The first two years of World War II had witnessed what is now being recognized as the Pearl Harbor of the Atlantic. German U-boats were attacking Allied shipping within sight of the famed bathing beaches of the Jersey Shore. Local beaches were covered with oil, and bodies washed ashore. In desperation, the U.S. government clamped down on many activities at the shore, from nighttime surf fishing to bright lights, and the mere possession of binoculars or cameras after dark was illegal.