Since the end of the summer of 1914, several European countries had been drawn into what history would come to recognize as the First World War.

Portugal initially maintained a neutral stance, but on February 17, 1916, the British government invoked its longstanding alliance and urged the Portuguese government to requisition all enemy ships docked in its ports. These ships would be used to meet the needs of Portuguese maritime navigation.

There was significant political and public support for joining the war, partly to defend Portugal’s colonial interests. On February 23, 1916, following British recommendations, the Portuguese government seized all German ships sheltered in Portuguese ports.

Germany responded on March 9, 1916, declaring war on Portugal, stating that the seizure of its ships was a provocation and that it was now “in a state of war with the Portuguese government.”

By that time, German submarine warfare was already active in disrupting Allied shipping across the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. With Portugal's entry into the war, the port of Ponta Delgada in the Azores became a direct target for German military strategy.

Ponta Delgada had already been functioning as a resupply point for American ships, but after the United States entered the war in April 1917, this role became even more critical—especially for emergency repairs of vessels crossing the Atlantic.

Shortly after, and in coordination with the Portuguese government, the United States began constructing the Mid-Atlantic Naval Base on São Miguel Island. This facility would later be visited by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy and future U.S. President. The base housed around 200 U.S. Marines, under the command of Rear Admiral Herbert Dunn, and also hosted a submarine detachment and a hydroplane squadron.

The Attack on July 4, 1917

Desperate over the strategic setbacks, the Germans launched a symbolic but alarming attack on Ponta Delgada. In the early hours of July 4, 1917, the city was bombarded by the German submarine U-155.

The Diário dos Açores newspaper reported the event on its front page under the headline “Alarming Dawn”:

“At 4:40 AM, the entire population of the city and its outskirts was alarmed by a violent cannonade, with many rushing into the streets to discover the cause. It was soon confirmed that the city had been visited by a large enemy submarine, armed with two cannons…”

The American coal transport ship SS Orion, which was in the port at the time, responded to the attack:

“Immediately following the first shots, the American steamship Orion returned fire. The intensity and accuracy of its shots forced the submarine to withdraw.”

According to the Lisbon newspaper A Capital:

“The German submarine fired eight large shells at the city, two of which fell on the outskirts in Fajã de Cima, causing damage.”

Ilustração Portugueza later added:

“On July 4, a large German submarine bombarded Ponta Delgada and its outskirts with 15-centimeter shells, killing one woman and injuring four people in Fajã de Cima. Fire was returned by the artillery installed on the high ground at Mãe de Deus and by the American transport ship Orion, which was in the port.”

Aftermath and Strategic Importance

Though the casualties and damage were limited, the attack had deep symbolic significance. It underscored the Azores' geostrategic value in the Atlantic theater of war. The response from both land batteries and the Orion helped prevent greater damage, and the submarine eventually withdrew after about 20 minutes, though it continued sporadic shelling as it left.

The incident triggered heightened alarm among the local population, and Portuguese naval units began visiting the port more frequently as a precaution.

In gratitude, the Ponta Delgada City Council initiated a public fundraising campaign to present a gift to the commander of the Orion:

“To recognize the heroic support given during the German submarine attack of July 4, 1917, the City Council of Ponta Delgada opened a public subscription to purchase a gift for the valiant commander of the American war transport ship Orion.”

This episode revealed the strategic relevance of the Azores, particularly Ponta Delgada, which from then on served not only as a logistical hub for American ships but also as a base for creating an exclusion zone against German submarines in the Atlantic.

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