world war ii european theater of operations the naval war
TRANSCRIPT
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World War II
European Theater of Operations
The Naval War
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Components of the War in Europe
The Naval War
The Air War
The Ground War
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The Naval War
The Battle of the AtlanticThe Battle of the Atlantic was a tonnage war: the Allied
struggle to maintain and the Axis struggle to cut off the shipping that enabled Britain to survive.
From 1942 onwards, the Germans also sought to prevent the build-up of Allied troops and equipment in the British Isles in preparation for the invasion of occupied Europe and to destroy all Allied navies. The defeat of the German threat was a pre-requisite for the invasion.
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The Battle for the Atlantic
Six phases:First phase - Opening moves (September 39 – Fall of
France)Second phase - “Happy Time” (June 40 – Lend Lease) Third phase - Stalemate (April 41 – Pearl Harbor) Fourth phase - Second “Happy Time” (January 42 –
destruction of PQ17)Fifth phase - Allied Advantage (August 42 – Doenitz
Withdrawal)Sixth phase - Sea lanes secured (May 43 - May 45)
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The Battle of the Atlantic
Phase One
Opening Moves
September 1939 – Fall of France
“… the only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was
the U-boat peril.”
Winston Churchill
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The Battle of the Atlantic
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The Battle of the Atlantic
Phase Two
The “Happy Time”
June 1940 – Lend Lease
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The Battle of the Atlantic
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The Battle of the Atlantic
Phase ThreeStalemate
April 1941 – Pearl Harbor
Beginning in May, 1941 the US Navy became a British ally by taking over convoy escort duties in the western Atlantic.31 October – USS Reuben James sunk by U562
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The Battle of the Atlantic
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The Battle of the Atlantic
Phase Four
The Second “Happy Time”
January 1942 - destruction of PQ17
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The Battle of the Atlantic
Phase Five: The Wind Shifts
August 1942 - April 1943ASDIC – Anti-Submarine Detection
Depth Charge Hedgehog
RADARHF/DFENIGMA/UltraLiberty ShipsB24D – Liberator
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The Battle of the Atlantic
May 1943 was the turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic.
For the first time, German U-boat losses began to outstrip Allied shipping losses.
A number of technological advances made this victory possible.
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The Battle of the Atlantic
Phase Six
The Sea Lanes Secured
May 1943 - May 1945
Combined TechnologiesReducing the Mid-Atlantic GapCentimetric RadarMerchant Aircraft CarriersHunter Killer Groups
Escort CarriersDestroyer Escorts
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The Battle of the Atlantic
Balance SheetAllied losses -
4,600 merchant ships lost (21,000,000 tons) 175 warships lost Over 30,000 sailors & merchant seamen lost
German losses - 785 of 1162 u-boats lost in action Of 49,000 officers & men - 28,00 dead; 5,000 captured
(67% casualty rate)