This quiet Delaware beach launched America’s strangest WWII defense mission

Civil Air Patrol’s Heroic Defense Against U-Boats

When German U-boats struck America’s East Coast in 1942, the Navy had no plan. Within three weeks, enemy submarines sank 35 ships and killed over 1,200 people.

Help came from an odd place: civilian pilots. The newly-formed Civil Air Patrol set up Base 2 at Rehoboth Beach Airport, where 70 volunteers flew their own small planes on dangerous patrols.

These brave men and women spotted U-boats up to 50 miles offshore, often in terrible weather. Their efforts worked, too.

Ship sinkings dropped from 52 in May to 35 in June.

The Rehoboth Beach Museum now tells this remarkable story of everyday heroes who drove back Hitler’s submarines.

German U-boats Attacked America’s East Coast in 1942

Admiral Karl Dönitz sent five U-boats to America’s East Coast in January 1942. They sank 35 Allied ships and killed 1,219 people in just three weeks.

The subs worked in shallow waters, often close enough to see land. American cities kept their lights on, which made ships easy targets against the glow.

The military couldn’t fight back well with their few destroyers, patrol boats, and planes. The attacks got worse through spring, with 25 ships sunk in early spring and 52 in May alone.

Regular Folks Stepped Up to Defend America

The government let Civil Air Patrol try coastal patrols for 90 days starting March 1942. Oil companies gave $25,000 to help.

Three test bases opened: Base 1 in Atlantic City, Base 2 in Rehoboth Beach, and Base 3 in Lantana, Florida. Rehoboth Beach Airport became Coastal Patrol Base 2.

The military needed all the help they could get since their ships and planes had to cover two oceans.

Rehoboth Beach Started the First CAP Coastal Mission

Base 2 flew the first-ever CAP coastal patrol on March 5, 1942. About 70 men and women worked at the dirt airfield in Rehoboth Beach.

Pilots used their own planes that got quick military updates.

Common planes included Fairchild 24s and Stinson 10As, plus at least one seaplane like a Grumman Widgeon. Volunteers got small payments based on their plane’s power and flying hours.

Regular People Patrolled Dangerous Waters in Small Planes

Pilots flew from sunrise to sunset in four-hour shifts, going up to 50 miles from shore.

Each plane had two crew members: a pilot who handled flying, plus a watcher who used the radio and looked for submarines. They flew at least once daily, sometimes four times per day.

Their planes carried 40 gallons of fuel, using 10 gallons every hour with almost no room for errors. They found their way using just a clock and compass, often with no land in sight.

Pilot Edwards Spots the First Enemy Sub

On March 10, 1942, Base 2 pilot Edmond Edwards saw a Nazi U-boat and told naval forces where it was. The U-boat quickly went underwater and moved away from shipping lanes.

Edwards became known as the first Coastal Patrol pilot to spot an enemy submarine. The planes couldn’t do much at first since they had no weapons.

They could only watch and report what they saw to the Army and Navy. German subs had orders to dive when they saw planes, which messed up their hunting.

A Stuck Submarine Changed Everything for CAP

In May 1942, a CAP crew from a Florida base saw a German submarine stuck on a sandbar near Cape Canaveral. The unarmed CAP plane circled for 42 minutes, calling for military help.

The U-boat crew tried to get away, thinking the small plane had weapons. Neither the Army nor Navy got there in time before the U-boat freed itself.

When General Hap Arnold heard this news, he quickly said yes to arming CAP aircraft.

Small Planes Got Weapons with Depth Charges

After May 1942, CAP planes got old bomb racks and weapons.

The planes carried either a single 100-pound bomb or a 300-pound depth charge, based on their size and power. CAP spotted 173 submarines and attacked 57 with bombs or depth charges.

Their planes reported 91 ships in trouble and saved 363 people from U-boat attacks. They also flew 5,684 convoy escort missions for the Navy, making sure ships traveled safely.

Pilots Risk Lives to Save a Crashed Friend

On July 21, 1942, Base 2 pilot Henry Cross crashed 20 miles from shore in rough water. Base leader Hugh Sharp and Edmond Edwards took off in a Sikorsky seaplane despite waves 8-10 feet high.

When they landed, the left float crushed, and water started coming in as the plane tilted. Edwards climbed onto the opposite wing to balance the plane as they moved all the way back to shore.

They saved Cross, who had a broken back, but never found watcher Charles Shelfus.

President Roosevelt Honors the Brave Pilots

President Franklin Roosevelt gave Edwards and Sharp Air Medals at the White House in February 1943. These were the first and only Air Medals ever given to CAP members for specific actions.

By the end of the war, 824 Coastal Patrol pilots and watchers got Air Medals for flying more than 200 hours each. Sharp and Edwards both got a second Air Medal with a V for bravery.

Edwards flew about 300 patrol missions from Base 2 during his service.

The “Damned Little Planes” Drove Away Hitler’s Submarines

After CAP patrols started, sinkings dropped from 52 in May to 35 in June 1942. Once all 21 bases operated along the East and Gulf coasts, sinkings almost stopped completely.

Only three ships sank in patrolled waters during 1943. German U-boats had to move farther offshore, away from merchant shipping lanes.

A German naval commander later admitted that U-boats left coastal waters because of those “damned little red and yellow airplanes.

Rehoboth’s Flying Heroes Completed Their Mission

Coastal Patrol Base 2 kept flying missions until September 28, 1943. Four Base 2 pilots died in crashes: Lts. Delmont Garrett, Charles Shelfus, Harold Swift, and Paul Towne. CAP lost 90 aircraft and 26 crew members during coastal patrol operations.

By late 1943, the military had built up enough anti-submarine forces to take over the mission.

CAP had flown 86,685 over-water missions during their 18-month operation, helping turn the tide against the U-boat threat.

Visiting Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

You can learn about the Civil Air Patrol’s 1942 coastal defense missions at several spots around Rehoboth Beach. The Rehoboth Beach Museum at 511 Rehoboth Avenue has exhibits and is open Friday-Sunday by donation.

There’s a historical marker for Coastal Patrol Base 2 on Airport Road and a Civil Air Patrol memorial near the bandstand.

Fort Miles Museum in Cape Henlopen State Park has a free Civil Air Patrol exhibit, though park entry costs $5-10.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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