Erich Torp is credited with sinking 30 ships and received the Oak Leaves and Swords Medal. He said: "We had a briefing before Drum Beat (the name of the operation), all commanders. We had hydrographic surveys, many from merchantmen before the war.
"The North and South Carolina coasts were perfect for interdiction from the refineries in the Gulf region to and from New York. Our job was to intercept them going north, before they turned west to join convoys.
"Night attacks were preferable, and surface attacks were also preferred, allowing us to use greater surface speed and chase them down, often intersecting their course where we could lay in ambush."
--GreGen
My Cooter's History Blog has become about 80% World War II anyway, so I figured to start a blog specific to it, especially since we're commemorating its 70th anniversary and we are quickly losing this "Greatest Generation." The quote is taken from Pearl Harbor survivor Frank Curre, who was on the USS Tennessee that day. He died Dec. 7, 2011, seventy years to the day. His photo is below at right.
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