The Manhattan U-Boat - German Submarine New York City
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- čas přidán 6. 10. 2021
- In January 1942, a single German U-boat successfully got close enough to New York City to take film of Manhattan skyscrapers. This is the story of U-123's daring mission as part of Operation Drumbeat along the east coast of the United States.
Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: US National Archives; Bundesarchiv.
Thumbnail: U-Boat colorised by Edward Cambunan
I live on Long Island. An old man I knew years ago told me that while fishing in the 1970s, a German man pointed at a lighthouse (perhaps Fire Island lighthouse?) and said "That was always there" then pointed at a nearby water tower and said "That's new!" The old man told the German that he's correct and how he knew. The German said he remembers looking at the lighthouse from a U-Boat.
It’s a very very very Small World. Good story the accompany the Video CJ.
I like the fact the Captain lived to be 105. Going a bit when he had a bad stomach back in the 40’s.
One of the best videos I’ve seen from the Master Dr Felton.
Amazing!
I live close to Fire Island Lighthouse and have climbed to the top of it, that’s so spooky. Awesome story
I have a similar story. My father worked for an agricultural equipment manufacturer and traveled to Germany on business on a few occasions. He once accompanied a German colleague to NYC. When my father asked his friend if he’d ever seen New York his German friend replied “only through a periscope”. It’s one of my favorite, albeit sobering, work stories my Dad shared with me.
That is amazing I hope that you got some old wa5r stories from him.
What i love so much about this channel is that you don't just tell the same old cliche stories of history like so many others, but tell genuinely unknown and very interesting stories, which really give you a better and deeper knowledge of world history.
Yes, Mark Felton is a very good war historian, my favorite.👍🏻🇺🇸
How many social credit points does he get?
@@anesupasipanodya negative points. Bankrupt. Do you think the new world ord want accurate history tellers ? Lol
@@southerncharity7928 yes
I love your pfp comrade Xina
Considering that such a large part of the U-boat fleet was sunk, his survival was unusual.
He wasn't serving on a u-boat by the war's end so that's probably the reason.
@@shldnfr he was figthing at land so is more unsual!!!!
@@giodandosu He fought in the air, on and under the sea, and on land. How many can say that?
😅
@@shldnfr U-123 survived the war as well, so had he remained in command, the result would have been the same. It later became a French submarine.
75% of all UBOAT men were lost in action.
An absolute privelege to experience work of such an impeccable standard on a regular basis. The sheer variety of subject matter, delivered so professionally and accurately, reduces other CZcams efforts to the level of the trivial, and puts most international TV productions to shame. Its impossible to not be affected by Mark's skill, knowledge and professionalism. Another well earned 'thank you' Mark. Always appreciated. 👍🏴
Agreed,my go to when cooking-absolutely brilliant
@@SandyYoung1 That's funny: I frequently pull up the latest vid on my phone and place it in the Spice cabinet while I'm standing at the counter working on dinner 😀
Absolutely agree
Very well said!
Mark's cheque is in the post...
After the war Hardegen was asked of his finest Christmas he could think of. He answered, it was the Christmas with his man in the Sub '41 on the way to the American Coast. They had not much, but decorated a small branch of a tree as their Christmas tree and everyone had a very small present. They sang Songs together and had a special meal cooked by the smut.
Honor to all sailors!
Didn't they also get 1/2 a beer
Yeah, and the second half for the homeward bound trip
Rest in Peace, U-boat men, you'll not be forgotten o7
I imagine it really was special, the conditions these man were in forged life lasting comradeship. Packed in a sub for weeks, willing to give their life for each other.
Not By the Americans or the Allied powers! They fought for Hitler and NAZI Ideology! When the Americans puts their hands into what was formally his best friends face which is now a pile of goo, Youll know what to do with those U-boat men! World War II Germann fighting men are not to be praised at all ! Tell your kind of B/S to the JEWS!
He has such a perfect pitch, cadence and intonation for narrative like this.
...Felton simply does an magnificent job with these history shorts...well done!
a lot of history has been written but not so much read
You gotta suck up more than that if you want to earn a ♥
Also his pronunciation of German words is always spot on. Wondering if he consults native speakers, would fit to his quality standards.
His particular English accent doesn’t hurt either - it fairly screams credibility. 😀
Many U-Boats visited New York Harbor, the lights from the city made them impossible to see, they would surface just until the conning tower was above the water. Herbet Verner talks about seeing cities on the US coast during operation drumbeat. They'd watch the ships pass Daytona and use the backlighting to figure what ones to sink. Tankers were the big prize. My dad flew ASW from NAS Banana River. One night they were on liberty in Jacksonville, they were going to fly out of there and patrol further north and south. His whole crew was at the boardwalk and saw 2 tankers get sunk within an hour. He said there's be a huge explosion and sometimes you felt the heat. Sometimes you heard screaming. A lot of people took pleasure boats out to try and rescue the men.
Hello there👋👋,how are you doing today? ❤️❤️!
Not true. . they may have seen the glow from out at sea, but to get the views shown here are of the Hudson River and lower Manhattan only visible from the upper bay south of Battery Park, and the Hudson River. It is a piece of Nazi propaganda that has survived and is not true.
Rhinehard Hardigan lived through WWII and then lived to be 105, passing on in June, 2018. His survival was very unusual in that 90% of all U-Boat skippers perished in WWII. He was one lucky fellow indeed! He gives even more credibility to the SAS motto: "Who Dares Wins!"
Hello there👋👋,how are you doing today? ❤️❤️!!
Hardegans book Oprration Drumbeat was really good!
Hi there Amy. I noticed that you were wanting to be romantically affiliated with random people commenting on you tube.
I'm very dull witted. Could you be my girlfriend? I could share you my bank details?
Reinhard Hardegen lived to be a 105 years old.. So what ever was wrong with his health during the war, must have had a good effect on his life 🤪
Survived a plane crash training to be a naval aviator, health issues and went on to bring war on foreign shores as a U-boat commander. That is a warrior. His ancestors were probably at Teutoburg.
He was fortunate to overcome his health issues to live so long. Most of the time an injury shortens one’s life. Was he a Nazi Party member? 🤔
Only the good die young.
Or so the Germans would have us believe.
@@jacksmith6965 Nazi first, "warrior" is a very distant second.
@@logoseven3365 ''good'' being you playing the moral high ground.
Mark Felton, the man, the historian and the legend.....returns with historical goodies
Give it a rest 💡
He really is bloody good.
@@billy4072 Thank troll
You mean "The man that inspires unimaginative people to leave the most generic, sycophantic comments, praising him in a general way regardless of the particular focus of the video..." 😂
@@wolfmauler Praising a man who puts out content, ie little known facts about history, fine Wolf Mauler, you are legend and are successful in life and gosh darn it people love you ..is that enough praise for you buddy
First dinner with Hitler - "...so...here's what you're doing wrong..." Damn...the guy had balls the size of church bells.
Do you think he used a wheelbarrow for those balls or did he just throw them over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes?
Hitler: Congratulations, Captain.
Hardegen: I’m gonna stop you right there. You’re f**king this thing up, Adolph.
More hate and unnecessary behavior
Keep it up. 2022 is right around bthe corner and WW111 is looming
@@ZOV4VZO13OVZ7 Damn. I never knew there were 109 other world wars. I guess we only talk about the first two
Just imagine what a 105 year old must have seen in his enormous lifespan.
...seems his special diet had a side benefit!
Should have seen a Nazi war criminal prison.
The nightmarish desolation of his country, pariah status for decades, then eventual reunification and moral leadership of the EU. It’s a funny old world.
@@niallmartin9063 moral???
@@chrischandler889 doesn't sound like he was a war criminal...just a regular navy man who did his job well. The U Boat service was decidedly NOT full of Nazis.
When talking about how bold the German subs were, you didnt mention the one that surfaced off of Miami beach. People on the beach for the most part didnt realize it was German and waved to the guy on the conning tower who waved back. They submerged and disappeared before anti-sub aircraft could get it.
The U boat crews had balls, that's for sure.
That’s crazy I’ve never heard about that.
@@user-82719a I read about it on deployment once 2 decades ago in a book detailing the underfunded and trained US Coastal defense force whose job it was to hunt U-boats off the east coast. Weird growing up on the coast and not knowing all the stuff that went on just off shore.
😂😂😂 I wonder how many people will believe this BS? I assume you just post it for a joke and to test what people are stupid enough to believe it?
@@cornellkirk8946 according to the book about the sub hunters and the underfunded branch of the military that they were part of, this actually happened. I read this book sitting in my Bradley back in 98 in the California desert so I cant begin to remember the name of it. A book I picked up at the PX. But the event was one of the things that galvanized the government to put more funding into the group doing the hunting.
I remember seeing Rheinhard Hardeggen on a documentary series called "Submarines, Sharks of Steel" years ago, along with other U-Boot veterans. Most came across like tired old men, but not Hardeggen! That hard-charging SOB was pushing 80 but still came across as ready to take a boat out and do it all over again! Still full of fire and energy.
By the way, as a kid on the New Jersey beaches back in the 1960s I'd be digging in the sand or walking on some eroded parts of the dunes and see belts of a dark, sticky substance and wondering what it was. It was only years later I realized it was fuel oil that had washed up on the beaches during WW2, literally the ghosts of ships sunk by U-Boots. Sobering, to say the least.
Km
yes imagine the oil spilled during the war, this would make the spills we have now seem like a kid pissing in a lake. the damage to the ocean, and the ozone layer from the bombing and fires still affect us to this day. we are lucky not to have had to go through such a hellish time. our parents and grand parents were tough mother f6ckers.
@@mikeohagan2206 Certainly there was a LOT of oil spilled in the ocean during WW2, but remember the oil tankers of the time were only a fraction of the size of todays supertankers. The environmental damage was nowhere near as acute compared to a supertanker spill today.
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 i cant be sure. ships were being sunk on a daily basis, the damages from the firestorms had to have been severe. many of the fuel tankers in the war were pretty big but they eploded a lot of the times. not to mention the a bombs and the testing of the same.
@@mikeohagan2206 Well, the only evidence I could see on the New Jersey beaches 20 years after the war were bands of a tar-like substance that I'd find digging in the sand or along the beach where the shoreline had shifted. As I said in an earlier post it wasn't until years later I realized it was oil from the ships sunk by U-Boots.
Ships sunk in mid-ocean? Sea water's a pretty good solvent, it would have broken up the oil slicks pretty quickly.
And again, those 1940's tankers were nowhere near as big as today's.
From the way Hardegen was going, I half expected him to sail up the St. Lawrence Seaway and torpedo Chicago.
Seaway was built long after the war. Probably slowed him down.
…next time…
I'm surprised there are no stories of him piloting his sub up Niagara Falls like a salmon going to spawn.
German subs did patrol the gulf of St. Lawrence. Hell, they even set up a weather station in Labrador !
@@sidecar7714
That explains it. Went upstream as far as they could, had to go back. Schade.
Wish Mark Felton was my World History teacher in high school.
Oddly, I have a tremendous amount if respect for Capt. Hardegen. Though the enemy, he was a brave and skilled commander.
True.. Very True
Like all Nazis who survived the war....quote: "I was only following orders."
@@Thelivewire64 Same goes for the other side too
@@Thelivewire64 not everyone was a nazi in ww2
@@Thelivewire64 Nazis and soldiers wasn't the same.
105 years old. Another riveting saga from history. Thank You Mark Felton!
Reinhard Hardegen lived to 105 because he changed his diet from a stomach injury, the special diet makes you live longer
I'm starting to believe that Mr.Felton is drinking some very strong type of tea in good old England to find such fine pieces of history....this has been one of the most interesting subjects so far
ENGLISH Breakfast tea/Yorkshire/Assam...no namby pamby Lapsang Oolong or fruit 'teas' 🤢
Lol, Earl Grey, like Captain Picard.
Much of these war patrols by Hardegan are documented in the book "Operation Drumbeat"
I live near Sandy Hook New Jersey. There’s a map in a maritime museum there that shows the location of ships sunk by U-Boats off New York and other spots along the coast of the US. I was amazed how many there were.
I live in North Jersey, I gotta take a trip down there.
@@BigMeechEJ25
It has nice beaches for swimming too!
My great uncle was a mercant boat officer (Norwegian) and he could remember the mercant fleet begging the Americans to dim the lights from their cities & cars. This was before the german navy u-boat started their operations on the east coast.
Further south about eighty miles of shore there's a sunken U-boat. Not sure the number. We got one of them.
Keansburg over here
Mark Felton is the history teacher I needed
Why not just go to the Library? Its free & no one tells you what to learn.
Well he's our current one
Some US libraries do not like war histories on their shelves. ISYN.
@@davidmurphy8190 US Libraries is a Joke in itself.....they Show very well how uneducated People can be there.
The Canadians are often forgotten for there involvement in WW2. They were absolutely vital in a massive team effort!
From 10 September 1939 to September 1945 - Canada was involved in WW2 for 6 long years, too many forget we were in the war 9 days after Germany invaded Poland. Lest we Forget our Soldier, Sailors, Airmen and Merchant Navy. Cheers
Without Dieppe the eventual landing never would of happened the way it did.
I understand that Canada had the world's third largest navy (after the US and UK) at the end of WW2.
Yes, the Royal Canadian Navy was one of the largest navies in the world at war's end.
@@wtfbuddy1 Not forgotten in the Netherlands; Canadians liberated a large part of the Netherlands.
In Ocracoke, North Carolina the so-called *"British Cemetery"* inters 4 recovered bodies (of 37) from the torpedoed armed trawler *HMT Bedfordshire. These men volunteered to help defend the North Carolina coast against German U-boats* right after America's entry into World War II, when the USA was ill-prepared to. This gravesite and small memorial was granted in appreciation to the UK, 'in perpetuity', and thus will forever be considered British soil. Every year on the Thursday and Friday closest to the sinking an official contingent of British and American armed forces meet at the cemetery to conduct a memorial service.
the amount of information we have at our disposal is baffling.. 20 years ago I never would have the opportunity to learn such a thing!
@@DefenderOfVirginity On a quiet backwater of a street in a tiny fishing village that's connected to the rest of the USA (even at the best of times) via a ferry that runs only on the hour, it is very touching to think of the young U.S. Coastguardsmen coming all the way out here to tend these long lost graves and keeping them looking so well cared for, so far away from their home. I stood there myself and heard the 37 names called off by a local High School student during the annual memorial, but words fail me to describe that moment. I think Rupert Brooke (1887-1915) in his poem *'The Soldier',* begins to do it justice...
If I should die, think only this of me;
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
And so they lay forever in this little bit of English Heaven, truly & legally "home" in English soil, whilst above them a Union Jack flutters in the ocean breeze.
I've been there. It's a beautiful little spot to spend eternity.
There are U boat sailors buried on Ocracoke. The legend has it some of them had movie theater tickets from Norfolk in their pockets!
Hi Mark, I'm a Greek historian who admires you and your channel. I'd suggest you take a look into some really interesting (small scale) stories from the Nazi-occupied Greece that are worth bringing up. I could provide you with some details if you are interested.
I think for sure I can agree with you. Apart from the rather sparse report in the 'official' history books, not much has been told about what happened in Greece at the time. You say small scale, but how much of an effect did all those small scale stories have on the outcome of the war in Greece? I don't have the training to investigate in the same way as Doc Mark does.
@@Icarianbrother Probably true, but not only by Cretan women bud.
@@stoopingfalcon891 I guess "small scale" is an hypothetical statement. The repercussion of some of these stories is still apparent in some European war-crime committees that are responsible for the refunding of Greek families
@@jamesserbos6697 Agreed. It is rather like lighting the fuse of an explosive device, the act of lighting it is small, but the bang at the end is massive. Perhaps not a good analogy, but gets my point across?
@@stoopingfalcon891 Yes indeed!
Mark Felton has all ways remembers lot of greatest history’s of both world wars and cold war. Keep up the good history mark felton
Serving in the German u boat war was a desperate venture by anyone"s standard and needed some brave soldiers prepared to die in the most horrific ways , i couldnt do it myself so wow what brave lads
@@benisrood voulanteering for service in a u boat was brave in the extreme dont you think? i wouldnt do it that is for sure
75% of these poor guys died. Just imagine that
I can't imagine more scary thing than servin on U boat during the WW2.
@@gregb6469 He called himself a soldier as he viewed Manhattan, did he not?
Yes, very brave, torpedoing commerce ships.
Actually, "drum" means "Trommel". "Pauken" are "timpanis", and "Paukenschlag" in German describes more a very unexpected (sometimes unpleasant) surprise happening all of a sudden, while "drumbeat" ("drumbeat of someone's heart") is something re-ocurring and steadily played, usually not very surprising. No matter what - another highly interesting and excellently presented chapter just happened in this great channel. Thank you, Dr. Felton.
So, not as much 'drumbeat' as "Keith Moon losing it".
So more like, sucker punch.
Still, drumbeat is a fair translation for the non musical
Like a big surprise Moment yes
@@Sshooter444 No, it's not. Even a non-musical person would easily recognize the sharp and massive attack on a timpani compared to the softer and less voluminous boom of "just" a drum. But hey, it's only words. And I'm still glad not to live under a Nazi regime.
Who the hell dislikes this? Mark's doing a great job, such disrespect…
Clinton, Obama and Biden supporters 🙄
@@nwga.5327 You would think the Trumpies since the Anti Fascist win in the end.
The guy that narrates Dark Skies and other things I suspect. Awful narrator that one.
Ancient aliens disliked.
There are bots everywhere on CZcams.
It's a strange feeling to see, and even admire, the sailors who may have been trying to sink the ship my grandparents, my father and his sister were on as they ran the gauntlet from Britain to the Caribbean at that same time. But of course, I do respect these men, as Grandpa was a ship's captain himself! Thank you, Dr. Felton!!
Wait. Maybe I am reading this wrong but you support the Nazi?
@@chrischandler889 What the hell has showing respect for these men has to do anything with supporting national socialism? Jesus
@@WarPicturesEntertainment if you take orders from a lunatic, national socialist, Stalin, tyrant, emperor, dictator, you name it... You might be a pathetic non critical thinking statist. Not worthy of respect.
@@chrischandler889 Absolutely not! Never. Why would I support those who wanted to kill my family?!! I simply said respect, for their skill as mariners.
@@WarPicturesEntertainment Thank you. Right on the mark.
Dr. Felton, 75 years after the war and you are teaching us with new information which gives perspective from both sides of the ocean. Thank you for bringing us what we would never get from the History Channel.
Well done Mr Felton. I remember reading of the U-862 German submarine crew (an account by a surviving member) that landed in the Coorong, South Australia, looking for water. That they even got there from Germany is impressive in itself.
"Monsoon group" uboats based in japanese navy base Penang , Malaysia
I wish I could have met some of these U-boat captains. A truly rare breed.
I didn't meet a Uboat captain, but I did meet a Uboat navigator named Rudy back in the 80's. I didn't ask him any questions, awkward after a first meeting at a social event (Hollywood Bowl). He lived in our area. Our next door neighbor was always making friends and getting them to join our group. A local newspaper wrote an article about him. I think I still have it somewhere, I'll have to search for it.
Remember that one who ended up being a Major League Baseball umpire in the 1970's?
Fact they pulled him out of sea probably saved his life. Attacking enemy ship in 44/45 was suicide as conwoy escorts, planes equiped with radars and reading Triton code made Uboats operations very dangerous.
Most of times it was one ship for one sub, that wasnt good trade for Germany.
Yeah. By that point, the British, Canadians and Americans had an absurd number of ships and planes available, not to mention increasingly advanced technology and anti-submarine experts who were turning it into an art form. It took an extraordinarily courageous man to step into a U-boat during those years.
What's "Triton" code?
@@stevek8829 Naval version of Enigma.
@@cyphi474Triton is so well encrypted I can't find anything about it in anything relating to Ultra or Enigma. CZcams!
@@stevek8829 AFAIK it is just a slightly modified Enigma machine to fit the needs of the German Navy. The code is, AFAIK the same.
The British&Polish people at Bletchley Park did one hell of a job cracking it - even harder for the Admiralty&Churchill to resist the urge to go guns blazing at the U-Boats and thereby telling the Germans, rendering the whole operation useless.
Up till the end, German HQ still considered Enigma to be unbroken.
Dr. Felton is a truly great man
Indeed
I've always wanted to learn more about this specific story, thank you!!
Read " Operation Drumbeat"
I’ve heard stories of the U Boats being close to the US during the war but didn’t know they got that close. WOW
They also tried towing v2 rockets behind the u boats. Problem was if the rocket were submerge in the salt water long enough it would damage the rocket and it would not work.
My father flew with RCAF Maritime Command on anti-submarine patrols out of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In 1943 they had the new radar that the subs could not detect. His plane attacked 3 separate subs. He assumed that either there were a lot of subs off the coast or his crew was just lucky. Just recently we learned that the British were reading the German subs' coded transmissions and sharing projected sub locations with the RCAF in Canada. The assigned patrol areas for each plane was actually a targeted location, although the crew did not know that. In a post war book a German sub Captain commented that they did not like patrolling too far north because there were too may airplanes. He did not know that the planes were told where to find subs.
Hello there👋👋,how are you doing today? ❤️❤️!!!
Love those U-boot stories.
Yet can't see much heroics on targeting those freighters.
Unbelievably unprepared as we are now in the same. Thanks again for a great history lesson NOT taught in school.
Hello there👋👋,how are you doing today? ❤️❤️!
Each and every one of Mark Felton's productions are interesting and informative. Too many of todays 'documentaries' are littered with supposition and unsubstantiated information. Mark's productions are refreshing doses of real and honest story telling. As a lover of history I welcome Mark's new stories whenever I see them, knowing they aren't just fluff pieces. And it isn't just his telling of the historical... but the depths he goes to to follow up on the characters he telling us about. Reinhard Hardegen lived to be a 105 years old and died in 2018... amazing.
Thank you Mark Felton
Hello there👋👋,how are you doing today? ❤️❤️
Woah....
105 years old 2018.
Think of the stories that man could have told right up to 2018
His stories should have been all about prison from 1946-2018.
@@chrischandler889 Not all Germans under Nazi rule were bad people. Erwin Rommel aka the Desert Fox was a German general known to be honorable and was respected by both his troops and the British troops. It is not always Black and White is the point I am trying to make.
@@jem_lucinamain3777 I get that to a minor extent. But here is the problem and if this doesn't end before long, humanity may be doomed. I'm not scared of the Maos and the Stalins and the Hitlers.
I'm scared of the thousands of millions of people that hallucinate them to be "authority", and so do their bidding, and pay for their empires, and carry out their orders.
I don't care if there's one looney with a stupid moustache. He's not a threat if the people do not believe in "authority".
Reinhard Hardegen lived to 105 because he changed his diet from a stomach injury, the special diet makes you live longer
There are not many former enemies that deserve the title "legend" but this skipper does... He survived a near death experience, got better and went into a branch of the armed forces that most likely killed the rest of his class, was seriously ill and yet still took his submarine over an entire ocean and almost right into the heart of his foe and then did it all over again.
Frankly, the fact he survived the war and became so long lived is an astonishing success that should be celebrated
I’m originally from Long Island and can remember my grandmother telling me about the blackouts that took place during the war on the coast. I also remember her telling me about the manhunt that took place after the landings in Amagansett. She worked for Grumman as a secretary and said there were police and military at all train stations for quite some time.
Love the story as always Dr. Felton. Please keep them coming!
Thank You again, Dr. Mark Felton for this WW2, U-boat, Manhattan presentation!
We heard lots of stories of Nazi spies, throughout the tri-state area...
Supposedly there was a Nazi spy who would transmit from a church bell tower in Queens, NY, the ship movements in the East River, (Just north of New York harbor), and in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
(My father was an air raid Warden during the war. He'd talk about the blackouts, aircraft recognition, and people taking cover, in the event of a Nazi air attack, in NYC).
Thanks again Dr Mark Felton, for sharing your great episodes, as I watch them every evening, before going to sleep.
Another fantastic telling of a fascinating part of the war. The bearded Captain Hardegen is reminiscent of the actor Jurgen Prochnow in the great German movie Das Boot.
Mark, you should be a professor of history and as the class enters the room, your epic video theme plays (reminds me of Return to Castle Wolfenstein). That would set the tone that they were going to learn so many new things that history had ignored or forgotten.
That made me laugh. Thanks
Passed away in 2018... what an amzing long ife went ashtray. Many thank Dr. Mark.
Hardegen was a fortunate individual. Awesome job Mark !
Hello there👋👋,how are you doing today? ❤️❤️!!
We were at the outer Banks of North Carolina two years ago. Been there more than a few times. Anyway, we took the ferry to Ocracoke Island. The old guy helping to operate the ferry said when he was a kid, they could hear the U-boat motors running in the darkness, recharging their batteries.
Yea i grew uo there u boats of the pamlico sound were also spotted
I love the idea of u boats and submarines, but you'll NEVER find me in one.
Ditto
Read Iron Coffins by Werner. Great book about life aboard German Uboats.
@kevin barker But if they get hit you die just as fast.
@@RCAvhstape To be honest ...dying in a battlefield or getting blown up by an IED in Afghanistan and Iraq isn't pretty also...So I guess you choose your poison. 🤷
@kevin barker I've been aboard 2 subs for a visit, the WW2 era USS Becuna at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, and the USS Baton Rouge SSN-689 fast attack nuclear sub. The Baton Rouge was luxurious by comparison but still not very big, plus there's the fact that you're diving with a nuclear reactor in the next compartment... Much respect for all bubbleheads.
That shot of New York at night was kind of eerie. You look at all the lights and windows and start wondering about whoever was up there, and what they were up to, that one evening, 70+ years ago...
I liked the map showing the Verrazano Narrows bridge, which was built way after the war.
Hardegen later travelled to more than 100 countries and had been to the north and south-pole. What a life.
Ahoy Dr. Mark! Former US nuke submariner here. There were a number of spies landed by U Boat, one of whom attended my high school in Chicago before the war; Albert G. Lane HS in Chicago. Would make a great video...if you haven't already done it! Keep up the great work and cheers!
Excellent video. I remember as a child, hearing of the lights having to be turned off or covered along the coast during WWII. My grandfather retired to Atlantic City and my father and grandfather told me about the threat of German submarines (U-boats) during WWII.
Wasn’t just the coast. I was born, raised, and still live in southern West Virginia. I was surprised to find out, by way of the daughter of the builder, that my house has an air raid shelter that was constructed in the basement during WWII. I have yet to explore it, but according to her, her dad was the “air raid warden” for the town and black-out orders were in effect throughout the war. Despite being a huge history buff for WWII history and WV history, I’m honestly not sure if that’s standard for the area or if the town I live in was unique. But supposedly there are other more advanced air raid shelters hidden underneath other buildings in town dating from WWII.
@@Engine33Truck very interesting. Thank you for your comment.
I live in New Jersey atop the Palisades directly opposite mid-Manhattan. It's fascinating to think of Hardegen and his U-boat so close to my beloved NYC.
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To the people,that say Mark should have his own show on a network etc. I respectfully disagree. While I’d love for him to have the success of such a thing (financial, prestige etc ) it wouldn’t be the channel we know and love. There would be network and executive involvement, guidelines, rules, ‘suggestions’ and on and on. As it is now, this is a labour of love. And I believe ‘professional’ involvement would result in a ‘too many cooks’ situation. All of this hard work comes from Mark’s heart and passion. And his eye for detail and facts. Now try and imagine that with a bunch of bottom-line executives with an agenda, breathing down his neck.
No thanks.
p.s. another stellar episode! Thanks so much for all you do, Mark.
Seeing the submarine service has possibly the highest death rate of any German military service Hardegen was a very lucky man.
Ive just got my WW2 history fix administered by Dr Felton. Good stuff and its just what the Dr ordered.
Hardegen was interviewed by the developers of the game "Silent Hunter II" and little video excerpts of the interview came with the game on a supplementary CD. He described this action and told a story of when after his second patrol to the US coast he was attacked and damaged. He was forced to return to Germany to effect repairs that couldn't be done in the French yards. On the return trip he was continually attacked by ASW aircraft, even in terrible weather. He couldn't figure out why he was being located so easily until he learned afterward that the British ASW a/c were using radar. As he finished the story he was laughing uproariously. There was also an incident where a U-Boat torpedoed a tanker near a resort town in the Carolinas- the skipper wanted to finish it off with the deck gun, but feared missing and hitting the civilians watching the scene from a beach. So the U-Boat circled around the stricken ship and shelled it from the landward side, in full view of thousands of spectators at the seaside resort town.
I’m from Georgia and as a child went to the Golden Isles near Brunswick. Found out that U-123 sank 2 ships right off St Simons Island. And Captain Hardegen said that the island had its lights burning brightly, just like New York! (Although much more modest-no skyscrapers on the Georgia coast.)
Hardegen was my mother's boss in the Bremen office of the Danish marine paint firm, Hempel. Family lore has it that I once flattered him tremendously when I was a toddler, telling him he was "a handsome man". I also once shattered a valuable porcelain vase at his home, when my mother went to water the plants when Hardegen was out of town.
Just how confrontational he was with Hitler depended a bit on whom he told the story to. I do remember him getting quite emotional, voice quavering and tearing up, when he talked about Hitler (whom he consistently called "der Führer") shaking his hand and looking him in the eyes.
It is true that at that dinner, he angered Hitler considerably, to the point where Goering took Hardegen aside afterward and told him to watch his mouth in the future.
But later on, Hitler appointed Hardegen to be in charge of the torpedo design program, and that's the job he kept to the end of the war (at least until Dönitz's infamous "gift" of navy sailors to Hitler for use as soldiers).
As far as navigation in the waters around New York goes, he was relying on the map in the tourist guidebook he had bought while visiting in 1933.
Of the many Hardegen stories I've read, another remarkable one, related by his former fellow conservative (CDU) member of the Bremen state parliament (Bremische Bürgerschaft), Wedige von der Schulenburg, Hardegen was the only Bremer to date to visit both North Pole and South Pole - one of those expeditions undertaken when he was in his 80s. When his home heater broke in the dead of winter sometime when he was already in his 90s, Hardegen says he got out his polar gear to ride out the bitter cold in the house while he was waiting for someone to come and fix the heater.
That's a fascinating story!
So you say.
Being a German and history enthusiast, I want to thank Mark Felton and his team for their remarkable dedication and flawless efforts to produce high quality material almost on a daily basis. During pandemic times, it were your clips who helped me to overcome the difficult lockdown times. The stories and film material are second to none and even the German productions of Guido Knopp can not compete with the extraordinary and outstanding plots. Thanks a lot again an I will definetly donate via Paypal.
I take it as a German you find it hard to hear of any positive aspects of Germany during the war? I hear there is a lot of frowning on that and censorship.
Guido Knopp 😂. What a joke.
In 2007 while working for the US Navy I traveled to Nordseewerke in Emden, Germany for technical meetings on their Scorpene Class submarines. I would have been honored to meet this amazing man in Bremen. German submarine technology remains supreme and Korvettenkapitan Hardegen was a master with such technology.
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This is fascinating. I was told my grandfathers ship a destroyer, one of three pursued and sank a U boat off of New England. This presentation just adds more to my curiosity. Big thanks!
Another epic story. How does he come up with something new every day?!
There is a great book about this whole campaign called Operation Drumbeat...I have it...it's excellent, very detailed...I recommend it to everyone here
every day of war, there are hundreds of epic stories.
Pure commitment to his subjects, and a genuine desire to educate. The man's a gem. 👍🏴
"There's a million stories in the naked city. And this one is . . ." Hardigan's.
WW2 was far more big and complicated than one can imagine. It is truly mindblowing how complex and huge this war was. So many battles, clashes and missions, which most people never heard of.
He lived to 105 being in “poor health”.
Can you imagine how long he would have lived if he was in good health?🤣
Could be - Or his poor health could have kept him from many of the vices,
that usually did in your late-20th century Europeans:
Over-eating, Alcohol and Tobacco. Just a "wouldn't it be ironic"-theory 🙂
Reinhard Hardegen lived to 105 because he changed his diet from a stomach injury, the special diet makes you live longer
I was waiting for the "and then he was unceremoniously killed at sea, the end" I was not expecting, "He chewed out HItler to his face, fought on the ground, survived the war, went into politics and here's a picture of him three years ago."
@@HauntedXXXPancake You're trying too hard to find something that just isn't there
Yeah .... and did you notice that his teeth looked better at 105 y.o. compared to 30 y.o.? Remarkable....
Another brilliant documentary about a little known episode in WW2. Thank you, Mr. Felton.
105 yrs old….holy cow, that’s amazing!
Reinhard Hardegen lived to 105 because he changed his diet from a stomach injury, the special diet makes you live longer
As a history teacher I hardly come across videos that make me say “I never knew this happened..” most videos I see are about the bland topics we all know and love. Mark, your videos always make me go “well I never knew that until now..” i never knew the nazis got this close to the mainland. Thanks for the knowledge
The Nazis not only got that close to the mainland, but they actually GOT ONTO the mainland, in 2-3 different locations/states. They recruited and trained a group of English speaking Germans that had previously lived/worked in America (and even 2 American Citizens with German family roots who were pro-nazi), to be spies/saboteurs that would operate within America, gathering intelligence to relay back to Berlin, blowing up railways and factories that were vital for war production, and assassinating high ranking military personnel and/or political figures. They successfully landed at different locations along the east coast, one was around Jacksonville, Florida, with supplies and large sums of American currency to keep them going for a couple of years or so. All of the landing parties (I think there were 3) successfully moved inland without being captured and they all met up at a pre-arranged location about a week later, and then split back up into 2 man teams, to disburse throughout the country to maximise their efforts. They were eventually captured only because once they were about 2-3 weeks into their operations, 2 of them decided to defect and turn themselves in to the FBI and spill the beans, which they did. Those 2 men were spared the death penalty in return for their information and surrender, which is the sentence/punishment that all the other members subsequently received, but they were still sentenced to life in prison. I believe Mark did a video on this subject, because I think I remember watching in fairly recently. There's definitely a good video about it here on CZcams, and I'm pretty sure it was made by Mr. Felton himself!
I said the same thing when a Japanese skipper did something similar but off the coast of San Francisco!
Being a history teacher makes you know everything?:s
@@MrAkurvaeletbe holding a history degree also helps. I never claimed to know everything, just know a lot more than a normal person on the street.
@@bosarmin05able that's a high horse you got there :D
I have always wanted to know more about this campaign, so thank you for doing my work for me, Mark. What I love about your work is that you always focus on people, not just on actions. I have a feeling that there's more to come on this subject! Thanks again.
100% he was a brave man as portrayed, 100% I think Dr Mark Felton does his homework to uncover WWII history. Apolitical history reviews of wwII valor is a hard job.
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen on each side would like to know the truth. Felton keeps it coming against the pressure.
A coward sneaks into the sea, and fires torpedos at merchant ships in hitlers name,
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As famous and as good as he was he was still only the 24th most successful U-boat captain. That shows how effective they really were.
When I was a small child my Dad took me to see a man building a submarine in his backyard. His name was Peter Lutjens and he said he was a sailor on a German U boat during WW2. This was in Sarasota Florida around 1960. Not sure what became of the submarine.
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Man I love that music he puts in the first part of his videos it goes perfect with marks voice. Good job mark keep them coming
No kidding, I've been looking for something yesterday uninteresting on U-Boat stories off the east coast
This is a story you never hear about. Many thanks Sir Mark.
🏴🇬🇧🇺🇸
Wow! enlightening as always, I can't believe he lived to be 105 and the things he'd done. it's fascinating to see the face and character of "the enemy"
Thank you for another quality history lesson. I've always been fascinated by Paukenschlag and the U Boat war off the east coast.
Absolutely amazing. Thank you very much, Dr Felton.
Wow, all of that and then lived to be 105. Wild.
He was the last u boat captain alive
The best account of the operation and the daring exploits of Hardegen and his crew is "Operation Drumbeat" by Michael Gannon. The author also lays out the reasons and results of the USN's utter lack of preparedness for defense against the U-Boats, despite ample warning and advice from the RN. Much of the blame lies with Ernest King and his staff, and their very slow realization of what was happening and measures taken to correct the situation. It also describes early problems with German torpedoes; it could have been even worse.
The Brits offered to share their ASW information, but King refused, due to his intense dislike of the British.
PETER Padfield the Naval historian & author says King had a serious listening problem ie had a problem with constructive criticism, & possibly he was an Anglophobe, which influenced his judgement when dealing with advice from the RN; his father was Scottish. Could that have been a factor? If so, he was more discreet than General 'Vinegar' Joe Stillwell who loathed the British, & didn't seem to be shy about expressing it. Then again, there's often been an undercurrent of Anglophobia in America's dealings with Britannia over the centuries
AS an aside, I wonder if Stillwell & Orde Wingate ever met? 2 acerbic & combative combatants; mind you, Wingate could not really be described as a typical British stereotype.
MORE of Old Testament zealot, like King Jehu of Israel: "...FOR HE DRIVETH FURIOUSLY," 2 Kings 9:20.
King and the USN had a full plate; a two ocean war with a one ocean Navy
This was an excellent book I read many years ago. Very interesting
@@Dog.soldier1950 TRUE, but I'm only talking about American subs, not surface ships.
Boom! Right in the middle of my AE shift...
Give me something to listen too
You just don’t know how long you’ll live. He seemed so fragile and lived all those years. I don’t know that’s a good thing. I’m 74 and know Heaven’s the absolute best place to be.
I drive by the Atlantic City coast guard station each weekend during the summer. I will now look out at the sea with a new perspective! Thank you for being our history teacher Mark, you are persevering so much for so many people.
There is no doubt that even though he was our enemy he served his country well and did his duty with courage and dedication. It was war and we should not deny that he thought he was fighting for what he believed was the right cause. Germany is now our partner in NATO and is an important ally.
"he served his country well" - Nah, he served the nazis.
@@youbidoubidou And you serve the demokrates? Stupid comment
You are asuming all who watch are US-citzens? Guess again. Many here view the US as a occupation force or worse as colonial overlords.
I still don't trust them well most don't still.
@@cornbreadfedkirkpatrick9647 I wouldn´t trust a Yank further than I can throw him
"Warf, I tell you, war is much more fun when you're winning!"
Sounds like my old friend general martok
Definitely did not learn about this in school. Thank you for another fascinating history lesson.
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The amount of detail and work Professor Felton puts into every video is outstanding. For history aficionados like me and many others, getting close to these forgotten pieces of history in such an accesible manner is just amazing.
Thank you very much for this . I had always pictured at least one U-Boat peering at Manhattan through the waves , and now I have the full story . Can you imagine the feelings those men must’ve had ! The excitement and the vigor , being so close to enemy’s heart . Must have been quite the spectacle.
Probably how the Manson Family felt outside Sharron Tates house.
I’ve always wondered what they thought seeing something so imposing in the 1940’s as NYC. Back then it was probably the most developed city in the world, surely bigger with its massive skyline than anything these men had seen before, simply unlike any city in Europe, tbh it should have been a giant warning of the US economic/industrial potential. Like how could they look at that and think “oh yeah.. we can take these ppl” while this city is so much more advanced and physically massive than anything they have, and it’s just one relatively small part of the US. They should have gotten chills, they were staring the future itself in the face. They seemingly didn’t appreciate the scale of what they were up against to the point that I really wonder how many of them were taking the standard issued meth.
Professor Mark with obscure history out of the gate as always. Very interesting topics.
wonderful piece. thank you
Always amazes me how many details of WW2 just don’t seem to make it into history courses. Having achieved over half a century of life, I never knew the Germans successfully conducted naval operations in US waters on the east coast. Thanks for illuminating these events, Dr. Felton.
Never have been disappointed yet by a Felton production!
Whenever I go to Galveston TX and see all the oil tankers and freighters in the distance, I just imagine what a U-Boat commander might do in the present.
He may shoot at a ship and subsequent be hunted down via radar and sonar and killed by depth charges
pretty sure modern ASW would clean him up instantly.
This is brilliant its a shame that they don't use your channel in schools for education this is amazing keep it up.
Civil Air Patrol and their patrolling of the east coast played a crucial role keeping the German U-boats away.
Wow, never knew Lindybeige was a U-Boat commander.
LOL...a good one!
The US issued blackout recommendations for coastal communities early on. They were largely ignored because of the inconveniences to evening and night time commerce, business, and recreation, and made comparatively easy targets of shipping silhouetted against coastal lighting from unshaded vehicles, homes, and businesses. Thousands of merchant mariners and others were killed.
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1 of the best episodes yet. Great!
Mark Felton again hits it on the nose!! With his in depth knowledge!! And detailed story telling!! My children and I cannot wait for your next episode!!