2007-08-01 13:54:54 · 4 answers · asked by Kevin H 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Other - United States
Good question Kevin!
Luckly Military history, naval in particular is my forte & live in Philadelphia. There was lots of sub activity in ww2 off the Delaware bay & the NJ coast. There are at least 2 Uboat wrecks off NJ. As for going up river?
Not likely.
1. The shipping channel is only 40 ft today. I suspect It's stayed that way over the years. Very shallow and narrow for a sub.
2. Too many millitary arround. From the Navy yard, to the air bases at Willow Grove NAS & Lakehurst NAS (the hindenburg place) to the USCG base at Cape May. While sub guys like Prien got into Scapa Flow, A trip up the narrow Delaware would be foolhardy.
3.Easier to let the targets come to you. Sit in the Bay and wait for a ship to leave Phila or Wilmington in the pre convoy days and sink them.
4. Mines & sub nets. The river is only what 1 mile & change accross. Too easy for the USN to place mines or nets to protect the channel.
2007-08-01 14:23:58 · answer #1 · answered by lana_sands 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In May 1945, the German submarine U-858 surrendered and anchored at Cape Henlopen. The Crew, including 5 officers and 56 sailors, stayed in a camp in Lewes for several weeks.
Couldn't find anything else.
2007-08-02 02:29:07 · answer #2 · answered by JB 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I presume you are thinking of this during either WWII or WWI. And it may well be that one or two actually got part of the way up the Delaware at that time. But I've never seen anything written about it.
2007-08-01 13:57:59 · answer #3 · answered by tamarindwalk 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they did hug the US coast quite closely; its possible they did, but it hasn't been documented. It would have been a big risk for them, actually - too easy to get cornered - but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.
there are rumors of a Nazi sub sunk in the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, NY, but I've never come across confirmation of that one, either.
2007-08-01 14:01:51 · answer #4 · answered by kent_shakespear 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋