The Battle of the Atlantic started off on the very first day of the Second World War in the year 1939.It was the longest and the most complex naval war that was fought in World War II to take control over the Atlantic Sea. It continued until 1945 and ended with the defeat of Nazi Germany.The Battle of the Atlantic was fought between the Allied forces and the Axis powers. The Allied forces comprised Great Britain, France, USSR, and the USA, while Germany and Italy were the Axis powers. Both these forces aimed at controlling the Atlantic Sea routes, which used to be the major supply route of arms and other goods. The Royal Navy was responsible for guarding these sea routes to maintain the smooth flow of imported supplies to the United Kingdom.The war was initiated after the sinking of the British ship, SS Athenia, on September 3, 1939, by a German submarine. More than 1,400 people, including crew members and passengers on board, were injured, with 118 being killed.These German submarines, also called U boats, were the main threat to Allied ships. These U boats carried torpedoes and other underwater missiles, which they aimed at Allied convoys, thereby impacting these ships catastrophically. These missiles damaged more than 500,000 tons (500 million kg) of cargo in June 1941.On September 16, 1939, a transatlantic convoy of the war sailed for the first time from Halifax, Canada, to the United Kingdom. British and Canadian navies escorted these ships along with two Destroyers, called HMCS St. Laurent and HMCS Saguenay.Typically, a convoy comprised 40 ships with four ships in 10 columns. Warships escorted the outer flanks with tankers and ammunition.Merchant ships had no safe sea route to travel because of the heavy damage inflicted on the naval crew by German U boats. As a result, the Allied forces waged war against the German surface raiders.The Royal Canadian Navy, along with the Canadian Airforce, attacked German battleships with the massive Canadian Destroyers. About 50 German ships sunk with other hefty damages, and thousands of lives were lost.The US Naval and Air Forces also sided alongside Canada and Great Britain in order to defeat the German Navy. Read on to understand the various key aspects of this war.If you are enjoying the read, then augment your knowledge with more historical facts, like the Battle of Moscow and the Battle of the Coral Sea facts, here at Kidadl.History Of The Battle Of The AtlanticGerman blockade posed a huge threat to Great Britain (which is basically a small island country) by disrupting the inflow of goods through the Atlantic Ocean route. After capturing the Low Countries (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) in the summer of 1940, the Axis powers gained immense momentum and aimed to take over the Atlantic route. Britain lost the French ships, and thus, they were compelled to travel through the long route around the Cape of Good Hope. This resulted in a reduced cargo-carrying capacity of British merchant ships, which caused an enormous loss. Further, the Germans captured the naval and air bases on the Atlantic east coast and imperiled the Allied forces.Utilizing German U boats, they were successful in defeating western Europe, and by the end of 1940, German warships and air power were also launched. In spite of the combined strike by U boats, surface, and air forces, Britain did not surrender to the Axis powers. The flourishing Canadian Naval and Air Forces sided with Britain, who launched a transatlantic convoy along with escort Destroyers in the summer of 1941.The United States played a crucial role in the Atlantic War. They officially became a part of World War II after handing more than 50 destroyers of the First World War to Britain, who previously suffered from huge naval losses due to U boat attacks. In return, Britain rendered 99-year leases for their base to the US at various places, including the Caribbean, Newfoundland, and Bermuda. Canada also utilized Newfoundland to build its bases. The Americans became completely engaged by the end of 1941 in escorting the British and Canadian merchant shipping in the south Atlantic ocean. Further, they assisted the Royal Navy of Britain and the Canadian Navy in resisting the U boat peril.In the meantime, U boats were engaged in a war with Russia and thus, were drawn off to the Arctic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The Allied struggle against the enemy submarines resulted in successful defeats of German U boat sailors for the time being.Despite the tremendous resistance, the Germans were not ready to accept defeat in the naval battle. Instead, they started constructing more U boats and launched another attack on the Atlantic coast or the US east coast. This time, the Americans failed to protect their merchant ship from U boats. Eventually, in 1942, the US merchant shipping losses reached their peak within just six months.The south Atlantic sea routes to Asia and the Middle East also faced the U boat threat, and the merchant ship threat returned. During the years 1942 and 1943, supplies came to the Allied forces through the submarines. Furthermore, the Allied forces bound for Russian ports had to undergo extensive fights to make their way out.The Significance Of The Battle Of The AtlanticThe Battle of the Atlantic is an extremely significant chapter in the Second World War. The Allied forces valiantly fought against the German troops and secured the Atlantic sea routes. Even after facing a major defeat by U boat attacks, Canadian and American forces expanded their military base. With burgeoning naval and air forces in the year 1942, Canadians were able to continue the fight against these German U boats. They were able to establish convoys for the first time in South America and were followed by the American Naval Force. Advanced equipment strengthened the Allied power during 1942.This advancement of the Allied forces compelled the Germans to come back again, and thus, another round of the war of the Atlantic began by late 1942, which continued for a period of six months. During this time, the Allied powers developed a series of technologies that helped them to tap German communications. The Allied intelligence project named Ultra helped them to understand highly encrypted German codes, which eventually resulted in their victory. However, the project Ultra suffered a temporary failure in March 1942, which resulted in great German successes at that time. Several Allied convoys were sighted, and most of them were attacked. This was described as a happy time for the Germans.In January 1943, at the Casablanca Conference, decisions were taken by the Allied leaders to launch naval and aircraft carriers into the north Atlantic Ocean. More technologies were discovered by the Allied powers to combat the U boats. The early form of sonar, Asdic, was improved to detect signals underwater. They further developed radars with short wavelengths that led to the launch of shipborne radar. U boats were easily detected using the radio transmissions of the Huff-Duff or the high-frequency direction-finding equipment. They also developed various ways of launching air-depth bombs, including the Hedgehog and the Squid, which were capable of launching depth charges up to 300 yds (274.3 m) from a ship. All these new techniques contributed to the successful anti-submarine warfare in the north Atlantic against these German U boats, which eventually resulted in the defeat of Germany in May 1943.This Battle of the Atlantic is of paramount importance. It resulted in the defeat of Nazi Germany and established control over the Atlantic Ocean by the Allied forces. More than 100 convoys participated in this war, with thousands of casualties. It is regarded as the most complex and the longest battle in history. Further, this naval battle was initiated at the very beginning of the Second World War, and it continued until the end. For the first time, successful coordination between naval and air forces was witnessed by the world. Technological advancements and weaponry developments took place during this time. The turning point in this battle was when German submarines were destroyed in large numbers during May 1943, and therefore this month is regarded as Black May.What would have happened if Germany had been more successful in the Battle of the Atlantic?If Germany’s efforts proved to be a success in the Battle of the Atlantic, then Britain would have lost control over the Atlantic Ocean. Britain was totally dependent on the Atlantic Ocean for its military and food supplies. Without the assistance of the United States and Canada, Britain would have starved completely. In such a scenario, Britain perhaps could have been compelled to make peace with Nazi Germany in order to get the smooth inflow of their supplies.Another scenario might have been possible if Germany had been more successful in the Battle of the Atlantic. With Britain losing the battle, Germany would not have had to put up a duel fight with the Soviet Union and the Allied powers at the same time. The Germans were engaged with the Soviets in the Battle of Moscow from 1941 to 1942. With Britain getting out of the picture, the Germans would have concentrated more on the Russian front. Such a circumstance would have made it a bit more difficult for the Soviets to win the Battle of Moscow.A much more likely possibility with Britain losing the Battle of the Atlantic is that the United States and Canada would have experienced extreme difficulty in winning the battle without Britain. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom was fully engaged throughout the war alongside the American and Canadian forces. America would not have gained launch bases to prepare for the D-Day operation.What strategies did the Allies use to eventually win the Battle of the Atlantic?Several strategies were adopted by the Allied powers that eventually made them win. They improved older technologies and created new ones.The Allied powers came up with an intelligence project, Ultra, that was responsible for tapping into highly sensitive German communications. They were able to decipher these codes and understand the next attack schedules of Germany. Also, the Asdic sonar was improved along with the invention of other advanced radars with short wavelengths, which helped the Allies to resist U boat attacks. The radio transmissions of the Huff-Duff equipment helped in the better detection of the location of U boats.The Allies also created numerous air-depth bombs, like the Hedgehog and the Squid and other powerful missiles. Furthermore, the newly escorted aircraft carriers, along with the flawless cooperation of the naval and the air force, made them come out victorious in the battle. They also adopted aggressive strategies and launched several attacks, including a guerrilla campaign on the German forces. This offensive play helped them overcome the Nazi threat. However, the Germans showcased outstanding valor against the western combined forces. The then British prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill, admitted that the U boat threats had frightened him during the war.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 21 Battle of the Atlantic facts that will surely amaze you then why not take a look at are manatees aggressive: deep diving into a manatee’s temperament or 145 Niagara Falls facts that will amaze you about this wonder.
The Battle of the Atlantic started off on the very first day of the Second World War in the year 1939.
