In early 1942, several Axis submarines patrolled the southern Caribbean with the objective of attacking Allied convoys and disrupting the oil operations.

the commander had coordinated an attack on oil-related targets in between Aruba and Maracaibo in order to disrupt the production of aviation fuel.

At 01:31, U-156 surfaced in San Nicholas Harbor some 1.5 km (0.81 nmi; 0.93 mi) offshore and attacked the two British tankers at anchor.

Loaded with crude oil, the steamer immediately burst into flames, killing eight of her 26 crewmen and wounding her captain Herbert McCall.

[2] At this time, several Dutch sailors flocked to their small wooden patrol craft at harbor in order to get them away from the burning oil of the tankers.

[3] Commander Hartenstein then steamed further around Aruba and directed his men to take to the deck guns and prepare for a naval bombardment of the large oil tank in view.

Sixteen rounds from the 37mm AA gun were fired, but only two hits were found by the Allies: a dent in an oil storage tank and a hole in a house.

En route, U-156 was found and attacked by a Fokker F.XVIII maritime patrol aircraft of the Netherlands West Indies Defense Force which took off from Oranjestad, Aruba at 05.55 hours and dropped a number of 8 kg (18 lb) or 80 mm improvised anti-submarine bombs without achieving a hit.

Pedernales, Arkansas and Rafaela survived the encounter; although damaged or sunk, they were repaired and put back to use transporting goods for the Allied war effort.

The American Associated Press writer Herbert White was on the island during the attack along with an inspection party under Lieutenant General Frank Andrews.

The United States military, with the approval of the Dutch government, had just sent a large occupation force to guard the islands and oil refineries from Axis attacks and it now proved to be needed although Aruba was never bombarded again during the war.