The Bombardment of Curaçao refers to a 1942 German naval bombardment of a Bullen Baai Company petroleum storage facility on the small island of Curaçao during World War II. The raid to destroy or ignite the petroleum failed and the German U-boat responsible was unsuccessfully engaged by Dutch shore battery before escaping.
Background
Earlier in the war, the Kriegsmarine Commander Werner Hartenstein devised a coordinated submarine attack mainly against the Dutch island of Aruba but included other oil related targets in nearby waters. The Attack on Aruba turned out to be somewhat successful, the Germans sank or damaged several oil tankers but did not set ablaze the large oil tank on Aruba. Hoping to further disrupt a major Allied oil supply, Hartenstein ordered his U-boats to continue operating against the Aruba and Curaçao refineries.
Bombardment
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Though only a small skirmish the German bombardment of Curaçao is remembered as a key event in the Battle of the Caribbean. In August 1942, the Germans returned to Curaçao and attacked a tanker and received fire from a Dutch shore battery before slipping away.
See also
References
- Kurowski, Franz. Knight's Cross Holders of the U-Boat Service, Schiffer Publishing Ltd, (1995) ISBN 0-88740-748-X.
- Woodman, Richard. The Real Cruel Sea; The Merchant Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic, 1939–1943 (2004) ISBN 0-7195-6403-4
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