(2/12) Battlefield I: The Battle of the Atlantic Episode 3 (GDH)

Battlefield I: The Battle of the Atlantic Episode 3 (GDH)

SUBSRIBE TO EXCELLENT WORLD WAR II VIDEOS
UPDATED WEEKLY Many consider the Battle of the Atlantic the most important front of the entire war. The very survival of Great Britain relied on oversees trade. U-Boats and surface raiders, very nearly won the battle. By 1943 British and American tactics and technology had turned the tide. By 1945 790 U-boats were sunk by ASW ships, planes and mines.

The Kriegsmarines Unterseeboot (submarine) flotilla or better known as the U-boat, was commanded by Befehlshaber der Unterseeboote (Commander of Submarines) Konteradmiral(Rear Admiral 2 star) Karl Dönitz. Dönitz was a seasoned World War I U-boat commander. In World War I he was given command of UC-25, which was sunk in the Atlantic. Dönitz was captured and spent from 1916-18 in a British POW camp. By 1942 U-boat strength reached a point where Dönitz could deploy his strategy of attacking convoys on mass. The Rudel or Wolfsrudel (Wolf pack) tactic would generate havoc amongst convoys in route to Great Britain.

Shipping losses crossing the Atlantic became critical from 1940-1943. U-boat tactics were highly effective against convoys. Many U-boat commanders would surface within the convoy at night and torpedo ships. The Royal Navys escort was never large enough.

During the early years of the battle, the Allies had a significant advantage over the Kriegsmarine. The 3 rotor naval enigma machine had been broken. Convoys could be easily shifted to different routes and avoid the wolf packs. However, Dönitz became suspicious of espionage with the German intelligence community. U-boats began receiving the new 4 rotor enigma. Bletchley Park lost its ability to read Kriegsmarine message for 10 months.

The turning point came in 1943. All the experience and knowledge battling the U-boat, developed into innovative tactics and technology. Eight-centimeter radar could locate a U-boat without the U-boat sensing the waves. Huff/Duff could locate U-boats radio waves and give a general location of the transmitting U-boat. Aircraft with search lights, hunted surfaced U-boats re-charging their batteries. Hedge Hogs could spread lethal charges over a vast area and explode on contact. Finally convoys had aircraft escort from the length of their journey with escort carrier protection. The Allies became so competent at ASW warfare that Hunter/Killer groups hunted the hunters. By 1944 more U-boats were sunk in the Atlantic than merchantmen.

Enjoy this excellent episode of Battlefield: The Battle of the Atlantic.

World War II The Battle of the Atlantic U-boat German Kriegsmarine Royal Navy Great Britain Allies Convoy ASW Enigma Convoys Torpedo Wolf Pack

Category:

Education

Tags:

• World
• War
• II
• The
• Battle
• of
• the
• Atlantic
• U-boat
• German
• Kriegsmarine
• Royal
• Navy
• Great
• Britain
• Allies
• Convoy
• ASW
• Enigma
• Convoys
• Torpedo
• Wolf
• Pack

[houser98288]

Thank you for posting this series. A lot of series are valuable for historic purposes, but this series is the most in-depth that I have found to date.

[prinzdms]

Excellent! Thank you so much! ))) That was my favorite movie on Discovery channel...

[277imperator]

by far my favorite documentary. Where is part 1?

[CanadianLegionaire]

I don't know if I didn't hear it but they seem to forget the huge role the Canadian navy had in bringing supplies to Britain, we lost god knows how many ships getting weapons, vehicles, troops etc. to britain because of those damn u-boats. you'd think they'd atleast mention it.

[jebcarlo1]

where the hell is part 1!

[alpha001ful]

Youtube has deleted part 1s of all the series !!!

[higfny]

@houser98288 I recommend that you check out "The World at War". It was made before Ultra was declassified, but the interviews with so many of the leaders and soldiers makes it one of the most important documentaries regardless of category.

[Requiredghr18]

@kamikazeboy123 same reason why its only stalin, FDR, and hitler

[Nesti20993]

where is the part 1??????????????????

[kamikazeboy123]

y must if always be winston churcill during ww2.cant it be the king or some1 else?

[Bullzeye95]

He wasn't kidding about the shitty German torpedoes. By this point in the war, the incredibly shoddy design of the magnetic sensors--known about but ignored for years by the grossly bureaucratic and inefficient German ordinance corps--had already singlehandedly saved the lives of the HMS Ark Royal and HMS Nelson, both of which literally took direct three-torpedo salvo hits that simply thudded inertly against their keels. One of the U-boat captains actually became severely depressed after that.

[Lotsoffun111]

What Channal is this from?