The USS Kearny, a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy, was on anti-submarine patrol in the North Atlantic when it encountered the German U-boat U-568 on October 17, 1941. The attack took place approximately 150 miles west of the Azores. The U-boat fired torpedoes at the Kearny, striking it and causing significant damage. While the ship suffered casualties and was forced to adjust its operations, it successfully returned to port in the United States. This attack was particularly notable as it was the first time a U.S. Navy ship was torpedoed by a U-boat during World War II, illustrating the increasing dangers in the Atlantic Ocean as German submarines aggressively targeted Allied shipping.The Kearny's ordeal was part of a broader context of escalating maritime conflict between Germany and the United States, which had remained officially neutral but was increasingly drawn into the war due to the German U-boat campaign. The U.S. was already providing support to Allied nations through the Lend-Lease program, and this incident served to heighten awareness of the war's proximity to American shores. The event reflected a tipping point, as it showcased the vulnerabilities of the U.S. Navy in this theater and indicated that American naval operations would face persistent threats from German submarines.In the aftermath, the attack on the USS Kearny prompted discussions within the U.S. government and military about the necessity of greater naval protection for merchant vessels. This incident was crucial in shifting public sentiment towards more direct involvement in the war, foreshadowing greater military engagements following the direct attacks on Pearl Harbor in December of that year. In many ways, Kearny's experience at the hands of U-568 foreshadowed the aggressive submarine warfare tactics that would define much of the naval conflict in the Atlantic throughout the ensuing years of World War II.