As to the WW2 tankers sunk, yes, the Germans sunk many. Not all were crude oil, some were had been refined already into gasoline, fuel oil, whatever. Many of these flared when hit.
The currents were different as well along the eastern seaboard. In many cases the spill didn't reach shore but along Florida it often did.
I am from Daytona Beach. I am too young to have seen it happen, but my relatives have told me about it. Just south of there a tanker was hit and sank just off the beach. The masts were still above the water. The oil washed in, turning the beach black.
It cleaned up on its own quicker than people thought, I guess because of the hard sand beaches. They told me about everyone collecting the stuff into pails to take home to patch their roofs. I guess they meant the tar. At that time it was not possible to get shingles or a lot of other things because of the war.
All those sinkings were nothing compared to what is going on now, though.
If any of you ever go down that way, stop at Flagler Beach, just north from Daytona. You'll notice a wooden tower there. It was made in '42 for spotters of U-boats. As far as I know they never saw one, but they were there.
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