The civilian pilots who hunted Nazi subs after Pearl Harbor

Civil Air Patrol’s First Civilian Air Medals at Rehoboth

Just days after Pearl Harbor, a band of civilian pilots took to the skies to hunt Nazi submarines. The Civil Air Patrol formed on December 1, 1941, with Base 2 at Rehoboth Beach soon making history.

In March 1942, Lieutenant Eddie Edwards spotted a U-boat, forcing it to flee.

But their most daring act came that July when Major Hugh Sharp and Edwards braved ten-foot waves to save a downed pilot. Edwards clung to the broken plane’s wing for eleven hours as Sharp taxied to shore.

President Roosevelt later pinned Air Medals on both men – the first civilians ever so honored. The story of these brave volunteers lives on at Rehoboth Beach today.

Everyday Heroes Took Flight After Pearl Harbor

The Civil Air Patrol started on December 1, 1941, just days after Pearl Harbor. Regular people who owned planes stepped up to help during wartime.

These civilian pilots offered their skills, time, and personal aircraft to support the war.

No one knew then how important these volunteer flyers would become in keeping American shores safe from underwater threats.

German U-boats Terrorized East Coast Shipping

German submarines caused chaos along the East Coast in early 1942.

Between January and February, Nazi U-boats sank over 70 merchant ships, often close to American shores. Oil from destroyed tankers washed up on beaches.

The Navy and Army Air Forces couldn’t watch the entire coastline with their few aircraft. Merchant ships became easy targets, putting vital supply lines at risk when America needed them most.

Rehoboth Beach Became Home To Submarine Hunters

CAP got approval to try a 90-day coastal patrol program to fight the U-boat threat. The government chose Rehoboth Beach, Delaware as one of three test spots, calling it “Coastal Patrol Base 2.”

About 70 civilian volunteers worked at the base, bringing their own planes and paying many costs themselves. They quickly turned the small beach town airport into a wartime center.

Weekend Flyers Turned Into Military Lookouts

Base 2 launched the first official coastal patrol mission of the war. Mechanics put bomb racks that held two 100-pound depth charges on civilian aircraft.

They added military radios and extra fuel tanks to fly farther.

Pilots flew their single-engine Stinsons, Fairchilds, and Cubs up to 60 miles from shore, often in bad weather that kept military planes grounded. These weekend flyers now hunted deadly submarines.

A Dentist Spotted The First Nazi Submarine

First Lieutenant Eddie Edwards, a dentist in normal life, made history on March 10, 1942, when he saw a Nazi U-boat coming up off Rehoboth Beach. Edwards quickly called its position to nearby naval forces.

The submarine crew noticed the small plane circling above and quickly went back underwater. This first sighting showed CAP could spot enemy vessels, making them retreat and keeping merchant ships safe.

Two Men Risked Everything To Save A Fallen Comrade

Trouble hit on July 21, 1942, when pilot Henry Cross’s engine failed 20 miles from shore. His plane crashed into the rough Atlantic.

Base Commander Major Hugh Sharp and Lieutenant Edwards went on a risky rescue mission despite worsening sea conditions.

They took off in a Sikorsky amphibian aircraft, the only plane at Base 2 that could land on water, and headed toward the crash.

Landing On Waves As Tall As Houses

Sharp and Edwards found the crash site and tried to land in 8-10 foot waves. The left float smashed against a wave during touchdown, crushing it completely.

Water flooded part of the aircraft, but they kept going.

They reached Cross clinging to the wreckage but couldn’t save observer Charles Shelfus, who drowned before they arrived. The broken plane now faced a nearly impossible trip back.

A Man Clung To A Wing For Eleven Hours

Edwards climbed onto the right wing to balance the damaged aircraft as water poured into the left side. For eleven long hours, he held on as Sharp drove through rough seas in darkness.

The temperature dropped. Waves constantly washed over Edwards.

Sharp fought tiredness while steering back to shore. Both men knew they might die, but neither gave up during the long night journey back to land.

FDR Handed Out Medals To Civilians For The First Time

President Franklin Roosevelt personally gave Sharp and Edwards Air Medals in February 1943. This ceremony marked the first time civilians got this military honor.

The president praised their “extraordinary achievement” and “complete disregard for personal safety.”

Their dramatic rescue stood out as one of the most daring of the war, showing the courage of CAP volunteers who risked their lives without military benefits.

Some Pilots Never Came Home From Patrol

Four Base 2 pilots died when engine failures forced them to crash in the Atlantic. Unlike military pilots, these civilians flew without parachutes or survival training.

They patrolled in small planes never built for over-water missions. CAP pilots faced the same dangers as military flyers but lacked the same equipment and support.

Many flew multiple missions daily, working 12-hour shifts after leaving their regular jobs.

The Submarine Threat Vanished As CAP Expanded

CAP coastal patrols grew to 21 bases stretching from Maine to Texas.

The impact proved dramatic – submarine sinkings plummeted from 52 ships in May 1942 to just three in all of 1943. By war’s end, CAP pilots had spotted 173 submarines and attacked 57 with bombs and depth charges.

Though they likely sank few U-boats directly, their presence forced submarines to stay submerged and away from shipping lanes, effectively ending the U-boat threat to American shores.

Visiting Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

You can learn about the brave Civil Air Patrol pilots who hunted submarines from Rehoboth Beach during World War II at several spots around town.

Check out the memorial near the Bandstand that honors four pilots who died, or visit the historical marker on Airport Road at 36012 where their airfield used to be.

The Fort Miles Museum in Battery 519 bunker offers guided tours for $5 on weekends, and the Rehoboth Beach Museum at 511 Rehoboth Avenue has more exhibits about these civilian heroes.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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