Attack on Aruba

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Attack on Aruba
Part of World War II, Battle of the Caribbean
Pedernales, heavily damaged after being struck by a German torpedo.
Date 16 February 1942 Location off Oranjestad, San Nicolaas Harbor, Aruba, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Venezuela Result Axis victory Oil operations disrupted
Belligerents
Netherlands  United States	Germany 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.