Operation Pastorius

Operation Pastorius was a failed Nazi attack on the United States staged in June, 1942.

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Two German submarines carrying eight Nazi soldiers left Germany to land on the East Coast of the United States where they would stage terrorist attacks against American factories, bridges, tunnels, water systems and powerplants. Among the targets were hydroelectric plants in Niagara Falls, an alumninum plant in Illinois, canal locks in the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania Station in Newark, New Jersey.

Related Topics:
United States - Niagara Falls - Illinois - Ohio River - Louisville, Kentucky - Pennsylvania Station - Newark, New Jersey

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On June 12, 1942, the first German submarine, U-202, with four soldiers landed in Amagansett, New York about 115 miles east of New York City on Long Island. A Coast guardsman spotted the soldiers coming ashore and one of the German soldiers attempted to bribe him. However, the Coast Guardsman returned to his station, told supervisors, and the next morning the German submarine was spotted and explosives confiscated. By that time however, the German soldiers, weary from their transatlantic trip, took a train into New York City.

Related Topics:
Amagansett, New York - New York City - Long Island

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Meanwhile, the second submarine, U-584, landed at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, south of Jacksonville on June 16. Without any incident, the German soldiers started their mission by boarding trains to Chicago and Cincinnati. However, their mission was doomed now that their colleagues in New York has been discovered.

Related Topics:
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida - Jacksonville - Chicago - Cincinnati - New York

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For some unknown reason, one of soldiers in New York travelled to Washington, D.C. and turned himself in. Over the next few days, the other 7 soldiers were arrested and all 8 were put on trial in the form of a military tribunal, the first one since the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. All 8 were found guilty, six sentenced to death and were executed on August 8, two more sentenced to lengthy prison terms and later sent back to Germany after the war.

Related Topics:
New York - Washington, D.C. - Military tribunal - Abraham Lincoln - August 8

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