The Battle of the Atlantic, which lasted from September 1939 until the defeat of
Germany in 1945, was the war’s longest continuous military campaign. During six
years of naval warfare, German U-boats and warships – and later Italian
submarines – were pitted against Allied convoys transporting military equipment
and supplies across the Atlantic to Great Britain and the Soviet Union. This
battle to control the Atlantic shipping lanes involved thousands of ships and
stretched across thousands of square miles of ocean.
From 1940 onwards, the German navy focused on escalating the U-boat war.
Attacking on the surface at night (where they could not be detected by Allied
sonar, or ASDIC), U-boats had great success against Allied convoys, sinking
merchant ships with torpedoes and then submerging to evade the counterattack by
escorting warships. They were also benefitting from decoded communications of
the British Admiralty. In 1941 they inflicted huge losses, sinking 875 Allied
ships.
The capture of U-110 (complete with Enigma machine and codes) in March 1941
helped the Allies track the movement of German U-boats. From April 1941, US
warships began escorting Allied convoys as far as Iceland, sparking a number of
skirmishes with U-boats. This provoked controversy as the US had not officially
entered the war. Technological developments, including radar for escorting
warship from August 1941 (which could detect a U-boat periscope at a range of
one mile) also worked in the Allies’ favor.
In 1943, advantage shifted to the Allies once again. By now, the Allies had
sufficient escort aircraft carriers and long-range aircraft to cover the
Atlantic Gap. The battle reached its peak between February and May 1943. The
‘hedgehog’ depth-charge mortar was just one innovation that was making life more
and more dangerous for U-boat crews. By ‘Black May’ of 1943, U-boat losses were
unsustainable – one quarter of their strength in one month, and almost at the
same rate as Allied shipping. U-boats were withdrawn from the Atlantic, and the
battle was won.
It is estimated that more than 100 convoy battles took place during the war. They cost
the Merchant Navy more than 30,000 men, and around 3,000 ships. The equally
lengthy cost for the Germans was 783 U-boats, and 28,000 sailors.
Germany in 1945, was the war’s longest continuous military campaign. During six
years of naval warfare, German U-boats and warships – and later Italian
submarines – were pitted against Allied convoys transporting military equipment
and supplies across the Atlantic to Great Britain and the Soviet Union. This
battle to control the Atlantic shipping lanes involved thousands of ships and
stretched across thousands of square miles of ocean.
From 1940 onwards, the German navy focused on escalating the U-boat war.
Attacking on the surface at night (where they could not be detected by Allied
sonar, or ASDIC), U-boats had great success against Allied convoys, sinking
merchant ships with torpedoes and then submerging to evade the counterattack by
escorting warships. They were also benefitting from decoded communications of
the British Admiralty. In 1941 they inflicted huge losses, sinking 875 Allied
ships.
The capture of U-110 (complete with Enigma machine and codes) in March 1941
helped the Allies track the movement of German U-boats. From April 1941, US
warships began escorting Allied convoys as far as Iceland, sparking a number of
skirmishes with U-boats. This provoked controversy as the US had not officially
entered the war. Technological developments, including radar for escorting
warship from August 1941 (which could detect a U-boat periscope at a range of
one mile) also worked in the Allies’ favor.
In 1943, advantage shifted to the Allies once again. By now, the Allies had
sufficient escort aircraft carriers and long-range aircraft to cover the
Atlantic Gap. The battle reached its peak between February and May 1943. The
‘hedgehog’ depth-charge mortar was just one innovation that was making life more
and more dangerous for U-boat crews. By ‘Black May’ of 1943, U-boat losses were
unsustainable – one quarter of their strength in one month, and almost at the
same rate as Allied shipping. U-boats were withdrawn from the Atlantic, and the
battle was won.
It is estimated that more than 100 convoy battles took place during the war. They cost
the Merchant Navy more than 30,000 men, and around 3,000 ships. The equally
lengthy cost for the Germans was 783 U-boats, and 28,000 sailors.