Florida Boater Chases Periscope

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The story below, of a south Florida fisherman who spotted a periscope off the US coast this week, reminds me of a book I just read about Ernest Hemingway’s sub hunting adventures. German U-boats were a big fear for America during World War II and Hemingway, along with many other civilian coastal defense volunteers, helped our service patrol thousands of miles of beaches and open ocean with their private yachts and airplanes. These civilian coastal defense organizations continue to exist today, known as the USCG Auxiliary and the Civil Air Patrol. Edmond Edwards, flying an aircraft for the Civil Air Patrol, was the first of these coastal patrols to spot a Nazi U-boat and radio its position to US naval forces.

On March 10, 1942 Edwards was on a run to safeguard oil tankers en route Delaware Bay when he observed the sub and circled overhead. On sighting the plane, the sub crash-dived and headed farther out to sea. Hemingway was never as successful, and the book leads readers to believe he used sub hunting as an excuse to get away from the wife to drink, fish, and shoot. The photo above is Hemingway on his boat, giving some evidence of the book’s conclusion. Not that it’s the case here, but the incident does raise the question – Could sub hunting be making a return as a favorite pastime and duty of all Americans?

Sun Sentinel
Ryan Danoff was fishing with two friends about four miles off Hollywood Beach, FL when he spied what appeared to be a mast on the horizon. Funny thing, there was no boat underneath it.
Danoff, a Fort Lauderdale fish farmer who’s on the water at least three days a week, aimed his 31-foot center console Fishy Business at the mysterious upright and found himself eye to eye with a periscope. “It was crazy,” he said. “If it was just myself out there I wouldn’t believe what I saw.” Danoff moved closer. “It took off,” he said. Very fast, about 20 knots. The periscope sank beneath the waves, and whatever was below the surface blew its ballast, sending aloft a mighty hiccup of bubbles. After five minutes the sea lay once again undisturbed.
Danoff, 30, reported the episode to the Coast Guard. They said they’d get back to him. Coast Guard Petty Officer Barry Bena said Danoff’s information went to the proper authorities. “As of right now, they’re still looking into it,” he said.