not by choice they've only just begun to mobilize the men and machines needed to fight enemies off two coasts the sinking of Cyclops confirms what Andrews feared based on
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A week before Christmas, U-boats begin to sneak out from the base at Lorient on the coast of occupied France. Patrols often last 70 or 80 days.
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could be intercepted by the Allied Forces as allies uh build a fairly substantial uh Direction finding system around the world with stations all over the place if you transmit use your radio people around the world will pretty quickly figure out where you
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Fresh water is only used for drinking. Crews refrain from shaving, showers, or washing laundry.
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like saying hello I'm here come and syn me and this is a terrible [Music] weakness us rear Admiral Andrew appeals for resources to defend the Eastern Seaboard knowing that more uots are coming to the North American Coast but
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Perishable foods last only about a week in the humidity of the U-boat. After that, the crew relies mostly on canned goods and other preserves.
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already fighting ubos in connection with the British there were already large US forces committed to that job he can't just ride off the Pacific and because of the enormous distances anything he does in the Pacific costs a lot of
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The austere conditions take a toll on Hardigan. The abdominal injury from his earlier plane crash never fully healed. He had stomach problems but he couldn't get a special diet.
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New York he's behind schedule four other uots delayed by stormy seas too also close in u130 officially kicks off operation drum beat by sinking two small Freighters on January 13th near the Newland Coast while hardigan cruises South in
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About a submarine, because the kitchen is very, very limited, with a bleeding stomach, Hardigan cannot eat much of the food prepared for his men.
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still living like in peace time the Americans still had their radio navigational AIDS turned on so he could rely on that late in the evening off Monto point the crew spots a light on the port side a large vessel approaches it could be a
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In chronic pain and underfed, Hardigan focuses on the job at hand.
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there was no war an oil tanker this is what he has come for hardigan's watch scans The Horizon for any type of escort but the ship appears [Music] alone he orders his crew to fire two Torpedoes at the
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A larger submarine called Type IXs allows them to attempt the daring operation. The 250-foot length makes it more than 30 feet longer than the Type VII's.
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electromagnetical device to keep the torpedo exploding below the ship and if the torpedo is traveling too low then the magnetic field of the ship is not strong enough to make the torpedo explode hardigan aims higher with consecutive shots torpedo
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Bigger bunkers increase fuel capacity for an extended range up to 12,000 miles. The Type IX is the classic instrument for this long-range offensive.
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message when the explosion goes off in the tanker it thinks that it might have struck a mine you would expected a submerged submarine to creep in and lay a mine field and then creep away again not come in on the surface
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They can cross the Atlantic and they can operate for some time in their operational area.
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Germans arrive on the east coast of the United States and are just Gob smacked by the fact that the shipping's not protected to them it's inexplicable after destroying the tanker nornes hardigan submerges during daylight hours he settles u123 on the bottom
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The crew of U-123 spends the Christmas of 1941 at sea. Hardigan has Christmas trees placed in every compartment for the men to decorate.
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it doesn't really matter where you get sunk it'll be a long time before anyone shows up Merchant ships also receive the warning of a ubo in the area u123 continues to use the American own navigational AIDS light ships provide
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Letters and packages from home are distributed with food and music. The crew can leave the war behind, if only for a few hours.
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that this is a war and you you must do [Music] something after 3 weeks at Sea the glow of New York City proves an irresistible Beacon hardig could see the whole skyline of New York something probably every German
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On December 27th, four days into their journey, they cross 20° West. U-123 is considered on active combat duty.
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approaching from the rear hardigan he sees fully lit up against the lights of New York a tanker a nice large juicy tanker at close to 7,000 tons British oil tanker coimbra crues unescorted out of New York Harbor Cain lutant hardigan Maneuvers
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The crew gets a pay raise and Hardigan can open the top-secret operation orders. They know they are heading to the east coast of North America, but even their captain doesn't know where exactly.
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target torpedo fire he launches his first torpedo 58 seconds later a hit Flames lick 650 ft in the air and light up the night sky fueled by 65,000 barrels of oil Cargo in fact if anything symbolizes the total unpreparedness of the United
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Hardigan reveals the details of their mission. They are to seek and destroy merchant ships in the waters around New York City.
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burning 32 Mi off of Long Island only 10 of 46 crew members survived to be rescued with the rash of sinkings and knowledge that even more uots are closing in US Navy leadership monitors the situation closely in the harbors of New York an
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The four other U-boats have similar orders against different parts of the Atlantic coast. Admiral Dönitz calls the campaign "Hen Schlag" or Operation Drumbeat.
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political implications once the United States is in the war it's vital to show its allies that we're working with them and that means among other things there have to be US troops deployed almost immediately to Britain Northern Ireland Iceland they
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But Hardigan has a problem. Shallow waters are full of hazards and difficult to navigate. U-boat headquarters can't even provide proper nautical charts because the Germans had not prepared for this before the war.
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the sub on the ocean floor during daytime hours as the sun sets on New York on January 15th u123 Rises to hunt but they surfaced too soon one of the few active American Patrol aircraft sees the sub broaching in the last glint
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All he has is a sort of a map of New York, a general chart of the waters, and a guidebook to safely negotiate inshore shipping lanes.
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[Music] four aerial bombs go off starboard but wi of the submarine they wait the aircraft does not press the attack or call for reinforcements a Navy aircraft drops some bombs but they not very effectively this is right at the
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While he hunts and sinks ships, it will require all of Hardigan's skills. But first, the 3,500-mile crossing takes U-123 through the worst of winter storms.
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these resources since it has only a few few airplanes flying patrols and not very experienced at it suddenly this is tremendous [Music] vulnerability the uots of operation drum beat strike again and again all along a defenseless Coast Dar it simply cannot believe his
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You have a wind blowing up to 70 mph. If it's stormy outside, like in the North Atlantic, it's not the place where you want to be.
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States but the US Navy seems unwilling or unable to respond afterwards people keep saying well if King had really cared about anything he would have had convoys he would have organized with what that's the problem there's no what it's not as though the coast is
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A low-pressure trough creates storm-force winds and rough seas. 30-foot waves crash across the conning tower, but to maintain full speed, Hardigan rides U-123 on the surface.
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is to destroy the other guy's Navy and so it took them a long time to come to the same realization that the Brits did that what you need is not necessarily the technology to syn submarines what you need is send a ship out drive that
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Submerged, his speed is limited to a maximum of 8 knots. In short bursts surfaced, he can push twice as fast, nearly 22 mph.
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American ports to organize convoys that was not going to happen under Ernie King's watch the whole thing was run by the US Navy and the Navy is just not prepared so there is no one to stop Reinhard hardigan from racking up
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His lookout crews spend four-hour shifts all day and night, searching constantly for threats and targets.
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North Carolina they spot a red Flash and hear two explosions hardigan correctly speculates it's the handiwork of u66 which has just sunk another tanker the Allen Jackson in the early morning of January 18th hardigan finally locates targets worthy of his remaining
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As the world wearily rings in another year of war, five Nazi U-boats cruise towards operational areas from Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
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hunt in the waters just off of Cape hatus North Carolina he orders u123 to travel along the navigational boys which he notes the Steamers keep to their port side find just before 3:00 a.m. hardigan encounters a merchant ship he estimates
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The U-boat commanders are very excited about doing this. They had gotten very, very frustrated in the autumn of 1941 that they were attacking convoys escorted by American ships and they weren't allowed to take the initiative in sinking American ships.
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Torpedoes but he has another weapon at his disposal hardigan orders his Crews to their deck guns a tanker the SS melee is empty of fuel but full of fumes it erupts Under Fire from the shells from hardigan turns and fires a
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That will serve them right for this undeclared war they've been waging before Pearl Harbor.
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they hit the mark arsenal of torpedoes spent and fuel beginning to run low hardigan must turn for home but as u123 leaves American Waters The elusive submarine is being followed captain inar glage captain of the Norwegian Whaler Cosmos 2 stalks the
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Blown off course by the winter storms, U-123 reaches the East Coast early. Kapitänleutnant Reinhard Hardigan and his crew have been on constant watch.
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submarine if the nor can Ram the ubot the hull damage to u123 will ensure it will not submerge again as Cosmos 2 closes in the crew spots the charging ship [Music] find with just 65 ft below them the
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They discover and stalk an enemy target 110 miles from the coast. It could be a merchant ship or an Allied destroyer.
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diesel engines and so he could not outrun the wher the Hunter he turned to be the prey torpedo fire after attacking Allied Merchant shipping from Nova Scotia to North Carolina the tables have finally turned on ubot capan lutant Reinhard
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Hardigan maneuvers for a closer look. A British steamer about 10,000 tons, likely filled with Allied supplies. It's a lucrative target.
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towards the open ocean Cosmos 2 is in close Pursuit the enormous Whaler Cruises Only only about a knot faster than u123 but it's enough to slowly gain on the uboat it's quite a dramatic incident because the submarine is not in a good
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But two days before the start of the secret mission, he would reveal their position. Hardigan is still tempted.
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these two ships rather slowly chasing each other across the Atlantic the survival of u123 may depend on engine mechanic Richard craxel must prepare a cooling pipe needed to bring the other diesel engine online [Music] u123 second engine Springs to
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Submarine commanders are always very aggressive, and the sight of an Allied merchant ship was something that Hardigan could not resist targeting.
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burning wreck of his final Target and a battered American Coast hardigan was the most successful of the initial wave of drum beat uots he sinks eight ships uh and it demonstrates what an aggressively handled submarine can do in this target-rich environment
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The steamer, Hardigan launches his first torpedo. Torpedo fire ignites a fiery glow against the night sky.
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bravoo you beat the drum well u123 also receives word that hardigan is to receive the coveted Knight's cross the first five UB boots of operation drumbeat sink 23 ships and kill hundreds of sailors [Music] in Germany Hitler approves the
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Radio operators aboard U-123 intercept the ship's emergency transmissions: SOS, then SSS, the distress code used while under attack by submarine.
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US coastal zone in one year than nearly the rest of the war and all the oceans of the world combined they sink 6 million tons of merchant shipping with submarines in 1942 alone it's just staggering operation drum beat was seen
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To safeguard their mission, Hardigan must silence his victim. He positions U-123 to launch another torpedo.
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the uots that should never have happened nearly 700 ships go down before the United States Navy is able to implement effective change American Admiral Ernie King finally establishes a convoy system for merchant shipping in the summer of 1942 ubot attacks on the East Coast melt
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His crew aims for the bridge to target the radio sending the distress call. Seconds later, another explosion brightens the night's sky.
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of the 1942 catastrophe off the US East Coast I don't think has ever been resolved it's been suggested to me by American archists that they the US Navy avoids this story like the plague they just don't want to know about it and
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Passengers and crew of the ship Cyclops drift for 20 hours. Only two are killed in the initial attack.
Topics:WWIIU-boatOperation DrumbeatNazi submarinesAtlantic OceanManhattanReinhard HardiganKarl Dönitzsubmarine warfareEastern Seaboard
