42 - The Battle of the Atlantic: Chapter Two

The Second World War

The podcast episode provides a detailed overview of the Battle of the Atlantic from June 1941 to December 1941, highlighting the struggle between the Allies and German U-boats, as well as the growing involvement of the United States. This period, though marked by some Allied progress, still saw heavy losses as Germany sought to knock Britain out of the war.

1. German Strategy and Wolf Pack Tactics:

   • Germany, heavily engaged on the Eastern Front, still prioritized defeating Britain by targeting its supply lines.
   • Admiral Karl Dönitz intensified U-boat attacks, employing wolf pack tactics, where multiple U-boats coordinated nighttime attacks on Allied convoys. Escorts, when diverted to one U-boat, left the convoys vulnerable to others.

2. Allied Challenges:

   • The Allies struggled with the mid-Atlantic gap, a vast area beyond the range of aircraft, where U-boats operated with relative impunity.
   • Despite improved convoy protection by the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy, the Allies suffered significant shipping losses.

3. Significant Engagements:

   • Convoy HX 112 (June 1941): Heavy Allied losses, but the British managed to sink U-100 and U-99, capturing high-ranking German commanders.
   • Convoy SC 42 (September 1941): German U-boats sank 16 of 65 ships, but escorts destroyed 2 U-boats.
   • Convoy HG 73 (September 1941): 10 Allied ships were sunk, but 1 U-boat was destroyed.

4. Losses:

   • Germans sank 433 Allied merchant ships (approximately 2.1 million tons of shipping) during this period.
   • The Allies sank 24 U-boats, reflecting improved tactics and experience in anti-submarine warfare, but the Germans remained dominant.

5. U.S. Involvement and the Atlantic Charter:

   • Atlantic Charter (August 1941): U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill outlined eight principles for a post-war world, emphasizing freedom, self-determination, economic cooperation, and disarmament. While not a formal alliance, it signaled U.S. support for Britain.
   • American warships began escorting convoys and providing material aid, including the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. These long-range bombers helped close the mid-Atlantic gap by targeting U-boats with radar and depth charges.

6. The Balance of Power:

   • Despite Allied advancements in anti-U-boat warfare and U.S. support, the Germans were still winning the Battle of the Atlantic, inflicting severe losses on Allied shipping by the time the U.S. entered the war after Pearl Harbor.

The episode concludes with the Allies making slow progress but facing significant challenges as German U-boats continued to dominate the Atlantic.

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