ad gotten off the ground. Fortunately they were able to stay flying and by 1942 they prepared for their biggest mission.On February 28, 14942, believing that CAP could be useful in stopping U-boat attacks in along the U.S. coast, Wilson was given a 90-day trial to prove his idea. Wilson set up three bases along the East coast. They were located in Atlantic City, NJ, Rehoboth Beach, DE, and West Palm Beach, FL. CAP was given a grant of $18,000 and tasked to patrol the coast and search for German U-boats. By March 10 the first U-boat was found of the coast of Cape May, NJ. Also in doing their patrols, CAP pilots were also able to radio back to the Navy and Coast Guard locations of survivors of attacks in the water for rescue. CAP only performed coastal patrols along the Eastern and Southern coasts due to flight restrictions in the west. Private aircraft could not closer than 150 miles of the west coast. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, only military and commercial aircraft were allowed near the West coast. Soon CAP started escorting ships along shipping lanes, patrolling for U-Boats and notifying the military. Later CAP would take many other missions that would be suited for them across the country.At the time of the CAPs creation it was under the control of the Office of Civilian Defense. During this time its main mission was coastal patrol along the Southern and Eastern U.S. However shortly into the start of this particular mission, March 5, 1942, the flights came under the control of the I Air Support Command, First Air Force. This later would create a loop-hole that would allow CAP pilots more involvement with the U-boats. In May before the end of the coastal patrols in August of 1943, the CAP was officially transferred to the command of the War Department where it stayed until the end of the war. The immediate command fell to the Army Air Forces, who to this day still oversees the operations of the CAP.When CA...
