Twenty-Nine Innings at Al Lang Stadium
June 12, 2026
On June 17, 1942, four German saboteurs came ashore Florida’s Ponte Vedra Beach as part of one of the most audacious espionage missions carried out on American soil during World War II.
The men had arrived by German U-boat (pictured) carrying explosives, detonators, and cash. Their objective was to join four other operatives who had landed on Long Island, New York, five days earlier. Together, the eight men planned to attack critical American infrastructure, including power plants, bridges, rail facilities, factories, and water systems.
The operation, known as Operation Pastorius, relied on carefully selected agents who had previously lived in the United States. They received specialized sabotage training in Germany and were taught how to blend into American society.
The plot unraveled almost immediately. After the Long Island landing, a Coast Guardsman discovered evidence of the operation. Soon afterward, one of the saboteurs, George Dasch, decided to betray the mission and contacted the FBI. His information led to the arrest of all eight men before any attacks could occur.
A secret military tribunal convicted the group. Six were executed in August 1942, while Dasch and fellow defector Ernst Burger received prison sentences that were later commuted.