Bombardment of Curaçao
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
Ernst Kals
approached western Curaçao on 19 April 1942, his objective was to bombard and damage the Bullen Baai tank farm. The farm was located several miles west of Willemstad
. At about 02:15, Kals ordered his gunners to take up U-130s 88 mm (3.46 in) deck gun
and then he ordered them to fire. In the short engagement, the Germans fired at least five 88 mm (3.46 in) shells at the petroleum tanks. None hit there target but the sound of the explosions woke up the sleeping Dutch Coast Artillery on the island. They rushed to their two 120 mm (4.7 in) naval gun battery that protected the tanks and opened fire. The Dutch let loose only one shot at the German boat which alarmed them but did not hit. Captain Kals decided to abort the operation and ordered his crew to submerge the U-boat, they then escaped. There was no damage to the petroleum farm and no casualties sustained by either side that morning.
. In August 1942, the Germans returned to Curaçao and attacked a tanker and received fire from a Dutch shore battery before slipping away.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
naval bombardment of a Bullen Baai Company petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
storage facility on the small island of Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The raid to destroy or ignite the petroleum failed and the German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
responsible was unsuccessfully engaged by Dutch shore battery before escaping.
Background
Earlier in the war, the KriegsmarineKriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Werner Hartenstein
Werner Hartenstein
Gustav Julius Werner Hartenstein was a Korvettenkapitän with the Kriegsmarine during World War II and commander of . He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military...
devised a coordinated submarine attack mainly against the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
island of Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
but included other oil related targets in nearby waters. The Attack on Aruba
Attack on Aruba
The Attack on Aruba was an attack on oil installations and tankers by Axis submarines during World War II. On 16 February 1942, a German U-boat attacked the small island of Aruba in the first shelling of American soil by Axis forces during the war. Other submarines patrolled the area for shipping...
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
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
oil supply, Hartenstein ordered his U-boats to continue operating against the Aruba and Curaçao refineries.
Bombardment
, under Kapitän zur SeeCaptain at Sea
Captain at Sea, is a naval rank corresponding to command of a ship-of-the-line or capital ship....
Ernst Kals
Ernst Kals
Ernst Kals was a Kapitän zur See with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He commanded the Type IXC U-boat on five patrols, and sank twenty ships, for a total of 145,656 tons of Allied shipping, becoming the sixteenth highest scoring U-Boat ace of World War II...
approached western Curaçao on 19 April 1942, his objective was to bombard and damage the Bullen Baai tank farm. The farm was located several miles west of Willemstad
Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles
Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Formerly the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to its dissolution in 2010, it has an estimated population of 140,000. The historic centre of...
. At about 02:15, Kals ordered his gunners to take up U-130s 88 mm (3.46 in) deck gun
Deck gun
A deck gun is a type of artillery cannon mounted on the deck of a ship or submarine.The deck gun was used as a defensive weapon against smaller boats or ships and in certain cases where torpedo use was limited. Typically a crew of three; gunner, loader, and layer, operated the gun, while others...
and then he ordered them to fire. In the short engagement, the Germans fired at least five 88 mm (3.46 in) shells at the petroleum tanks. None hit there target but the sound of the explosions woke up the sleeping Dutch Coast Artillery on the island. They rushed to their two 120 mm (4.7 in) naval gun battery that protected the tanks and opened fire. The Dutch let loose only one shot at the German boat which alarmed them but did not hit. Captain Kals decided to abort the operation and ordered his crew to submerge the U-boat, they then escaped. There was no damage to the petroleum farm and no casualties sustained by either side that morning.
Aftermath
Though only a small skirmish the German bombardment of Curaçao is remembered as a key event in the Battle of the CaribbeanBattle of the Caribbean
The Battle of the Caribbean refers to a naval campaign waged during World War II that was part of the Battle of the Atlantic, from 1941–1945. German U-boats and Italian submarines attempted to disrupt the Allied supply of oil and other material. They sank shipping in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf...
. In August 1942, the Germans returned to Curaçao and attacked a tanker and received fire from a Dutch shore battery before slipping away.