Attack on Aruba

Attack on Aruba
Part of World War II, Battle of the Caribbean

Pedernales, heavily damaged after being struck by a German torpedo.
Date16 February 1942
Location
Result

Axis victory

  • Oil operations disrupted
Belligerents
Netherlands Netherlands
 United States
Nazi Germany Germany
Fascist Italy Italy
Commanders and leaders
Frank Andrews Werner Hartenstein
Strength
Land:
~300 artillery
~6 artillery pieces
3 shore batteries
Sea:
~3 patrol boats
Air:
2 light bombers
7 submarines
Casualties and losses
~51 killed
6 tankers sunk
2 tankers damaged
1 killed
1 wounded
1 submarine damaged
  • German casualties were caused by an accident.

The attack on Aruba was an attack on oil installations and tankers by Axis submarines during World War II. On 16 February 1942, a German U-boat attacked the small Dutch island of Aruba. Other submarines patrolled the area for shipping and they sank or damaged tankers. Aruba was home to two of the largest oil refineries in the world during the war against the Axis powers, the Arend Petroleum Company, situated near the Oranjestad harbor, and the Lago Oil and Transport Company at the San Nicolas harbor. The attack resulted in the disruption of vital Allied fuel production.