Hitler's submarines posed a serious threat to Britain during the Second World War, jeopardising both its survival and the possibility of defeating Germany. Britain needed over a million tonnes of imports each week to wage war, but Allied shipping losses were devastating. In June 1940, enemy submarines sank 284,113 tonnes of Allied ships, a figure that rose to 352,407 tonnes by October, while the Kriegsmarine lost only eight submarines during the same period. Losses peaked in mid-1942, when 124 ships were sunk in June, while German submarine losses remained minimal. Replacement ships could not keep pace with the mounting losses, and the Allies' situation became increasingly precarious. The battle against the U-boats became a massive effort. Jak P. Mallmann Showell's book examines this battle in detail, focusing on the tactics, technologies and innovations of the Allies. Key strategies included radar, the breaking of the Enigma code and the convoy system to combat German wolf packs. Allied aircraft successfully drove the U-boats away from the British coast, while advances in sonar and weapons such as depth charges and rockets gradually turned the tide.
Group
Books (first-hand)
Author
Mallmann Showell, Jak P.
Title
The Destruction of Hitler's U-boats
Details
English text, 200 bw-illustrations. 352 pages.
State
new
Subtitle
The Epic Struggle Against Hitler's Wolfpacks
Frontline Books 47 Church Street, Barnsley S70 2AS South Yorkshire Vereinigtes Königreich
