Stille, Mark / Laurier, Jim Battle of the Atlantic (1). The U-Boat Campaign against Britain, 1939-41.

When the fighting broke out in September 1939, neither the British Royal Navy nor the German Kriegsmarine were prepared for another war in the North Atlantic. Having defeated the U-boats in the First World War, the Royal Navy was confident that it would be successful this time too. However, this quickly proved to be an illusion, as neither the available forces nor the tactics were sufficient. The Germans were even less prepared and only had a small number of submarines, most of which dated back to the First World War. Respected naval historian Mark Stille examines the battle between the Allied naval and air forces and the German submarines in the first 15 months of the war. The Germans attempted to win a war of tonnage against Allied shipping, with well-trained and bold submarine commanders achieving some brilliant successes. However, the lack of submarines and torpedo problems prevented the Germans from suffering devastating losses, although it was impossible for the British to protect all shipping, mainly due to a lack of escorts. With maps, diagrams, photographs and stunning images of battle scenes, this book brings the weapons, personalities and tactics of the opposing sides to life in a unique and captivating way.