<Li> On 26 January 1938, in what was known as the Allison incident, John M. Allison, at the time consul at the American embassy in Nanking, was struck in the face by a Japanese soldier . Even though the Japanese apologized formally on 30 January (after the Americans demanded they do so), this incident, together with the looting of American property in Nanking that took place at the same time, further strained relations between Japan and the United States, which had already been damaged by the Panay incident less than two months earlier . </Li> <Li> On 3 September 1939 SS Athenia was the first British liner to be torpedoed and sunk after Britain declared war on Germany, by U-30 . Total casualties were 112, including 28 US citizens . </Li> <Li> On 21 April 1940 the first American military death in the European Theatre occurred during the German invasion of Norway . Military attaché Captain Robert M. Losey was killed during a German bombardment of Dombås while assisting with the evacuation of U.S. embassy personnel and others to Sweden . </Li> <Li> On 4 September 1941 during the "Greer Incident" the destroyer USS Greer was fired upon with torpedoes by U-652 . </Li>

What was the united states first action after joining the war