THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC SEPTEMBER, 1939 – MAY, 1945

BASIC FACTS THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS MILITARY CAMPAIGN OF WWII (September 1939-May, 1945) WHERE? N.ATLANTIC S. ATLANTIC CARIBBEAN SEA GULF OF MEXICO WHO? AXIS: GERMAN KRIEGSMARINE (GERMAN NAVY ) ALLIES: ROYAL NAVY (U.K.) ROYAL NAVY (CANADA) U.S. NAVY WHAT? 100+ CONVOY BATTLES 1000 SINGLE-SHIP BATTLES

MAJOR PHASES -BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC

MAJOR ADVANCES & WEAPONS GERMANS: U-BOATS (UNTERZEEBOOT): GERMAN SUBMARINES SURFACE RAIDERS: SURFACE SHIPS USED TO ATTACK CONVOYS POCKET BATTLESHIPS: SMALLER-SIZED BATTLESHIPS USED TO ATTACK CONVOYS ENIGMA MACHINES: MESSAGE ENCODING MACHINE SCHNORKEL: SUBMARINE-MOUNTED AIR /VENTILATION DEVICE ALLIES: DESTROYERS: SMALL, FAST, AGILE WARSHIPS USED FOR CONVOY ESCORTING AND SUBMARINE HUNTING A.S.D.I.C.: ALLIED SONAR DEPTH CHARGE: PRESSURE / DEPTH DETONATED UNDERWATER EXPLOSIVE ESCORT CARRIERS: SMALL-SIZED ARICRAFT CARRIERS USED FOR SUBMARINE HUNTING M.A.C. SHIPS: MERCHANT AIRCRAFT CARRIERS HF/DF (ALSO CALLED “HUFF-DUFF”): HIGH FREQUENCY DIRECTION FINDER (RADAR) HEDGEHOG: SHIP-MOUNTED UNDERWATER EXPLOSIVE MORTAR LEIGH-LIGHT: RADAR-GUIDED AERIAL SEARCH LIGHT B-24 LIBERATOR: LONG-RANGE U.S. BOMBER USED FOR SUBMARINE HUNTING

KEY INDIVIDUALS & STRATEGY GERMANS: GRAND ADMIRAL ERICH RADER: COMMANDER, KRIEGSMARINE VICE-ADMIRAL KARL DONITZ: COMMANDER OF U-BOATS ALLIES: U.K.: ADMIRAL SIR PERCY NOBLE ADMIRAL SIR MAX HORTON U.S: ADMIRAL ERNEST KING, COMMANDER, U.S. FLEET STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES: DISRUPT/CUT OFF SUPPLIES & SHIPPING THAT ALLOWED BRITAIN TO FIGHT FORCE BRITS. TO SIGN PEACE TREATY PREVENT SECOND FRONT KEEP ATLANTIC SHIPPING LANES OPEN KEEP BRITS. SUPPLIED U.S. WANTS TO KEEP BRITS. “ALIVE” UNTIL U.S. ENTERS WAR ELIMINATE GERMAN NAVAL THREAT BEFORE EVENTUAL INVASION OF EUROPE

THE NORTH ATLANTIC & MAJOR PORTS

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AXIS: EXPERIENCED NAVAL CREWS GOOD NAVAL SHIP DESIGNS INITIATIVE / MOMENTUM AFTER GERMAN SUCCESS OF 1939 ALLIES: NUMBER OF SHIPS IMPROVING ANTI-SUBMARINE TECHNOLOGY (ex. A.S.D.I.C. sonar) AERIAL SUPREMACY AIRCRAFT CARRIERS WEAKNESSES: LACK OF AERIAL COVER LACK OF SURFACE SHIPS DISTANCE OF VOYAGE SIZE OF CONVOYS VULNERABILITY OF MERCHANT SHIPS “AIR GAP” IN ATLANTIC

VICE-ADMIRAL KARL DONITZ, KRIEGSMARINE COMMANDER OF U-BOATS

ADMIRAL ERNEST J. KING, U.S.N. COMMANDER IN CHIEF, U.S. FLEET

WINSTON CHURCHILL, BRITISH P.M. ADMIRAL SIR PERCY NOBLE, R.N.

ADMIRAL SIR MAX HORTON, ROYAL NAVY (U.K.)

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 1933-45

FDR & CHURCHILL DURING WWII

WWII WAR BOND POSTERS

COURSE OF BATTLE INITIAL BASIC TACTICS (Sept.,’39 – May,’40) GERMANS: ATTACK MERCHANT SHIPS HOW? U-BOATS, SURFACE RAIDERS, PLANES, etc. WHY? U-BOAT FLEET IS SMALL AT FIRST ALSO MINE BRITISH PORT CITIES BRITISH: “CONVOY” SYSTEM CREATED ***“ESCORT” SHIPS USED TO PROTECT CONVOYS ***DEFINE “ESCORT”: SMALLER, FASTER NAVAL SHIPS USED TO HUNT / ATTACK SUBMARINES (EX.: “DESTROYERS”) PROBLEM: CHURCHILL WANTS MORE AGGRESSIVE STRATEGY RESULT? ANTI-SUBMARINE HUNTING GROUPS FORMED AIRCRAFT CARRIER GROUPS USED TO HUNT U-BOATS PROBLEM (again): U-BOATS TOO ELUSIVE FOR A.C. GROUPS ALLIED SONAR NOT ADVANCED ENOUGH YET

ALLIED ATLANTIC CONVOY

WWII ROYAL NAVY DESTROYER

ROYAL NAVY DESTROYERS

WATCH DUTY, NORTH ATLANTIC CONVOY

GERMAN SUCCESS “THE HAPPY TIME”: JUNE, 1940-FEB., 1941 OCCUPATION OF FRANCE = DIRECT ACCESS TO ATLANTIC PORTS FOR KRIEGSMARINE EFFECT? U-BOAT RANGE INTO ATLANTIC INCREASES BRITS LOSE BIGGEST ALLY (AT THAT TIME) BRITS. HAVE TO DIVERT MORE FORCES TO MEDITERRANEAN SEA RESULT? FEWER SHIPS AVAILABLE FOR CONVOY ESCORT U-BOATS ATTACKS VERY SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLE: JUNE – OCT., 1940 = 270 ALLIED SHIPS SUNK WHY? GERMAN “WOLFPACK SYSTEM”

INTERIOR DESIGN-WWII SUBMARINE

THE WOLFPACK SYSTEM DEFINITION: ORIGIN: TACTIC: RESULT? MULTIPLE U-BOAT ATTACKS ON CONVOYS ORIGIN: GERMANS HAD DECYPHERED BRIT. NAVAL CODES MOVEMENT / LOCATION OF CONVOYS COULD BE MORE EASILY PREDICTED TACTIC: U-BOATS SPREAD OUT IN LINE ACROSS EXPECTED PATH OF CONVOY U-BOAT FIRST TO SIGHT CONVOY SIGNALS TO OTHER U-BOATS U-BOATS MOVE TO GATHER FOR ATTACK ATTACKS OFTEN MADE AT NIGHT RESULT? VERY SUCCESSFUL – BECOMES PRIMARY GERMAN ATTACK METHOD EX.: 9/21/40 – CONVOY HX 72 (42 MERCHANT SHIPS) ATTACKED 4 U-BOATS LOSSES = 11 SHIPS, 2 BADLY DAMAGED

U-BOAT STARTING ATLANTIC PATROL

U-BOAT OFFICERS ON OBSERVATION DECK

WORLD WAR II GERMAN U-BOAT “SCHNORKEL”

U-BOAT DURING ATTACK ON CONVOY

U-BOAT CREWMEN AFTER RETURN FROM LONG-RANGE PATROL

U-BOAT CREWMEN CELEBRATE SUCCESSFUL HUNT

GERMAN U-BOAT ACE, OTTO KRETSCHMER 47 SHIPS SUNK 274,333 TONS OF SHIPPING

U-BOAT “PENS”, La ROCHELLE, FRANCE

U-BOAT “REFITTING”, La ROCHELLE, FRANCE

SURFACE RAIDERS DEFINE: SURFACE SHIPS (naval and disguised merchant ships) USED TO ATTACK CONVOYS USED MOSTLY FROM LATE 1940 – EARLY 1942 NOMRALLY OPERATED IN GROUPS OF 2-3 TYPES OF SURFACE RAIDERS: “POCKET BATTLESHIPS” (smaller, less heavily armed naval versions of full-scale battleships) FULL SIZED BATTLESHIPS (ex. BATTLESHIP BISMARCK) ARMED MERCHANT SHIPS GERMAN BATTLESHIPS WERE BOTH FAST & HAD EXCELLENT NAVAL ARTILLERY (“GUNNERY”) EX.: BATTLE OF THE DENMARK STRAIT, May 1941 BISMARCK SINKS H.M.S. HOOD 1415 KIA ON H.M.S HOOD, 3 SURVIVORS SURFACE RAIDER THREAT EFFECTIVELY ENDS W/ SINKING OF BISMARCK, May 1941 2200 KIA ON BISMARCK, 100 P.O.W.

GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIP GRAF SPEE

GERMAN SURFACE RAIDER

GERMAN BATTLESHIP BISMARCK

BATTLESHIP BISMARCK

BISMARCK FIRING SALVO AT H. M. S. HOOD, BATTLE OF THE DENMARK STRAIT BISMARCK FIRING SALVO AT H.M.S. HOOD, BATTLE OF THE DENMARK STRAIT MAY 27, 1941

ROYAL NAVY (U.K.) SEAPLANES, WWII FLEET AIR ARM

STANDARD WWII NAVAL RANGE FINDER

ROYAL NAVY SAILORS USING RANGER FINDER, WORLD WAR II

ROYAL NAVY BATTLESHIP H.M.S. HOOD

HMS HOOD(R) EXPLODES AFTER BEING HIT BY BISMARK’S SHELLS

EXPLOSION & SINKING OF H.M.S. HOOD, Sat., May 24, 1941

ROYAL NAVY (U.K.)“SWORDFISH” TORPEDO PLANE

BATTLESHIP BISMARCK SINKING BY HER STERN, MAY 30, 1941

WRECKAGE OF BISMARCK ON FLOOR OF NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

ALLIED ADVANCES SONAR: “A.S.D.I.C.” ALLIED SUBMARINE DETECTION INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE USED BY DESTROYERS TO FIX U-BOAT LOCATION BEFORE ATTACK BEGAN M.A.C.s: MERCHANT AIRCRAFT CARRIERS MERCHANT SHIPS CONVERTED INTO CATAPULT-LAUNCHING AIRCRAFT CARRIERS “HEDGEHOG”: SHIP-MOUNTED, MULTIPLE WARHEAD, ANTI-SUB MORTAR LAUNCHER “LEIGH-LIGHT”: AIRCRAFT-MOUNTED, RADAR OPERATED SEARCHLIGHT HF/DF (“HUFF-DUFF”) – HIGH FREQUENCY, DIRECTION FINDER; RADAR SYSYEM USED TO LOCATE U-BOATS

DEPTH CHARGE HEDGEHOG

DEPTH CHARGE ATTACK

ALLIED AERIAL ATTACK ON U-BOAT

LEIGH-LIGHT ATTACK ON U-BOAT

OPERATION DRUMBEAT JAN. – JUNE, 1942 WHAT? EXTENSION OF U-BOAT ATTACKS TO N. AMERICAN COAST & MED. SEA CAUSES? ALLIED SUCCESSES IN MID/LATE 1941 U.S. ENTERS WAR AFTER PEARL HARBOR ATTACK GERMANS HAVE TO CHANGE TACTICS RESULTS: GERMANS ATTACK U.S. COAST SUCCESS – MERCHANT SHIPS HEAVILY TARGETED 157,000 TONS OF SHIPPING SUNK U.S. FORCED TO USE CONVOYS W/ BRITS. & CANADA

ALLIES GAIN THE UPPER HAND WHY? IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS MORE ACCURATE ANTI-SUB. ATTACKS GROWING INVOLVEMENT OF… U.S. NAVY CANADIAN ROYAL NAVY U.S. ENTRY INTO WAR (& MILITARY POWER & SUPPLIES ) U-BOAT LOSSES INCREASE (ESPECIALLY AFTER MID-1942) “BLACK MAY”, MARCH – MAY, 1943 SERIES OF VISCIOUS BATTLES IN N. ATLANTIC MARCH – MAY = 70 U-BOATS SUNK DONITZ HALTS U-BOAT OPS. IN N. ATLANTIC BATTLE OF ATLANTIC IS NOW IN ALLIES FAVOR

WHY THE ALLIES WON ALLIED TECHNOLOGY BEGAN TO… IMPROVE AND… BEGAN TO SIMULTANEOUSLY EFFECT U-BOATS INCREASED ALLIED RESOURCES (Ships, Aircraft, Aircraft Carriers, Anti-Sub. Weapons, etc.) MORE AERIAL SUCCESS (Long-Range Planes, Escort Carriers, Leigh-Light, etc.) THE “AIR GAP” IS CLOSED DECODING OF GERMAN ENIGMA MACHINE MESSAGES EFFECT? INCREASE IN U-BOAT LOSSES THE GERMANS CAN’T REPLACE RESULTS? GERMANS FAIL TO STRANGLE SUPPLIES TO BRITAIN BRITAIN BECOMES FOCUS OF BUILD-UP FOR INVASION OF EUROPE 2-FRONT WAR WILL HAPPEN (AFTER GERMANS INVADE RUSSIA)

AUGUST, 1942 – MAY, 1943

Grumman F-4-F Fighters on deck of U.S.S. Santee

GRUMMAN F-4-F “WILDCAT” FIGHTER,U.S.NAVY

GRUMMAN TBF “AVENGER” TORPEDDO PLANE, U.S.NAVY

TBF “AVENGERS” IN FORMATION AVEBGERS IN CARRIER LAUNCH

GERMAN ENIGMA MACHINE

CASUALTIES & FINAL TOLL ALLIES: 30,248 KIA / LOST AT SEA** 3500 MERCHANT SHIPS SUNK 175 NAVAL SHIPS SUNK 14.5 MILLION TONS OF SUPPLIES LOST **SOME SOURCES CLAIM MUCH HIGHER TOTAL (50,000+) GERMANS: 25,870 KIA OUT OF TOTAL FORCE OF 40,900 5000 POW 696 U-BOATS SUNK / DESTROYED OUT OF TOTAL U-BOAT FORCE OF 830 CASUALTY RATE: HIGHEST CASUALTY RATE FOR ANY BRANCH OF ANY MILITARY FORCE OF ANY NATION IN WWII 63% FATAL 75% OVERALL

“THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY FRIGHTENED ME DURING THE WAR WAS THE U-BOAT PERIL…IT DID NOT TAKE THE FORM OF FLARING BATTLES AND GLITTERING ACHIEVEMENTS – IT MANIFESTED ITSELF THROUGH STATISTICS, DIAGRAMS, AND CURVES UNKNOWN TO THE NATION, AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.” WINSTON CHURCHILL

DISCUSSION QUESTION WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE EFFECT IF THE GERMANS, NOT THE ALLIES, HAD WON THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC?