Sand pounders? What are they? Tools for creating a sand sculpture? Some new social media? I had come across the phrase while doing some research for something I was writing that involved World War II.
The Coast Guard Beach Patrol, eventually known as Sand Pounders, began in June 1942 in response to the threat of a German coastal invasion. The three main purposes were to “detect, observe and report offshore enemy vessels; to report enemy landing attempts; and to prevent people on land from communicating with the enemy at sea.” The threat of a coastal invasion by Germany was real to American citizens. German U-boats were a threat to ships crossing the Atlantic and were detected off the Eastern Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. There was also the fear of invasion on the West Coast by the Japanese.
Coast guards would often be mounted on horses or on foot and were armed with radios and weapons. Those on horseback could cover ground more quickly and efficiently and usually work in pairs. Those on foot were often accompanied by dogs who could aid in detecting and protecting. German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers and Airedales were used, with the German Shepherd the preferred breed.
At its height, the Beach Patrol consisted of around 24,000 men who protected 2,700 miles of coastline from potential enemy invasion; the patrols ended in 1944 when preparations for the Normandy invasion began. While the Coast Guard is not often given as much mention in World War II as perhaps the other military branches, the Beach Patrol played a vital part in protecting the United States coast from enemy attack.
THE COASTAL CRONE 
Thank you for this enlightening story! I never knew this. The more I learn about WWII, the more interesting I find it. No wonder there are scholars who continue to research and write about it.
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I didn’t either! I knew about the German U-boats off the Texas coast, especially down this way, and that some were sunk, but nothing about the Beach Patrol. There are so many untold stories in history! Thanks for the friendly visit!
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Loved this piece of historic information Jo… I had not heard of this term, but then I do live in England lol.. Here we had the ‘Dad’s Army’ They were the United Kingdom’s Home Guard as the reserve volunteers kept vigil and trained local butchers and bakers and local men etc to defend if need be their homeland in case the Germans invaded. Many were not equipped with riffles.. Thankfully our shores were never breached, or this may have had a different ending..
Loved reading .. Thank you ❤
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And I didn’t know much about the UK’s Home Guard or Dad’s Army! So many stories there. I love reading about WWI and WWII there. Grateful the Germans were not able to invade either the US or UK by sea.
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So am I…. there was a comedy series here in the UK way back called Dad’s Army…. Making light of situations, rationing, and the war effort.. You should find plenty of episodes on YTube.. lol 🙂
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A terrific post, Jo. Thanks for the information on these vital contributors to our safety. 😁
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Thanks, John, it means a lot coming from you. I may do a post later on the sinking of German U-boats off the coast of Texas and Louisiana. There are so many stories to explore.
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😁 I want to hear about the u-boat sinkings
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Me, too!
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I hadn’t heard of the Sand Pounders. Even if invasion wasn’t likely, espionage was a very real possibility. My dad was born in New Orleans in 1938, and he remembers, as a little boy, hearing about U-boats near the mouth of the Mississippi. They sank 56 ships, most in the spring and summer of 1942. One U-boat was sunk, U-166, after it sank the passenger ship Robert E. Lee on June 30, 1942. U-166 was sunk by Navy boat PC-566, which had been escorting the Robert E. Lee.
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I had not hear of Sand Pounders, but had read of German U-boats being sunk off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. I may do another post and focus on the sinking of the U-boats. There were so many, I will have to focus on one. Maybe I will check out the one you mentioned that sank the Robert E. Lee.
I wanted to credit these photos but could not find anything. These two photos were found in more than one place. Any ideas? Thanks for stopping by!
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You might send them to the fellow known as Traces of Texas. He’s all about Texas history, and immensely knowledgeable; he’s written for Texas Monthly, etc. I came across him on twitter, but he also has this website. There’s contact information there, but there’s also a forum where you might find someone who knows more about the photos.
This really is fascinating. I’d never heard of the Sand Pounders; what an interesting part of our history.
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The photos were probably released by the Coast Guard to news organizations with the stipulation that the Coast Guard be referenced if the photos were republished. In all other respects I think they would have been considered in the public domain.
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I had never heard of these heroes either! Thank you for this post!
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Thank you for the visit! I hated to admit I had not heard of them either since the Coast Guard has a presence here on the coast. There were heroes guarding the coast up your way too.
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Very interesting part of history! Thanks for the info.
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You are welcome! I like finding these untold stories.
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Wow! That’s a lot of men. War, huh? Though I’m getting on in life and have seen a lot, I’ll never understand why anyone would want to start a war. All the money and resources and lives lost, injured, and displaced. And for what? Why can’t we just get along?
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No, it does not make much sense to attack over greed. It seems impossible that the was in Ukraine has been going on over a year. So many lives lost there. And we never seem to learn from war.
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I had no idea about this. Glad hearing about them motivated you to learn more and share with us.
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Sand pounders certainly had a different walk on the beach, Frank. I never heard of the beach patrols either.
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I’ve heard the expression “go pound sand” makes much more sense now!
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Yes, I have heard the phrase “pounding the pavement.” Makes sense. Thanks for stopping by!
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How interesting! I’d never heard of the beach patrol before. It’s odd how certain parts of history are preserved, and others aren’t. Thanks for sharing!
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From the comments I got, most people had not either. And I guess it was just quietly disbanded as the war neared its end. I want to do a post on the German U-boats in the Gulf of Mexico.
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That sounds interesting too!
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I had no idea! Thanks for sharing what you learned. There’s so much to uncover in history.
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And I learn so much about everything from bloggers like you! Thanks for visiting!
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Really interesting!
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Thanks for stopping by to read and comment!
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Jo Nell, I am an avid world war Two history buff. This was a fascinating read. Hope all is well with you and Bill. XXXX Virginia
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There are so many stories yet to be told. Glad you enjoyed this little tale. All ok here with us, Virginia. Grateful for another spring. Take care! Hugs!
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Wow – I didn’t know this. I was only familiar with the phrase “Go pound sand” and had no idea it had historical significance. Thanks for sharing this!
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The is a historical fiction novel about it titled “The Sand Pounders” by M. J. Evans if you ever want to check it out. I haven’t read it year. Thanks for the visit! Happy reading and reviewing,
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Thanks! Happy reading to you!
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