Most feasible way the Nazis could have attacked US territory?

[Malone]

Japan to Hawaii is about as far a distance as Germany to the continental US. As the Japanese attacked US territory, what were some potential American targets the Nazis could have launched attacks on?

A more rational Hitler may have rightfully concluded the US would at some point come to fight him in Europe (him being the one to declare war on the US guaranteed that beyond anything), so perhaps a pre-emptive strike before his declaration?

 

[juanml82]

Other than a u-boat firing a few shells at something in the coast during the first months of 1942, I don't see it happening. And that crew would claim massive bragging rights for the rest of (their short) lives.

 

[Domrémy-Scorniçesti Axis]

Japan to Hawaii is about as far a distance as Germany to the continental US. As the Japanese attacked US territory, what were some potential American targets the Nazis could have launched attacks on?

A more rational Hitler may have rightfully concluded the US would at some point come to fight him in Europe (him being the one to declare war on the US guaranteed that beyond anything), so perhaps a pre-emptive strike before his declaration?

Blowing up the Statue of Liberty again

 

[neopeius]

Other than a u-boat firing a few shells at something in the coast during the first months of 1942, I don't see it happening. And that crew would claim massive bragging rights for the rest of (their short) lives.

"Hollyvoot!"

 

[Captain Homicide]

Blowing up the Statue of Liberty again

In the excellent comic Uber by Kieron Gillen Nazi super soldiers invade the US and during their attack on various cities they turn the White House and the Statue of Liberty’s head into a swastika.

 

[NHBL]

A few shells fired into New York, Boston, Savannah, and more from subs, with a very few of them with delayed action fuses for later explosions, could cause some panic, especially if they hit something of sentimental value, and/or multiple attacks at the same time could have some interesting effects.

Or put a few dedicated saboteurs (who don't proceed to give themselves up) to set the occasional bomb here and there--not often, but every so often, something goes BOOM. Perhaps it's a train station, perhaps it's a parking lot, the statue of liberty...be unpredictable.

 

[general]

Wasn't there a plan in 1945 for a sub to tow some form of V2 to launch at New York? I seem to remember reading about it years ago. Though, how realistic it would be...?

 

[Malone]

A few shells fired into New York, Boston, Savannah, and more from subs, with a very few of them with delayed action fuses for later explosions, could cause some panic, especially if they hit something of sentimental value, and/or multiple attacks at the same time could have some interesting effects.

Or put a few dedicated saboteurs (who don't proceed to give themselves up) to set the occasional bomb here and there--not often, but every so often, something goes BOOM. Perhaps it's a train station, perhaps it's a parking lot, the statue of liberty...be unpredictable.

What amount of causalities could be expected from something like that? I feel anything above 1,000 would set off a societal panic out of proportion to its real world miliary impacts.

Pearl Harbor and Hawaii in general, despite being a part of the US still likely seemed foreign and distant to most Americans in 1941.

 

[gladiator8085]

Wasn't there a plan in 1945 for a sub to tow some form of V2 to launch at New York? I seem to remember reading about it years ago. Though, how realistic it would be...?

Rocket U-boat - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

For what its worth according to the Wiki link there were plans but apparently they never got off the drawing board. Thankfully!!

 

[NHBL]

What amount of causalities could be expected from something like that? I feel anything above 1,000 would set off a societal panic out of proportion to its real world miliary impacts.

Pearl Harbor and Hawaii in general, despite being a part of the US still likely seemed foreign and distant to most Americans in 1941.

I don't think it would take even a thousand. Just headlines like "New York Shelled!" or "Boston bombarded!" would do some damage

 

[Captain Homicide]

According to Speer Hitler did fantasize about seeing New York City in flames.

 

[Malone]

According to Speer Hitler did fantasize about seeing New York City in flames.

We can probably hazard a few guesses as to why Hitler hated New York so much...

 

[Pax_Nihil]

Secret agents who have absolute dedication to the Nazi ideology and biological weapons (ideally like weaponized rinderpest, stem rust if possible it doesa good job fucking with us already, and of course anthrax).

 

[athgtq16129]

Secret agents who have absolute dedication to the Nazi ideology and biological weapons (ideally like weaponized rinderpest, stem rust if possible it doesa good job fucking with us already, and of course anthrax).

This reminds me of that part in The Death of Russia, where the Fascist faction trained and hired the most fanatical and extreme racists to pilot the bombers carrying nukes to annihilate the non-Slavic regions of former Russia, so much so that there was an incident of a rogue pilot who had to be restrained and arrested, because he wanted to start the nuclear genocide immediately, before it was intended to begin.

 

[Pax_Nihil]

This reminds me of that part in The Death of Russia, where the Fascist faction trained and hired the most fanatical and extreme racists to pilot the bombers carrying nukes to annihilate the non-Slavic regions of former Russia, so much so that there was an incident of a rogue pilot who had to be restrained and arrested, because he wanted to start the nuclear genocide immediately, before it was intended to begin.

Crazy people can do a lot of damage if they are disciplined and pointed in the right (wrong...?) direction.

 

[Dorknought]

...commandos landing with light arms and some ammeewwwse3rrrryh

Yeah but the ammeeewwwwse3rrrryh was napkinwaffe that was never going to get off the drawing board.

 

[YYJ]

Most Nazi agents that made it to the west seemed to defect or surrender right away, or take their suitcase of cash and go out on the town.

Even if Germany did manage to get a rocket U-boat into range of New York or Washington DC, unless they had an ammeewwwse3rrrryh as a warhead, the effect would be minimal and essentially useless, other than for pure propaganda value.

 

[Gabingston]

A few shells fired into New York, Boston, Savannah, and more from subs, with a very few of them with delayed action fuses for later explosions, could cause some panic, especially if they hit something of sentimental value, and/or multiple attacks at the same time could have some interesting effects.

Or put a few dedicated saboteurs (who don't proceed to give themselves up) to set the occasional bomb here and there--not often, but every so often, something goes BOOM. Perhaps it's a train station, perhaps it's a parking lot, the statue of liberty...be unpredictable.

Nazis: Bomb east coast U.S. cities.
Americans:

 

[YYJ]

Nazis: Bomb east coast U.S. cities.
Americans:
View attachment 857828

Sure, It would provoke a reaction. But how much more could the US do, compared to what they were already doing? I am thinking of the effect of the occasional V-2 falling out of the sky on the US east coast, most likely on an empty field half the time, compared to daily 1000 bomber raids on German industry and cities.
Edit:
Maybe US ground crews could chalk nastier messages on the bombs they were loading onto 8th Air Force planes.

 

[AHFan]

If I am not mistaken, German U-boats attacked ships just off the US eastern seaboard days after Pearl Harbor. This attack, may have been the most impact the German Wehrmacht could have had. The only other alternative, as others here have pointed out, would involve agents engaged in terrorist acts within the continental US.