Research Project Aruba in WWII

Aruba is likely one of the last things that comes to mind when you think of WWII. Even still, the tiny island played a major role in the war. According to my research, the largest way Aruba contributed to the war efforts is by providing oil to the allied powers. At the time of WWII, the Lago Oil Refinery was one of the largest sources of refined oil and gas in the world. This made the island a great resource for the allies and a large target for the axis powers. The Lago Oil Refinery fueled the planes and ships of the allies and provided the resources needed to win the war.

Another way the island helped with the war was by defending the Caribbean from the Germans. One way they did this was by destroying a German ship and arresting its crew shortly after the Germans invade the Netherlands, the country that Aruba belongs to. This boat sunk to the bottom of the harbor and is still there today to be explored by scuba divers. The Arubans also helped fend off an attack on the island and the oil refinery with the help of American troops and weapons. The island was attacked by the German submarine U-156. The submarine fired torpedoes at ships in the harbor and shot at the refinery with its light weaponry. The submarine eventually fell back and Aruba managed to escape with small damages and a few new shipwrecks around the island.

An interesting fact I discovered during my research was that Aruba was saved from extreme destruction during WWII because of two lucky events. The first event was a mistake made by the Germans on the U-156 submarine. The submarine was initially outfitted with heavy firepower that could be used on the refinery, except when they went to fire their heavy artillery it exploded because one of the crew members forgot to remove the plug at the end of the weapon. This forced the submarine to use its smaller guns to fire upon the refinery saving it from greater destruction. The second event saved most of the island from complete destruction. A sip that was supposed to set sail just before the attack never actually left the safety of the harbor as its crew members wanted to get coffee before the trip. This ship was filled with 3000 tons of dynamite and if the crew members had not stopped to get coffee, the ship likely would have set sail and been destroyed by the Germans, and the resulting blast from the dynamite would have caused unimaginable damage to the island.

The next thing I plan to research is the effects of the oil industry on the economy of Aruba. For years oil was the main source of jobs and income for the island. The oil industry is a huge part of the history of Aruba as it brought money, jobs, cultural influences, and greater recognition to the island. I believe that this would be a very important topic to research to gain a greater understanding of Arubas culture and history.

Sources:

• Bongers, Evert. Aruba and World War II, Setar NV, 2007, www.historiadiaruba.aw/index.php?Itemid=26&id=12&option=com_content&task=view&lang=en#:~:text=Tiny%20Aruba%20has%20played%20an%20important%20role%20in,to%20defend%20and%20for%20the%20Germans%20to%20attack.