The phantom Nazi missiles that killed 126 American sailors

Vice Admiral Ingram’s Final U-Boat Hunt Off America

In April 1945, the U.S. Navy got word that German subs with V-1 flying bombs might hit New York. Vice Admiral Jonas Ingram acted fast.

He sent two huge task forces with over 40 ships to hunt these wolves at sea. The First Barrier Force sank three U-boats by April 22. Then came a blow – U-546 hit USS Frederick C. Davis, killing 126 sailors.

It was the last U.S. warship lost in the Atlantic. After a ten-hour chase, eight ships sank U-546. On May 6, USS Farquhar claimed the final kill of the war.

The Cape May World War II Lookout Tower in New Jersey now tells this forgotten battle’s story.

German Spies Spilled the Beans on Secret V-1 Submarine Plans in 1944

In late 1944, American intelligence got some scary news.

Caught German spies talked about plans to attack New York and East Coast cities with V-1 flying bombs launched from submarines hiding near American shores.

Naval Intelligence heard about Type IX submarines being fitted with rocket launchers. Vice Admiral Jonas Ingram took quick action, creating two large barrier task forces with many warships.

By January 6, 1945, Operation Teardrop was ready to go.

Navy Admiral Warned Americans About Possible Missile Attacks

Vice Admiral Ingram told the public about the threat.

At a press conference on January 8, 1945, he warned Americans about possible missile attacks from German submarines. The Navy used Naval Station Argentia in Newfoundland as their main hunting base.

They gathered over 40 destroyer escorts for the mission and brought in several escort carriers to help search the Atlantic.

The Navy also rushed to improve their submarine-hunting gear to gain every edge against this new threat.

Seven German Submarines Left Norway Heading for America

On April 12, 1945, seven German submarines called Gruppe Seewolf left Norway and headed toward America. The group included U-518, U-546, U-805, U-858, U-880, U-881, and U-1235.

They planned to attack ships near New York harbor and along the coast. The Germans didn’t know Allied codebreakers had cracked the Enigma code.

American intelligence read their orders almost right away. The First Barrier Force moved into position, setting a trap.

American Sonar Operators Found Their First Target

The waiting ended on April 16, 1945. Sonar operators on an American destroyer escort heard U-1235 moving through deep Atlantic waters.

Several ships dropped depth charges on the submarine, sinking U-1235 with all hands. The victory was short-lived.

Hours later, operators heard another submarine. U-880 met the same fate as its sister ship.

Floating debris and an oil slick showed the second kill. The barrier plan worked perfectly.

Aircraft Spotted U-518 Trying to Sneak Through

A patrol plane from an escort carrier spotted U-518 on April 22, 1945. The submarine tried to dive but couldn’t escape.

The aircraft marked the spot with smoke floats and called nearby destroyer escorts.

The warships rushed to attack using Hedgehog anti-submarine mortars, which fired small bombs that only exploded when hitting something solid. The attack worked.

U-518 became the third submarine lost by Gruppe Seewolf. No one survived in the cold Atlantic waters.

Last American Warship Sunk in the Atlantic

On the morning of April 24, U-546, led by Paul Just, spotted the destroyer escort USS Frederick C. Davis.

Just fired a torpedo at 8:35 am. The hit broke the American warship in two, and she sank in just five minutes.

Rescue ships saved some sailors, but 126 of the 192 crew died in the cold water. The Frederick C. Davis became the last U.S. warship lost in the Atlantic during World War II. Her sinking triggered a fierce response from the remaining American ships.

Eight Warships Hunted U-546 for Ten Hours

Eight destroyer escorts joined forces to find the submarine that sank their sister ship. The German captain tried to escape by staying deep and quiet.

For ten hours, the submarine avoided detection. Finally, USS Flaherty’s sonar found the German boat.

The American ships dropped many depth charges until U-546 couldn’t take more damage. The submarine surfaced, and the crew got off.

Americans caught the captain and 32 other German sailors.

Captured German Sailors Faced Tough Questions

The Navy quickly questioned the captured submariners. They split up the prisoners and sent them to different ships for questioning.

Intelligence officers needed to know if other submarines carried missile equipment. Reports later came out that some prisoners faced rough treatment.

German sailors claimed Americans beat and threatened them. The Navy denied any mistreatment, though later checks raised serious questions.

The questioning showed one key fact: U-546 carried no missile launching equipment.

U-881 Became the Last German Sub Sunk by Americans

The Second Barrier Force kept hunting even as Germany faced sure defeat. On May 6, 1945, USS Farquhar found U-881 trying to slip through the barrier.

The destroyer escort launched a Hedgehog attack that hit the submarine multiple times. The underwater blasts sank U-881 and her crew.

This submarine became the last German submarine destroyed by the U.S. Navy in World War II.

The Second Barrier Force stayed in position for several more days, watching for any remaining submarines.

Submarines Surrendered With Black Flags Flying

Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, ending the war in Europe. The remaining Gruppe Seewolf submarines got the surrender orders by radio.

U-805 surfaced on May 9 and raised a black flag, the usual signal of surrender. American ships took the submarine to port without a fight.

U-858 did the same on May 14, surfacing and giving up to Operation Teardrop vessels. The crews became prisoners of war but stayed alive, unlike their friends who died in battle.

The Atlantic submarine war finally ended.

Nazi Missile Submarines Never Actually Existed

After the war ended, Navy investigators thoroughly examined all the captured German submarines. They found no evidence of V-1 launching equipment on any vessel.

A review of captured German naval records showed the missile submarines were still in development when the war ended. The intelligence that triggered Operation Teardrop wasn’t completely wrong.

The Germans had worked on submarine-launched missiles and wanted to attack American cities. They just never got their weapons ready in time.

The experimental program never became operational before Germany’s defeat ended their plans for good.

Visiting Cape May,New Jersey

You can learn about Operation Teardrop at the Cape May Lighthouse at 756 Sunset Boulevard in Lower Township. Admission costs $8 for adults and $5 for kids 3-12, with free entry for military and veterans.

It’s open 11am-3pm Friday-Sunday and 12pm-3pm Monday-Thursday. Climb six flights to see Atlantic views where Navy ships hunted German submarines.

The Wall of Honor shows over 160 local WWII veterans’ photos.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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