Home >
1943 USS Ranger sinking hoax by Germany...
1943 USS Ranger sinking hoax by Germany...
Item # 721307
April 26, 1943
THE NEW YORK TIMES, April 26, 1943
* USS Ranger (CV-4) sinking hoax by Nazis
* United States Navy aircraft carrier - WWII
The front page has a one column heading: "NAZIS SAY U-BOAT SANK U.S.S. RANGER" with subhead. (see images)
Complete with 36 pages, rag edition in great condition.
AI notes: In April 1943, German radio propaganda falsely announced that the German submarine U‑404, commanded by Otto von Bülow, had sunk the USS Ranger (CV‑4) in the North Atlantic, claiming the U‑boat had also torpedoed several other vessels. In reality, the Ranger was unharmed and continued active operations throughout 1943, including delivering aircraft to North Africa and participating in strikes against German shipping off Norway later that year. The misinformation appears to have arisen from either misidentification of a target—some sources suggest U‑404 may have attacked a British carrier by mistake—or deliberate wartime propaganda aimed at boosting German morale and undermining Allied confidence. The hoax highlights the role of false reports during wartime, demonstrating how enemy broadcasts could create confusion, while the Ranger’s continued service definitively proved the claim to be false.
Category: World War II
Available Now
$48.00
