Operation Neuland
Date Ship Flag Tonnage ( GRT ) Notes
16 February 1942 Pedernales United Kingdom 4,317 Tanker torpedoed outside San Nicolaas harbor , but later repaired
16 February 1942 Oranjestad United Kingdom 2,396 Tanker torpedoed outside San Nicolaas harbor , and capsized in 48 seconds
16 February 1942 Arkansas United States 6,452 Tanker torpedoed at Eagle Pier near Oranjestad but later repaired
20 February 1942 Delplata United States 5,127 Freighter torpedoed at 14°45′N 62°10′W / 14.750°N 62.167°W / 14.750 ; -62.167
25 February 1942 La Carriere United Kingdom 5,685 Tanker
27 February 1942 Macgregor United Kingdom 2,498 Freighter sunk by gunfire
28 February 1942 Oregon United States 7,017 6 crewman killed aboard tanker sunk by gunfire at 20°44′N 67°52′W / 20.733°N 67.867°W / 20.733 ; -67.867
Implementation -- U-156
The second patrol of U-156 was under the command of Werner Hartenstein . Surfacing after nightfall on the evening on February 15 , Hartenstein waited 2 miles off shore before commencing his attack at 0131 on February 16 , 1942 when he fired two torpedoes at the tankers SS Pedernales and SS Oranjestad laying at anchor outside Aruba 's San Nicolaas . Ten minutes later , U-156 moved to with in 3/4 mile of the Lago refinery and prepared to bombard the facility . However , a crewman failed to remove the tampion from the muzzle of the 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval gun , and the first shell detonated within the barrel . One gunner was killed , another seriously injured , and the muzzle of the gun barrel was splayed open . Following the attack , the U-156 sailed past Oranjestad , 14 miles to the west and fired three torpedoes at the Shell tanker Arkansas berthed at the Eagle Pier . One struck the ship , causing minor damage while one missed its mark and disappeared in the water while the third beached itself . A few days later , four Dutch marines were killed as they attempted to disarm the torpedo . Hartenstein kept the U-156 submerged north of Aruba after day break . At nightfall the crew buried the sailor who died when the gun exploded , and the captain received permission to sail to Martinique where the injured crewman was put ashore . The crew used hacksaws to shorten the damaged gun barrel by 40 centimeters , and used the sawed-off gun to sink two ships encountered after all torpedoes had been expended sinking two other ships . U-156 started home on 28 February 1942 . [ 6 ]
Operation Neuland (New Land) was the German Navy's code name for the extension of unrestricted submarine warfare into the Caribbean Sea during World War II. U-boats demonstrated range to disrupt United Kingdom petroleum supplies and United States aluminum supplies which had not been anticipated by Allied pre-war planning. Although the area remained vulnerable to submarines for several months, U-boats never again enjoyed the opportunities for success resulting from the surprise achieved by the submarines participating in this operation.