Long Night of the Tankers: Hitler's War Against Caribbean Oil

by David J. Bercuson, Holger H. Herwig

Overview

Long Night of the Tankers presents a fresh account of a lesser-known but critical component of the Atlantic naval theatre during World War II. Using war diaries, after-action reports, and first-hand accounts, authors Bercuson and Herwig examine the story behind Operation Neuland, the German plan to interrupt vital oil supplies from reaching the United States and the United Kingdom by preventing Allied oil tankers from leaving refineries in the Caribbean. The story begins in February 1942 and follows this German attempt to scuttle the Allied war machine through to the end of the war. Told largely from the German perspective, it details the planning and execution of the Germans and the diplomatic, political, and military responses of the Allies, particularly the United States, to overcome the German effort.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781552387597
Publisher:	University of Calgary Press
Publication date:	06/04/2014
Series:	Beyond Boundaries: Canadian Defence and Strategic Studies , #4
Edition description:	1
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

David J. Bercuson is Director of the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary. He has published in a wide range of topics, specializing in modern Canadian politics, Canadian defence and foreign policy, and Canadian military history. In 2003, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Holger H. Herwig is the Canada Research Chair in the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies and a professor in the Department of History at the University of Calgary. He has published numerous books and articles on World War I and other topics in military history.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Prologue xi

Introduction 1

1 "Rum and Coca-Cola": The Yankees Are Coming! 19

2 Attack on Aruba 39

3 Long Night of the Tankers 57

4 Martinique 73

5 "The Ferret of Port of Spain" 89

6 War Comes to St. Lucia 107

7 Torpedo Junction 125

8 Hunting Off the Orinoco 145

9 War Beneath the Southern Cross 161

10 The Allies Regroup 179

11 White Christmas 197

12 The Allies Strike Back 213

13 A Hard War: Hartenstein and U-156 231

14 High Noon in the Caribbean and the South Atlantic 243

15 Gundown: U-615 and U-161 255

Conclusion 275

Glossary 287

Notes 297

Bibliography 319

Index 333

Editorial Reviews

This is an excellent book, well worth reading.

—Diana L. Ahmed, Naval Historical Foundation

A highly readable and at times suspenseful history.

—Rüdiger Graf, Canadian Journal of History

From the Publisher