One of the last naval engagements of the Battle of the Atlantic, fought off Rhode Island days before Germany's surrender.
Key Facts
- Dates of battle
- May 5–6, 1945
- German vessel sunk
- One U-boat
- Allied assets involved
- Surface combatants and two blimps
- SS Black Point length
- 368 feet
- SS Black Point tonnage
- 7,500 tons
- SS Black Point cargo
- Coal ship sunk at start of battle
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In the final days of World War II in Europe, German U-boats continued offensive operations even as the Third Reich collapsed. With Hitler already dead and Germany on the verge of unconditional surrender, a U-boat targeted Allied shipping near the American coast, sinking the coal ship SS Black Point off Point Judith, Rhode Island.
American surface combatants and two blimps responded to the sinking of the SS Black Point on May 5–6, 1945, hunting and destroying the attacking German U-boat in waters off Point Judith, Rhode Island. The engagement became known as the Battle of Point Judith and stands among the final actions of the Battle of the Atlantic.
The destruction of the U-boat represented one of the last naval losses Germany suffered in World War II, occurring only days before Germany's formal surrender. The battle underscored that U-boat operations persisted until the very end of the war, even after strategic defeat was inevitable.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent