This page on the US Coast Guard was inspired by a Professional Affiliate Team Member I am affiliated with. Thank you, Shawn Flaming and all current, past, and future US Coast Guard Service members and my US Navy seaman and South Pacific veteran like my father Donald Senior.
The US Coast Guard has many important duties in their role for the United States. They, of course, perform search and rescue duty and protect our coasts and ports. They also protect us from the smuggling of drugs, illegal activity, and possibly dangerous materials and actions. Duties that are also involved include those in the environmental protection world. And of course, they are icebreakers for many important projects and ships.
The Coast Guard provides Marine safety and aids in navigation. There are also many law enforcement acts they are involved with. In many ways, they give as much to our daily life as any of the other branches. But many Americans do not know about the amazing part they played in World War II.
First Actions for The US Coast Guard
The US Coast Guard had the first assignments and contact even before the US entered the war. On September 5th, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced US neutrality. The “Neutrality Patrol” was passed, and this meant duties including observing and reporting warship activities. These patrols extended far into the ocean waters adjacent to the US.
In June 1940, President Roosevelt increased the duties of the Coast Guard. The coast guard was responsible for the security of ports and piers. Also, the security for the approaches to shipyards and waterfront facilities. These were defensive in nature, but in modern war with modern equipment, the fringe of conflict areas is in danger. Lines can be crossed.
The US Coast Guard was making sure that a confrontation between combatants had no side effects for the United States. Also, they were a present force to discourage any attacks on US merchant shipping. This protected American ships, harbors, and waters.
In October 1940, the Dangerous Cargo Act was passed by Congress. This assigned the oversight of ships that were carrying high explosives to the Coast Guard.
The coast guard also protected Greenland and its important weather stations. On September 12, 1941, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Northland sent an armed patrol on the ship the Buskoe. The ship was on Greenland’s east coast near Mackenzie Bay. The patrol found that the Buskoe had dropped mines and was radioing weather and shipping information to German U-Boats. A German weather station was found, and the crew was seized.
Start of the War
On December 8th, the U.S. declared war on the Empire of Japan. And on December 11th, in one curious move, Germany declared war on the US.
The U.S. Coast Guard duties started on December 7th. They put up anti-aircraft fire against the Japanese planes attacking Pearl Harbor. They also assisted the U.S. Navy on patrols protecting the harbor and looking for submarines.
While off the coast of Iceland, the first casualties were suffered. 26 were killed and 50 wounded when a German U-Boat torpedoed the Cutter Alexander Hamilton. This was the first U.S. ship lost after the war had been declared. In Singapore, an American transport was bombed, and 4 Coastguardsmen were killed. The Coast Guard personnel were manning the vessel.
Beach patrols were also conducted around the coasts of the country. The Coast Guard patrolled on land, and the U.S. Navy had responsibility for the area off the land. 25,000 persons were involved in these patrols. Sometimes on horseback, in vehicles, and on foot.
In early 1942, the Germans put to shore 2 teams. These teams were to perform sabotage on US factories and trains. John Cullen, a Coast Guard Seaman on patrol, encountered one of the teams. Hero John went to his station and reported the incident. The FBI found and arrested the team. The other team was also foiled by the FBI.
In May of 1942, the Coast Guard Reserve started aiding the U.S. Navy in patrolling for Submarines and rescue operations. Rescue duties would result from sunken merchant ships. The “Hooligan Navy” used private yachts equipped with 4 machine guns to aid the navy. The owners of the yachts stayed in command of their own boats and coordinated with the coast guard reserve and the navy.
The “Hooligan Navy” started with volunteers. College boys, Boy Scouts, beachcombers, ex-bootleggers, and Rum Runners. As the war went on, the “Hooligan Navy” became better trained.
Wartime Duties
During the war the Coast Guard supplied over half its personnel in duties supporting the war effort.
Vessels Manned By Coast Guard Personnel
- 802 Coast Guard
- 351 Naval
- 288 Army.
These included Attack Transports, Troop Transports, Cargo Transports, and Fuel Ships. These were both at sea operations and assisting in amphibious operations. Many landing craft for beach attackers were commanded by Coast Guard personnel.
The Coast Guard also assisted in convoy protection duties. I do not think the importance of convoys is appreciated enough today. These convoys supplied Europe with the war effort and troop ships carrying American troops to the battlefronts.
Convoy Duty
Of course, the main contribution was convoy duty. Convoy duty was a very dangerous assignment. Protecting Merchant Vessels from U-boats and surface warships. Also, as the convoys approached their destination, they would be open to air attack. All seems dangerous to me. Ships in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, and the American shores were escorted by Coast Guard and U.S. Navy vessels.
In May of 1942, the Coast Guard was on convoy duty and depth charged and sunk the German U-Boat, U-352. The Coast Guard sank 11 U-Boats during the war. During the early war, convoy duty was a very hazardous duty. They had to be fond, and most of the time they approached convoys in “Wolf Packs”. This meant many U-boats attacked convoys in a coordinated movement.
The escorts had to detect and find the U-Boats. Then an hour-long chase ensued. Trying to guess their location and depth so Depth Charges could be deployed. Some operations lasted over a day. Radar was not like today, and a U-Boat could stop moving and prevent discovery. There was also always the danger of a torpedo attack from a U-Boat. Cold days, nights and constantly wet air were all part of this assignment.
They also had this great duty. Convoys were not allowed to stop. Stopped ships were an inviting target. Imagine a troop transport loaded with troops stopped and was torpedoed, a big tragedy. So in came naval destroyers or Coast Guard cutters on convoy duty to rescue sailors from the sea. While they were stopped and recovering, the sailors stayed in place. This left them vulnerable to U-Boat attack. A little scary, I would believe.
Long trips across the North Atlantic, of course, meant rough seas and cold days and freezing nights. All the time being open to U-Boat attack, and when they approached Great Britain they became susceptible to air attack too.
Convoy duty was needed in all theatres of the war, and the Coast Guard was there alongside the US Navy and Merchant Marines.
Pacific Theatre
Before the war was declared, the Coast Guard was already patrolling the coasts and ports. Before Pearl Harbor, Coast Guard ships were patrolling around the harbor.
Then, starting with the Guadalcanal Coast Guard personnel performed other jobs. They escorted troop ships, supply ships, and equipment carriers. And they perform this brave duty. Coast Guard personnel manned the landing craft used in beach landings on the island. They went in and landed troops on the island and also took the wounded back to the fleet.
D-Day
The Coast Guard also took part in the June 6th invasion of France. The Coast Guard performed the same duties of escorting troop and cargo vessels in the English Channel. They also landed troops on the shore and rescued 1468 soldiers from the beachheads.
Coast Guard personnel also landed the bigger assault vessels. LCI, Landing Ship Infantry, and LST, Landing Ship Tank. Which, of course, were much bigger targets for German guns and artillery.
At the large port of Normandy, the coast guard captured 700 enemy soldiers and freed 50 captured Americans.
Remembering The U.S. Coast Guard
The US Coast Guard on convoy duty and other assignments performed with incredible skill and bravery in all areas of World War II. I think many of these duties may have seemed like sideshows to the main fighting. But not only were they dangerous, but they were also critical to the Allied success during the war.
You cannot fight without food and equipment. When invading an island or a major coast, you had to get personnel to battleground. Thank you to the Coast Guard; every invasion was completed, even those with heavy casualties.
I just have noticed over my many years of reading and watching the history of World War II, the Coast Guard is often overlooked. I just thought I would write about the brave men and women of our great Coast Guard.
I thank them all from the bottom of my grateful heart. Grateful that I lived in a world and civilization that I feel they saved for us. THANK YOU!!!
*Historical information referenced from Encyclopedia Britannica, the U.S. Navy Historical Center, the U.S. Coast Guard, and publicly available WWII historical archives.