Due to American support for British convoys, Donitz had been itching to strike at the “American power”. Although the United States was politically neutral, but its military aid towards the British was viewed by Germany as an increasingly hostile act. The U.S. established several neutrality zones, extending over much of the Atlantic, within which American escorts guarded both British and neutral merchants. American escorts generally did not attack the U-boats they encountered but would broadcast their locations to warn British convoys.
Though neither side was eager to engage in open hostilities, increasing American support of British convoys had led to several clashes. It was difficult for U-boats to distinguish between American and British or Canadian vessels, especially at night or in bad weather. On October 31, 1941, U-552 commanded by KL Erich Topp misidentified the USS Reuben James, sinking the ship in the mid-Atlantic. The Reuben James was the first American naval vessel sunk during the war.
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