The Battle of the Atlantic
One of the greatest naval battles fought during WWII
About the Battle of the Atlantic
Why did the Battle of the Atlantic Start?
Why did the Battle of the Atlantic Start? Pt.2
The Result of the Battle
Why Was This Battle Significant to Canada
Why Was This Battle Significant to Canada Pt.2
Canada had been given the responsibility to cover 2 key points in the Atlantic that would aid in them in the war. The first one is the "Mid-Atlantic Gap". It was located of the coast of Greenland, which was used as a fueling station for Canada. This gap was used as a supply line but was very hostile and hard to take control of. Since Greenland was a fueling station and Canada was to the west, the gap was narrowed down to 300 nautical miles (560 km).
Operation Overlord
This was the the second point that Canada was responsible for holding, this battle is also known as "The Normandy Invasion". On June 6th, 50 RCN (Royal Canadian Navy) ships were deployed from Canada to help cover the flanks of the invasion and to ensure to have submarine defense in the invasion. They were also to provide distant patrols and prevent submarine flotillas from getting reinforcements. The whole invasion relied on the RCN to cover the flanks of the British and Americans to ensure a successful landing on the beach.
"Canadians solved the problem of the Atlantic convoys" – British Admiral Sir Percy Noble
Mid-Atlantic Gap
Atlantic Ocean
Operation Overlord
What Canada's Efforts Resulted In
Interesting Facts
- Germans used a technique called the Wolf Pack, where one U-Boat would be targeted by the Allies and the other U-Boats sneak up behind it and sink it
- The Allies used new special underwater bombs called "Hedgehogs"
- Winston Churchill first called it the "Battle of the Atlantic" in 1941.
- Winston Churchill once wrote "... the only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril'. If Hitler has won the Battle of the Atlantic, Great Britain would have been out of the war and Germany's efforts elsewhere may well have turned out quite differently."