Curaçao is a small island located in the Caribbean Sea. During World War II, it was known as the Territory of Curaçao and was under Dutch control. Today, it is a mostly independent country that retains ties to the Netherlands. Curaçao was an important asset to the Allied powers during the war because it was home to petroleum refineries that produced airplane fuel. Other nearby islands like Aruba fulfilled a similar function. As a small island with limited resources to sustain its population, Curaçao depended on imports for some types of food and, crucially, fresh water.

Beginning in February 1942, German forces started attacking oil refineries and oil tankers in and around both Aruba and Curaçao; disrupting the Allies’ oil supply could have put the Axis powers in a highly advantageous position as the war moved forward. On February 16, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the oil tanker Rafaela in the Willemstad harbor in Curaçao. The same night, U-boats bombed the petroleum refinery but did limited damage. These attacks did not have any casualties, but they did threaten the safety of Curaçao’s residents and put pressure on the Allied powers to secure their resources. Families and businesses were required to put up blackout curtains to reduce the odds that they would be targeted during an air attack.