USCGC Icarus (WPC-110)

__NOTOC__USCGC "Icarus" (WPC-110) was a steel-hulled, diesel-powered "Thetis"-class patrol boat of the United States Coast Guard that patrolled the Eastern coast during World War II. In 1942, "Icarus" sank the U-boat "U-352" off the coast of North Carolina and took its survivors into custody as prisoners of war. "U-352" was the second WWII U-boat sunk by the US in American waters, and the first one from which survivors were taken.

Built by Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine, "Icarus" was delivered on March 29, 1932 and commissioned on April 1, 1932. After a shakedown cruise, she reported to the New York Division's Special Patrol Force, where she supported the Coast Guard's efforts against rum-runners until Prohibition ended in 1933, continuing after that to perform general law enforcement duties and rescue patrols. In November 1941, with World War II nearly two years underway, the Coast Guard was transferred from the United States Treasury Department to the United States Navy.
Germany declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941, and "Icarus" was rearmed and assigned to the Eastern Sea Frontier for patrol duty off the East Coast. German U-boats quickly became a serious threat on the East Coast, sinking approximately 80 ships between January and April 1942, with US defenses only managing to sink one U-boat (U-85) during that period. [ [http://www.army.mil/cmh/books/wwii/Guard-US/ch4.htm#b1 Chapter IV: The Continental Defense Commands After Pearl Harbor ] ]

"U-352" incident

While off the coast of Cape Lookout en route to Key West on May 9, 1942, "Icarus" picked up a contact on sonar, and a torpedo exploded nearby. "Icarus" anticipated the presumed U-boat's next move and dropped 5 depth charges at the site of the prior torpedo explosion. As sonar picked up a moving target again, "Icarus" moved to intercept, dropping two more depth charges, apparently hitting their target as bubbles were seen rising to the surface. Passing the spot again, "Icarus" dropped three more charges. Shortly thereafter, "U-352" surfaced, and "Icarus" opened fire with machine guns and prepared for a ramming maneuver. When the U-boat's crew abandoned ship, "Icarus" ceased fire, releasing one last depth charge over "U-352" as it sank beneath the water.

The only U-boat previously sunk on the East Coast had gone down with all hands, and there were no standing orders concerning the rescue of survivors. "Icarus" had to call both Norfolk and Charleston before receiving authorization to pick up "U-352's" survivors. Forty minutes after the incident, "Icarus" picked up 33 of its crew, including "U-352's" commander, Kapitänleutnant Hellmut Rathke, and delivered them to the Commandant of the 6th Naval District at Charleston Navy Yard the next day.

For his actions in sinking "U-352", Lieutenant Maurice D. Jester, commander of the "Icarus", was awarded the Navy Cross. [ [http://www.uscg.mil/history/articles/IcarusThetis.html DAVID AND GOLIATH: The ICARUS And THETIS Battle German U-boats] , U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, Accessed August 16, 2007.] There were only six Coast Guard recipients of the Navy Cross during WWII. [ [http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/0_NC/z_ncross_uscg.html US Coast Guard Recipients of the Naval Cross] , Pueblo Medal of Honor Foundation, Accessed August 16, 2007.]

Later service

Rearmed at Norfolk Navy Yard, "Icarus" resumed her duties as a convoy escort, anti-submarine patroller and search and rescue ship. She was transferred to the 3rd Naval District for duty with the Air-Sea Rescue Service in 1945. On October 18, 1946 she was placed on reserve status at Stapleton, Staten Island. "Icarus" was decommissioned on March 15, 1948 and sold on July 1, 1948 to the Southeastern Terminal and Steamship Company. She was later transferred to the Navy of the Dominican Republic where she was renamed "Independencia" (P-105, later P-204). She saw combat in the Dominican Civil War in 1965, was rebuilt in 1975, and was later sent to reserve. "Independencia" was still listed by "Jane's Fighting Ships" as part of the Dominican Navy as late as 1995, but had been dropped from the list by the 1999 release.

Notes

References

* [http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Icarus_1932.html U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office] Coast Guard Cutter "Icarus", Accessed March 29, 2008.
*Conn, Stetson "et al." [1964] (2002). "Guarding the United States and Its Outposts", Seattle: University Press of the Pacific. ISBN 1410201929

External links

* [http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-352Photos.htm Pictures of USCGC "Icarus" and the prisoners from "U-352"] , Uboat Archive, May 1942. Accessed August 16, 2007.
* [http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-352Anal.htm United States Atlantic Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Unit, Internal memos regarding destruction of enemy submarine by USCGC "Icarus"] , Uboat Archive, May 1942. Accessed August 16, 2007.