How many of us have infiltrated NY harbor?

[mookiemookie]

Does anyone have any good stories about it? I was pretty amazed at how lightly defended it was. Sheeshk....and that nice big fat passenger liner sitting there. I mean how can you NOT stop by if you're in the neighborhood

It got me thinking about what if a u-boat really DID sink a passenger liner in NY harbor in WW2? That would have been huge. I wrote a little "what if" newspaper article about it. Here goes!

PASSENGER SHIP “CAROLINA STAR” EXPLODES IN NEW YORK HARBOR
ESTIMATE LOSS OF LIFE AT 55; GERMANY CLAIMS SINKING RESULT OF U-BOAT ACTION

New York - February 7 (AP) – Port of New York Authority officials reported this morning that the passenger liner Carolina Star exploded and sank last night around 3:30 AM (E.D.T.) in New York Harbor, presumably after being torpedoed by a German U-Boat. Fifty-five members out of the crew of 104 officers and men board at the time are unaccounted for and feared lost. A statement released this morning from the Coast Guard stated that “Rescue operations for the remaining missing crewmembers are ongoing. Survivor lists will be released as soon as the names can be established.”

The Carolina Star was moored in front of Liberty Island as she underwent preparations to be used for Army transport use. Eyewitness reports state that a great explosion erupted from the center of the ship, blasting its funnels away and breaking the hull in two. “I was checking the tow lines and all of a sudden I hear this loud boom,” says harbor tug captain Joe Nicholson. “She started exploding pieces all over and then went straight to the bottom.”

Rear-Admiral Adolphus Andrews, commander of the Third Naval District in New York referred all questions to Washington and stated that his office was under orders not to comment upon any ship sinkings. A spokesman for the Navy Department in Washington said that an investigation into the incident was ongoing and an official statement would be forthcoming.

German newspapers have stated that the sinking was the direct result of a torpedo fired by a U-Boat. A release this morning by the official German news bureau stated, “Do not let your government lie to you about your safety. If a ship sitting in front of the Statue of Liberty can be sunk at will, would it not stand to reason that any ship in any ocean is not beyond the reach of the U-Boats?” New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia reacted strongly to the news of possible German involvement in the incident. “The people of New York and America at large will not stand for a murderous attack on democracy, in front of one of the most prominent symbols of our freedom. The Germans are in for a fight if they think we’re going to take this laying down,” said LaGuardia.

[Safe-Keeper]

Not in a campaign, but I've been there, my presence courtesy of the beloved Mission Editor.

I found the biggest problem to be the lack of destroyers and air power (Grey Wolves). Or maybe that's just in 1942?

[mookiemookie]

Air coverage over the US doesn't begin until 43, so as to reflect the US's reluctance to actually DO anything about Drumbeat and the lack of ASW training and suitable planes the US pilots had at the time.

I've seen a couple destroyers off the coast of Long Island, but further in its just PT boats patrolling.

[andy_311]

Been there a few times normally from 41-44 if am in the area,the only intresting story was in 41 when I entered NY harbour on the surface and started to open fire on the Brithish ships that were docked in the harbour,but unfortunatly one of the british ships opened up on me but missed and hit a us merchant which in turn opened up on brits and neutrals,and US ships I sank the brit ships and just watched while everyone else was fireing on each other and the funny thing about it apart from the clemson the rest only had AA guns so I would say it would have took some time to sink a C2 and a Troop transport with just AA guns.

[Skubber]

Originally Posted by andy_311

one of the british ships opened up on me but missed and hit a us merchant which in turn opened up on brits and neutrals,and US ships I sank the brit ships and just watched while everyone else was fireing on each other guns.

That sounds just insane. Like Resevoir Dogs - if you've seen that movie.
One little u-boat shows up and everyone loses their minds. :rotfl:

[WilhelmSchulz.]

Ive done it but no good stories.

[bookworm_020]

A liner did sink in in New York Harbour. It was the french liner Normandie. She was set alight by a fire started when sparks from a welder set alight some life jackets nearby (she was being turned into a troopship,like the Queen Mary). They coudn't use the sprinkler system aboard as it had been disconnected, and the NY fire department coudn't hook their hoses into the ship's water main as they were french.

Harbour fire boats poured water onto her from the sea, while fire trucks poured water from the other side from land. This caused the ship to become top heavy and unblanced. She sank on her side later that day. The ship then became the most expensive salvage operation mounted at the time, taking over a year. After refloating her, she was too heavly damaged, and so was scraped.

[Jmack]

[csg_enven]

As MookieMookie stated: 43' was when the Americans started to really put the crank in the local harbor.

I have yet to make it to New York; but Newfoundland...I've had the opportunity to sit pretty watching the coast of that god-forsaken rock.

-CSG_Enven

[shegeek72]

I'm re-posting a SS from a pre-GW night infiltration. I think the year was 1942. It was pitch black (the image has been lightened). There were several patrolling destroyers that I was able to elude through stormy seas and taking regular hydrophone readings. I had to quickly submerge after the screen shot as my stealth meter went read, probably from an armed trawler. I sank several merchants / cargo ships before sneaking back out and ran surfaced at 2 knots to recharge my low batteries. It was one of my more memorable raids.


--

[MothBalls]

I did it and I was a little disappointed at how easy it was. I did a save right before entering thinking that for sure I wouldn't survive.

There was some nice eye candy to look at, the skyline, Empire State, Chrysler building, Statue of Liberty, etc.

I wasn't fully armed as the trip over was much more eventful than the harbor. I just looked around and left. I didn't even shoot the liner.

[Phantom II]

I've been there on one of my previous careers, but not anymore, coz its a bit unrealistic :/

-Phantom

[HunterICX]

:hmm: I did it once, because I was assigned at an Patrol grid, and when I whent searching in the dirrection of Ny I detected an Old British Liner that I wanted to sink so I chased it all the way down to closeby the entrance of the NY harbour I sank the liner and well I was there...lets have a look inside the harbour. it looks very impressive to me.

[stabiz]

I`ve been there once, and sunk alot of stuff.

[HunterICX]

Originally Posted by stabiz

I`ve been there once, and sunk alot of stuff.

you gave them an Hollywood kick in the ass as we saw in the movie you made about it