History Extra podcast WW2's greatest battles | 3. Battle of the Atlantic
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May 1, 2024 Military historian James Holland discusses why the Battle of the Atlantic was crucial during WW2, highlighting the challenges faced by merchant ships and German U-boats. Insights into convoy systems, U-boat tactics, and the defeat of the 'wolf packs'. Emphasis on the strategic importance of supplies and technological advancements in the naval warfare.
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Atlantic Was The War's Lifeline
- The Battle of the Atlantic was the single most important campaign of WWII because Allied supplies flowed through those sea routes.
- Losing control of the Atlantic would have effectively sunk the Western Allies' war effort.
Phases And The May 1943 Turning Point
- The Atlantic War evolved through phases: early unescorted losses, U-boat 'happy times', US entry, and the 1943 defeat of wolfpacks.
- May 1943 marks the turning point when coordinated Allied measures crushed wolfpack effectiveness.
Tech And Detection Shifted The Balance
- Allied technological advances (cavity magnetron radar, HF/DF) let escorts and aircraft detect and outrun U-boats on the surface.
- Combined intelligence, detection and air power shifted the balance against German submarine tactics.