CUTTER ICARUS

Coast Guard cutter Icarus

Survivors of U-352 eat lunching

Arriving with survivors at Charleston

Photos: National Archives

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Icarus WPC-110 sank a German U-boat on May 9, 1942 and rescued the survivors - delivering the first German prisoners of war to the continental U.S. in World War Two.

It happened in "Torpedo Alley" off the coast of Cape Lookout, North Carolina - the only U-boat kill credited to a Coast Guard cutter.

Here's how it unfolded, according to Wikipedia:

"Icarus picked up a contact on sonar, and a torpedo exploded nearby. Icarus anticipated the presumed U-boat's next move and dropped 5 depth charges at the site of the prior torpedo explosion. As sonar picked up a moving target again, Icarus moved to intercept, dropping two more depth charges, apparently hitting their target as bubbles were seen rising to the surface. Passing the spot again, Icarus dropped three more charges.

"Shortly thereafter, U-352 surfaced, and Icarus opened fire with machine guns and prepared for a ramming maneuver. When the U-boat's crew abandoned ship, Icarus ceased fire, releasing one last depth charge over U-352 as it sank beneath the water.

"The only U-boat previously sunk on the East Coast had gone down with all hands, and there were no standing orders concerning the rescue of survivors. Icarus had to call both Norfolk and Charleston before receiving authorization to pick up U-352's survivors.

"Forty minutes after the incident, Icarus picked up 33 of its crew, including U-352's commander, Kapitänleutnant Hellmut Rathke, and delivered them to the Commandant of the 6th Naval District Charleston Navy Yard the next day."