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Warfare History

20 Lesser-Known Events That Shaped World War II

Darren June 20, 2025 8 min
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11. The Greer Incident

11. The Greer Incident
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons.

In September 1941, the USS Greer became the first U.S. Navy ship to engage in hostilities with a German U-boat, well before America’s formal entry into World War II. This confrontation led President Roosevelt to issue the “shoot-on-sight” order, pushing the United States closer to open conflict with the Axis powers.

Written by
Darren

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