Nazi Saboteurs Land on Long Island in 1942, Foiled by Coast Guard Sailor
In June 1942 a German U-boat delivered four saboteurs to a Long Island beach, where a Coast Guard seaman’s alert led to the discovery of their hidden explosives and cash.
On a night in June 1942 a German submarine released inflatable boats carrying four operatives trained for a sabotage mission against American industrial sites. After landing near Amagansett, the saboteurs concealed explosives, cash and equipment, then traveled by train toward New York City. Coast Guard seaman John Cullen, walking the beach, confronted the strangers, noted their lack of fishing gear, and after the encounter returned to his station and alerted authorities.
A subsequent search revealed the buried cache, and the FBI was called in to examine the case. The operation, known as “Operation Pastorium,” involved two separate groups that intended to meet in Cincinnati and target infrastructure such as the Hell Gate Bridge, canal locks, the Horseshoe Curve, an aluminum plant in Philadelphia and other key facilities. The plot unraveled after the New York-based leader, George Dasch, defected and disclosed the full scheme to the FBI, leading to the identification of the remaining participants.
Why it matters
The incident shows how early U.S. counter-intelligence thwarted a Nazi plan to disrupt critical wartime infrastructure.
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