Watching a recent program of u boat activity in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Eastern seaboard of America made me think why didnt the Germans attack the mainland. The surving u boat crews said that they could sit just off shore and watch and listen to the Americans but they only attacked shipping nothing else and I wondered why.

At the time of the u boat attacks the program said that there were no effective countermeasures against the u boats and the Germans could do what they liked. While Germany was rampaging over Europe and at war with America it seems strange that they did not take the opportunity to commit more damage and destruction and much loss of life.

The only mainland attacks that I am aware of were the ones on California by the Japanese, any ideas re the above.

I'm sure others will elaborate far more but Hitler had his hands full. He did try to get Mexico to invade the Southwest but Mexico didn't want any.

Roper

They attacked the harbour here in San Nicolas, Aruba because of the huge oil refrinery. Old people have told me about the numerous explosions they saw and heard when the u-boats where firing torpedoes at the docked ships.

Conventional wisdom says no one has ever attacked the U.S. because it would take too much manpower, money, etc. for an enemy to bring a war here. I, however, have another theory, as follows:

Hitler was financed throughout the war by wealthy American elite such as Averell Harriman and G.W. Bush's grandfather, Prescott Bush. In fact, they even helped to develop some of the Nazi policies. So...why would Hitler attack the golden goose that financed him? I don't have time to post sources, but any decent book on the Bush family will tell you this. I don't mean to sound like it was only the Bushes, there were others, too, just can't think of their names right now, but Prescott Bush, working for Averell Harriman, these were 2 key players.

I dont know why the u boats didnt fire as they could have caused alot of damage 2 certain ports.But i do know that they had dispatched a grp of sabatuers from them 2 long island,n.y.they had explosives and maps,safe houses etc.i believe all were eventually caught and executed as spys but not sure of that.and i think i saw that documentary also.

Keep in mind one of the reasons Hitler was developing nuclear weapons and long range bombers was in hopes of beating the US to the technology so it could be used on them. He knew that bringing a ground war wouldn't work, while total annihilation of key cities and infrastructure would.

one word 'distance' ive read storys though about how the germans were concidering to attack the united states.

[edit on 11-10-2006 by st3ve_o]

Originally posted by cmdrkeenkid
Keep in mind one of the reasons Hitler was developing nuclear weapons and long range bombers was in hopes of beating the US to the technology so it could be used on them. He knew that bringing a ground war wouldn't work, while total annihilation of key cities and infrastructure would.

during the time of WW2 there wasn't much talk of hitler developing the atom (although there were concerns), it was only afterwards we found out how 'great' nazi technology was and how close they were to actually acquiring the atomic bomb.

but it was really churchill who talked about developing the 'ultimate weapon' britain believed if we dropped it on germany it would end the war (tube alloys project) which eventually turned into the 'manhattan project'.

[edit on 11-10-2006 by st3ve_o]

???? U-Boats were commerce raiders, not shore bombardment vessels. Yes, they had guns but those were for attacking merchantmen. Besides, due to Admiral King having his head up his own Anglophobic backside, the U-boats were too busy sinking unescorted ships off the coast of the US. The U-boat captains called it the second happy time - it was a slaughter due to King's refusal to listen to British advice (we had been fighting the Kriegsmarine for a long time by then) and form vulnerable merchantmen into convoys. It was a total slaughter.
And by the way Hitler had no clue about US industrial might. He based his views on US agriculture on a few photos he once saw. (You can find the quote in transcripts of Hitler's military conferences. The man was a loon.)

Originally posted by Darkmind
???? U-Boats were commerce raiders, not shore bombardment vessels. Yes, they had guns but those were for attacking merchantmen.

Agreed, no weapons on the U-boats was capable of inflicting any considerable damage on the U.S. mainland. Its mean for ships only. Even the deck gun is a peashooter against the mainland. Unless they use it against a refinery near the shore, but that means exposing themselves so close to the enemy mainland heavily guarded by patrol boats. No sane captain would do such a thing.

If I may clarify the situation, the u boat gun arnament was capable of inflicting superficial damage to stuctures etc. but would have killed and injured many if such attacks were over a period of weeks or months. From a psychological/propaganda point it would have been a great succes for the Germans, look at the effect 9/11 has had on the American psychi, so why did they not attack.

Actually it did, several times, most notibly with U-boats...One was sunk off of Portland Maine during the war.

The fact of the matter was that ol' Adolf was tied up already in Europe. Frankly, with the Russians majorly pissed off and having their sights set on Berlin, invading America was low priority. Plus, he didn't have the manpower enough to spare. It would have been hard enough with a massive invasion force. Invading the US was probably a plan for after he conquered Europe.

Anyway I was watching this show on the History channel, and it said that they might have had the ability to attack New York. Apparently, the only reason they didnt was because the Allies arrived at a massive German operation a few days early, so the Germans didnt have time to send in reenforcements before they secured these warehouses. Appaerntly, these warehouses/hangers held a Nazi secret project for a sophisticated jet striking aircraft. Now, if the allies had been a few days later, the Germans might have gotten those planes off the ground to fend off the Russian tank force, which was also headed towards a key location. There, was held another Nazi top secret project, the bomber that could fly long ranges and was stealth to radar. It was the one that looked like a flying wing, for those of you who may know of it. Now, according to the show, if the Russians had been held off, then there were plans that said that plane wwas to attack New York City.

The Germans had fully planned to bomb the US from a Base in Oslo were they had hundred's of long range Junkers 290 Bombers and a pair of Ju 390's but they surrendered before the wonder weapon could be deployed. Hitler and his chronies tried in vain to extend the war for as long as possible and there are hundreds of accounts and versions of what this wonder weapon was. I suggest if your interested in this non-popularized version of Allied Victory try getting hold of a copy of "Reich of the Black Sun".

Hitler couldn't land an invasion force on britain, so it definitly couldn't get one over to America.

They did, infact, get some people over here. There were some nazi infiltrators that were shipped over by U-boat, to act as terrorists and saboteurs, but they were caught. I beleive that that u-boat also sank in the effort, or perhaps that was another one.

There is a book called 'hitlers second book', this is supposed to be just what its title says, a second book, after mein kampf, that laid out the rationale for ultimate war with teh united states, invasion, occupation, etc. SUpposedly hitler was working on it before he was defeated, so it never got published in his lifetime. It exists now, but its authenticity is in question.

Originally posted by forestlady
Conventional wisdom says no one has ever attacked the U.S. because it would take too much manpower, money, etc. for an enemy to bring a war here. I, however, have another theory, as follows:

Hitler was financed throughout the war by wealthy American elite such as Averell Harriman and G.W. Bush's grandfather, Prescott Bush. In fact, they even helped to develop some of the Nazi policies. So...why would Hitler attack the golden goose that financed him? I don't have time to post sources, but any decent book on the Bush family will tell you this. I don't mean to sound like it was only the Bushes, there were others, too, just can't think of their names right now, but Prescott Bush, working for Averell Harriman, these were 2 key players.

London banking houses also had a hand in financing hitler. Well they finance everything and everyone But Hitler has no qualms over attempting to flattern london, and areas of the city that contained the particular banks

Hitler couldn't even manage to invade the tiny little island of Britain, how on earth could they do any credible damage to the US considering no bombers could get anywhere near it?

[edit on 13-10-2006 by Peyres]

I thought that the Nazi war machine was looking in to multi-stage V2 type rockets, these would have been the first ICBM's and would have been used to bomb the US.

Could I just say, getting back to my original thread, I know Germany was not capable of invading America but my point was that any limited attack on the mainland would of been a great propaganda coup so why did it not happen. Were the u boat comanders under orders not to do so?

I think that they attempted it, but it wasn't feasible. Its one thing to hit a ship as it leaves port and is on the open seas. Its another to get the ship into port, surface, and start attacking. They tried it, and were able to get some saboteurs onto the mainland, but they were caught, and in either that instance or another, the submarine was grounded and sank.

I think that they focused on distrupting american shipping, because they realized that it wouldn't be all that effective to have a ship pop up, maybe blow up a building, and then be destroyed. The americans, at least back then, were too resiliant to be paralyzed by fear, it'd just strenghten their resolve. A better strike against the US war ability was to focus on destroying the ships.

Sorry multiple post . Check next one.

[edit on 13-10-2006 by CaptainIraq]