NOVA/National Geographic Special - Nazi Attack on America

On May 6, 2015, public television stations will broadcast the NOVA/National Geographic special, Nazi Attack on America.

The show will concern the German submarine effort against the coast of the United States in 1942.

Check your local listings for broadcast times.

My favorite books on the same subject:

Operation Drumbeat: The Dramatic True Story of Germany's First U-Boat Attacks Along the American Coast in World War II by Michael Gannon

Torpedo Junction: U-Boat War Off America's East Coast, 1942 by Homer Hickam

My favorite books on the various German submarine offensives against Canada:

U-Boats Against Canada: German Submarines in Canadian Waters by Michael Hadley

War in the St. Lawrence: The Forgotten U-Boat Battles on Canada's Shores: The History of Canada by Roger Sarty

The Battle of the St. Lawrence: The Second World War in Canada by Nathan M. Greenfield

My dad took me deep sea fishing off the coast of North Carolina years ago. It was a real eyeopener when we had to dodge around a few merchant ships sunk by U-boats in the war. All that is visable is the radio masts sticking out of the water. At least they were still visible 20 years ago.

Somewhere during my reading over the past few years, perhaps in Robert Sherwood's book Roosevelt and Hopkins: An Intimate History (but I'm not sure), I learned a bit about this. What sticks with me is that the idea we seem to have that the whole country immediately "snapped to" and whole-heartedly jumped into the war effort the day after Pearl Harbor is myth. Evidently, many coastal town resisted the idea of blackouts for quite some time, because blackouts were bad for business. This made merchant ships easier targets, as their silhouettes showed up clearly against those lights.

Anyway, I will be sure to record that series so I can watch it when I get the time. Thanks for the heads up!