15 Feb 1941

United States
  • The US Congress approved the construction of a new base for the US Marine Corps' Fleet Marine Force at New River, North Carolina, United States. ww2dbase [New River, North Carolina | CPC]
1 Dec 1941

United States
  • US Marine Corps established a Marine Corps Air Station at Cunningham Field, Cherry Point, North Carolina, United States under Colonel Thomas J. Cushman. ww2dbase [Cherry Point, North Carolina | CPC]
11 Mar 1942

United States
  • At 0758 hours, German submarine U-158 struck 2,609-ton US steam merchant Caribsea on the starboard side with a torpedo 20 kilometers east of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, United States, just off the Cape Lookout Lighthouse. The Caribsea rapidly settled and sank in less than three minutes in shallow waters. No distress signals could be sent and the crew of eight officers and 20 men had no chance to launch the lifeboats. The few survivors climbed onto two rafts that floated free and they later observed the submarine passing within 100 yards. The men on a raft made use of a small metal can as a reflector to attract the attention of the northbound Norlindo, which picked up two officers and five crewmen after ten hours. They were transferred to a US Coast Guard dispatch boat off Cape Henry. Only 7 would survive the sinking. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | Harkers Island, North Carolina | CPC, HM]
12 Mar 1942

United States
  • The 11,641-ton American steam merchant ship John D. Gill was on its second voyage, travelling on route from Atreco, Texas, United States to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States with 141,981 barrels of crude oil. At 2110 hours, just off the coast of North Carolina, United States, a torpedo from German submarine U-158 struck the starboard side. The tanker did not explode or ignite until a life ring with a self-igniting carbide lamp was thrown overboard by a crew member. The ship was immediately engulfed in flames. Explosions wrecked all but No. 2 and No. 4 lifeboats. The No. 2 boat was successfully launched with 15 crew members who were later picked up by the SS Robert H. Colley and taken to Charleston, South Carolina, United States. The No. 4 boat capsized while being lowered and its occupants were dumped into the sea. Many were lost when sucked into the still turning propeller. Of the ships complement of 42 crew and 7 naval armed guard, 23 were killed. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | Kure Beach, North Carolina | HM]
13 Mar 1942

United States
  • US Coast Guard located 11 survivors of American steam merchant ship John D. Gill floating on a raft in the Atlantic Ocean at 0600 hours. The raft had been released by able seaman, Edwin F. Cheney, Jr. after the ship was struck by German submarine U-158 during the previous night. Cheney was later awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for his bravery. The occupants of the raft were put onboard the USCG Agassiz (WSC-126) and taken to Southport, North Carolina, United States. The ship sank at 0900 hours. ww2dbase [Kure, North Carolina | HM]
4 Apr 1942

United States
  • German submarine U-552 sank US tanker Byron D. Benson 16 kilometers east of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, United States at 2257 hours local time (recorded in U-552 logs as at 0447 hours on 5 Apr 1942, German time), killing 10 of 38. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | Kitty Hawk, North Carolina | CPC, TH]
7 Jul 1942

United States
  • US Army Hudson aircraft sank German submarine U-701 with 3 depth charges (2 hits) 20 kilometers southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, United States at 1500 hours; 29 were killed, 17 survived. ww2dbase [Second Happy Time | Kinnakeet, North Carolina | CPC]
15 Jul 1942

United States
  • At 2025 hours, U-576 attacked Allied convoy KS-520 with four torpedoes 30 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, United States, sinking Nicaraguan ship Bluefields, damaging US ship Chilore, and damaging Panamanian ship J. A. Mowinckel; two US Navy Kingfisher aircraft counterattacked with depth charges as well as motor vessel Unicoi with deck guns, sinking U-576, killing all 45 aboard. ww2dbase [U-576 | Second Happy Time | North Carolina | CPC]
25 Feb 1943

United States
  • US 11th Airborne Division was activated at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, United States under the command of Major General Joseph M. Swing. ww2dbase [Camp Mackall, North Carolina | AC]
15 Apr 1943

United States
  • US 17th Airborne Division was activated at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, United States under the command of the newly-promoted Major General William M. Miley. ww2dbase [Camp Mackall, North Carolina | AC]
13 Aug 1943

United States
  • US 13th Airborne Division was activated on at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, United States under the command of Major General George W. Griner, Jr. ww2dbase [Fort Bragg, North Carolina | AC]
11 Apr 1944

Photo(s) dated 11 Apr 1944
Overhead view of PT-515, an Elco 80-foot motor torpedo boat with MTB Squadron 35, making a dash across Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, United States as the squadron moved from Rhode Island to Florida, 11 Apr 1944.
4 Aug 1945

United States
  • German prisoner of war Kurt Rossmeisl escaped from imprisonment in North Carolina, United States and evaded the immediate search. He would later board a train for Chicago, Illinois, United States, established a false identity as "Frank Ellis", and remained at large until 1959. ww2dbase [North Carolina | CPC]
1 Jul 1954

Photo(s) dated 1 Jul 1954
Major General Good and Major General Lewis Puller at Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina, United States, 1 Jul 1954; Puller had just taken command of US 2nd Marine DivisionMajor General Lewis Puller handing the US 2nd Marine Division flags to Brigadier General Edward Snedeker shortly after Puller took command of the division, Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina, United States, 1 Jul 1954
9 Oct 1988

Photo(s) dated 9 Oct 1988
Museum ship North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, 9 Oct 1988, photo 1 of 2Museum ship North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, 9 Oct 1988, photo 2 of 2
31 Dec 1991

United States
20 Jul 2006

Photo(s) dated 20 Jul 2006
Aerial view of museum ship North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States, 20 Jul 2006
21 Oct 2014

United States
  • The wreck of a German submarine found 30 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, United States was announced to be U-576. ww2dbase [U-576 | North Carolina | CPC]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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Veronica 'Ronnie' Foster at the John Inglis and Company factory for Bren guns in Toronto, Canada, 1940s


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