Wikipedia:Today's featured article/May 8, 2013

Operation Teardrop was a United States Navy operation of World War II conducted during April and May 1945 to sink German U-boats that were believed to be approaching the U.S. east coast armed with V-1 flying bombs. It was planned during late 1944 in response to intelligence reports which indicated that Germany was preparing a force of missile-armed submarines. The plan was executed in April 1945 after several Type IX submarines put to sea from Norway bound for the United States. While severe weather conditions in the North Atlantic Ocean greatly reduced the effectiveness of the four U.S. Navy escort carriers involved, long patrol lines of destroyer escorts successfully detected and engaged most of the submarines. Four were sunk with the loss of their entire crew. Most of the crew of the other submarine to be sunk were rescued by the US Navy (rescue of survivors from U-546 pictured), and the specialists among the prisoners were brutally interrogated. USS Frederick C. Davis was also sunk with the loss of most of her crew. The surviving U-boats surrendered in early May as part of the general German surrender. After the war the Allies determined that the submarines were not carrying missiles. (Full article...)

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