As we explore the triumphs and tragedies that shaped America,

we're always striving to paint a vivid, nuanced picture of the past,

and with Wondery Plus, you can experience that vision in its purest form.

Enjoy ad-free episodes, early access to new seasons,

and exclusive bonus content that illuminates the human stories behind the history.

Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts and see American

History through a whole new lens. Imagine it's the early evening on September 3rd, 1942.

You're a low-ranking officer in the German Navy assigned to a U-boat submarine.

You're cruising just below the surface of the Caribbean Sea, about 60 miles south of Arbadoos.

You're on a mission to take out Allied merchant ships

in order to impede the flow of supplies to your enemies in Europe.

You stare through the eyepiece of the U-boat's periscope,

scanning the surface of the ocean for enemy ships.

There, and the submarine is stale and stuffy, and it makes you sleepy.

But your commanding officer, Captain Jürgen Vattenberg, stands just a few feet away, gazing intently at you. So you stifle a yawn. That's when suddenly you see something through the eyepiece. Sir, I believe there's a British destroyer at our 4 o'clock. Well, prepare to fire. Are you sure, sir? This isn't a merchant ship. It's a destroyer, heavily armed.

Even better, we'll do real damage to the British Navy if we take this ship out. Water's quite

rough, sir, it could impact the accuracy of our shots. I gave you an order. Every second we wait,

we risk being spotted and losing the element of surprise. I said fire. Yes, sir. One of your colleagues fires the torpedo,

and you watch through the periscope as it comes up to the surface and then misses the British ship

by several feet. It's a miss. It's a miss. Then fire again. But before the crew can fire more

torpedoes, the water around your U-boat churns with explosions from all sides.

The submarine shakes so hard you can barely stand.

...