In December 1941 the Germans launched Operation Drumbeat, a submarine offensive on shipping close to the United States. Their thinking was that they could take advantage of America's lack of preparedness to deliver a serious blow. They were so effective that Michael Gannon refers to their success as an Eastern Pearl Harbor. He is highly critical of the US Navy, especially its commander Admiral Ernest King. The narrative is centered on German submarine U-123 and its commander Reinhard Hardegen ( )

Fascinating and well-documented look at U-Boat action on the east coast of the US during WWII. The author chooses to look at one U-Boat in particular while telling the story, instead of just listing facts and figures for us. I appreciated the reserach that went into this book and the photographs, too. ( )

2813 Operation Drumbeat: The Dramatic True Story of Germany's First U-Boat Attacks Along the American Coast in World War II, by Michael Gannon (read 26 Dec 1995) This is an excellently researched book on German U-boat 123, which under Reinhard Hardegen made two trips in early 1942 to the east coast of the USA, sinking many ships. The author blames Admiral Ernest King for what he calls a far worse American defeat than Pearl Harbor. Most of the book is told from the standpoint of the German crew. The author in the 1980's met Hardegen and other crew members. This is an excellent book, only sometimes dry because the author is big on technical aspects of the submarine's operation. I surely wouldn't want to serve on a submarine, even one as sophisticated as the 123. ( )