German sailors at Hampton Roads
On Wednesday, March 14th, historian Gregory Hansard will discuss his new book “German Sailors in Hampton Roads: A World War I Story at the Norfolk Navy Yard,” at 7:00 p.m. at the Colonial Heights Public Library. Hansard traces the story of two German surface raiders that sought harbor in Hampton Roads to make repairs after sinking twenty-five merchant ships during World War I. When Allied ships prevented them from leaving, 800 German sailors took up residence at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia. There they built a miniature German village that became a major tourist attraction prior to American entry into the war. The program is sponsored by the Colonial Heights Historical Society and is free and open to the public.
