USCGC Icarus ( WPC - 110 ) USCGC " Icarus " ( WPC - 110 ) was a steel - hulled , diesel - powered " Thetis " - class patrol boat of the United States Coast Guard that patrolled the Eastern coast during World War II . In 1942 , " Icarus " sank the U - boat " U - 352 " off the coast of North Carolina and took its survivors into custody as prisoners of war . " U - 352 " was the second World War II U - boat sunk by the United States in American waters , and the first one from which survivors were taken . Built by Bath Iron Works of Bath , Maine , " Icarus " was delivered on March 29 , 1932 and commissioned on April 1 , 1932 . After a shakedown cruise , she reported to the New York Division ' s Special Patrol Force , where she supported the Coast Guard ' s efforts against rum - runners until Prohibition ended in 1933 , continuing after that to perform general law enforcement duties and rescue patrols . In November 1941 , with World War II nearly two years underway , the Coast Guard was transferred from the U . S . Treasury Department to the U . S . Navy . Germany declared war on the U . S . on December 11 , 1941 , and " Icarus " was rearmed and assigned to the Eastern Sea Frontier for patrol duty off the East Coast . German U - boats quickly became a serious threat on the East Coast , sinking approximately 80 ships between January and April 1942 , with U . S . defenses only managing to sink one U - boat ( ) during that period . " U - 352 " incident . While in Torpedo Alley , off the coast of Cape Lookout en route to Key West on May 9 , 1942 , " Icarus " picked up a contact on sonar , and a torpedo exploded nearby . " Icarus " anticipated the presumed U - boat ' s next move and dropped 5 depth charges at the site of the prior torpedo explosion . As sonar picked up a moving target again , " Icarus " moved to intercept , dropping two more depth charges , apparently hitting their target as bubbles were seen rising to the surface . Passing the spot again , " Icarus " dropped three more charges . Shortly thereafter , surfaced , and " Icarus " opened fire with machine guns and prepared for a ramming maneuver . When the U - boat ' s crew abandoned ship , " Icarus " ceased fire , releasing one last depth charge over " U - 352 " as it sank beneath the water . The only U - boat previously sunk on the East Coast had gone down with all hands , and there were no standing orders concerning the rescue of survivors . " Icarus " had to call both Norfolk and Charleston before receiving authorization to pick up " U - 352 ' s " survivors . Forty minutes after the incident , " Icarus " picked up 33 of its crew , including " U - 352 ' s " commander , Kapitänleutnant Hellmut Rathke , and delivered them to the Commandant of the 6th Naval District at Charleston Navy Yard the next day . For his actions in sinking " U - 352 " , Lieutenant Maurice D . Jester , commander of the " Icarus " , was awarded the Navy Cross . There were only six Coast Guard recipients of the Navy Cross during World War II . Later service . Rearmed at Norfolk Navy Yard , " Icarus " resumed her duties as a convoy escort , anti - submarine patroller and search and rescue ship . She was transferred to the 3rd Naval District for duty with the Air - Sea Rescue Service in 1945 . On October 18 , 1946 she was placed on reserve status at Stapleton , Staten Island . " Icarus " was decommissioned on March 15 , 1948 and sold on July 1 , 1948 to the Southeastern Terminal and Steamship Company . She was later transferred to the Navy of the Dominican Republic where she was renamed " Independencia " ( P - 105 , later P - 204 ) . She saw combat in the Dominican Civil War in 1965 , was rebuilt in 1975 , and was later sent to reserve . " Independencia " was still listed by " Jane ' s Fighting Ships " as part of the Dominican Navy as late as 1995 , but had been dropped from the list by the 1999 release .