Black Tom explosion
| Black Tom explosion | |
|---|---|
| Part of United States entry into World War I | |
Black Tom pier shortly after the explosion | |
| Location | 40°41′32″N 74°03′20″W / 40.69222°N 74.05556°W Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Date | July 30, 1916 2:08:00 a.m. (EST; GMT−5) |
Attack type | Sabotage, state-sponsored terrorism |
| Deaths | 7 |
| Injured | >100 |
| Perpetrators | Imperial German agents:
|
| Motive | Deny munitions to Allied powers |
The Black Tom explosion was an act of arson by field agents of the Office of Naval Intelligence of the German Empire to destroy U.S.-made munitions awaiting shipment to the Allies during World War I. The explosions occurred on July 30, 1916, in New York Harbor, killing at least 7 people and wounding hundreds more. It also caused damage of military goods worth some $20,000,000 ($590 million in 2025 dollars). This incident, which happened before U.S. entry into World War I, also damaged the Statue of Liberty. It is one of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions in history.