08 Jul Maritime Museum program to explore U-boat activity off of U.S. coast

SOUTHPORT — As part of a World War II campaign, the German Navy unleashed attack submarines — known as “U-boats” — on the United States. An upcoming presentation hosted by the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport will explore that campaign, which turned the east coast into the most dangerous region for merchant shipping.

Dr. Sal Mercogliano, associate professor of history at Campbell University, is the featured speaker at the July 19 Third Tuesday Lecture, hosted by the N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport. The lecture will be held at the Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay Street in downtown Southport, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Mercogliano’s presentation, “The Submarine Blitzkrieg against North America and the U.S. Response: December 1941 to August 1942,” will explore how and why the American East Coast became a strategic battlefield in the first five months after the U.S. entered World War II.

“Many people aren’t aware of how close the war came to North Carolina,” Museum Curator of Education Katy Menne said. “So Dr. Mercogliano’s presentation should be an especially fascinating look at the mistakes made and the solutions that turned the tide against the German U-boats.”

Third Tuesday programs are offered on the third Tuesday of each month. Programs, which are geared for ages 16 and up, are free and open to the public. However, seating is limited; to reserve your seat, contact Katy Menne at (910) 477–5151 or Katy.Menne@ncdcr.gov. Or register online.