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Destroyer Roper sinks German U-85 of US east coast

The sinking of U-85 was a naval action of the Second Happy Time which took place just after midnight on 14 April 1942.

The sinking of U-85 was a naval action of the Second Happy Time which took place just after midnight on 14 April 1942. The German submarine U-85 was sunk by the American destroyer USS Roper, with the loss of the U-boat's entire crew. U-85 had been on its fourth patrol and was operating off Cape Hatteras, which is part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

An unknown object was detected by Roper just after midnight on 14 April. The destroyer's officers decided to chase the object despite not knowing what it was. A torpedo missed the destroyer revealed it to be a U-boat; Roper engaged U-85 in a chase. A searchlight revealed it to be U-85, and the guns of the destroyer subsequently killed the U-boat's gun crew and heavily damaged it. Evidence suggests that U-85 was scuttled by its own crew.

Historical Significance

The sinking of U-85 was a naval action of the Second Happy Time which took place just after midnight on 14 April 1942.

Events Before

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  2. New Fourth Army Incident: Chinese Kuomintang forces under orders from Chiang Kai-shek fire on the surrounded Communist N

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  3. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra first record "Take the 'A' Train" written by Billy Strayhorn, at RCA Studio in Hollywoo

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  5. American Actress Hattie McDaniel (45) weds real estate salesman James Lloyd Crawford; divorced 1945

    American Actress Hattie McDaniel (45) weds real estate salesman James Lloyd Crawford; divorced 1945

Events After

  1. German officer Claus von Stauffenberg is promoted to Lieutenant Colonel

    Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of…

  2. Negro Baseball League star Josh Gibson suffers a nervous breakdown and is admitted to the hospital for rest and treatmen

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  3. Adolf Hitler declares "Total War" against the Allies

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  4. Soviets announce they have broken the long siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany by opening a narrow land corridor, though

    Soviets announce they have broken the long siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany by opening a narrow land corridor, though the siege is not fully lifted until a year later

  5. German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrenders to Soviet troops at Stalingrad

    Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 – 1 February 1957) was a German Generalfeldmarschall (Field Marshal) during World War II who is best known for his surrender of the German 6th Army…

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 14, 1942?
The sinking of U-85 was a naval action of the Second Happy Time which took place just after midnight on 14 April 1942. The German submarine U-85 was sunk by the American destroyer USS Roper, with the loss of the U-boat's entire crew. U-85 had been on its fourth patrol and was operating off Cape Hatteras, which is part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Why is Destroyer Roper sinks German U-85 of US east coast significant?
The sinking of U-85 was a naval action of the Second Happy Time which took place just after midnight on 14 April 1942.

Explore More

April 14 in HistoryYear 1942