Transcript War in Atlantic - SUNY Maritime College

Sea Power
and Maritime Affairs
Lesson 13: War in the Atlantic, North
Africa, and the Mediterranean 1935-1945
Lesson 13: War in the Atlantic, North Africa, and the
Mediterranean 1935-1945
Lesson Objectives
• Comprehend the internal political situation in the U.S.
during the period prior to December 7, 1941 relative
to the U.S. involvement overseas.
• Know that Germany was the greatest threat to
European and North American security.
• Know the U.S. attempts to remain neutral prior to
1941.
• Comprehend the absolute priority given to keeping the
sea lanes to British open.
• Know the relationship between Roosevelt and
Churchill in the establishment of the United Nations
and the broad concept of Allied strategy.
Lesson Objectives (cont)
• Comprehend the confrontation between
German U-boats and Allied anti-submarine
convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic.
• Know the German surface raider effectiveness
• Comprehend the differences between British
“War of Attrition” versus American plans for a
direct confrontation with Germany.
• Comprehend how Allied amphibious landings
assisted in ending the war in Europe.
Germany’s Invasion of Europe
Germany’s Invasion of Europe
• Sept 1939, Germany invades Poland. England
and France declare war on Germany
• 1939-1940 brings inconclusive results on the
western front
• Britain moves to blockade Germany
• Germany begins commerce raiding with U-boats
and surface raiders
1 Sep 1939:
Germany Invades Poland
Germany’s Invasion of Europe:
• Germany invades Norway, April 1940
- Action designed to keep Britain from tightening
blockade by mining northern approaches
• May 1940 Germans launch attack on “low
countries” and France
• Outflank the Maginot line
• France falls June 1940
• Britain withdraws troops from Europe
British Convoy Strategy
•Strategy adopted from the
outset
•Recognizes the importance
of keeping the lines of
communications open with
the U.S.
•Dönitz organizes U-boats to
hunt in “Wolfpacks” to prey
on convoys. Was very
effective when based out of
France and Normandy.
•U-Boat sinkings climax in fall
of 1940.
17 Sep 1939: U-29 sinks carrier HMS Courageous;
U-47 sinks Royal Oak.
HMS Courageous
HMS Courageous sinking
Hitler giving awards for sinking of HMS
Courageous
HMS Royal Oak
HMS Royal Oak
HMS Royal Oak
Enlisting American Help:
•British acquire more escorts
and the ability to break the
German Ultra Code
•The U.S. drifts into undeclared
war with Germany; attempts to
maintain neutrality, 1939-1941
•FDR an internationalist/
interventionist
•Congress influenced by
isolationist and “America First”
propaganda.
•FDR runs for third term under
isolationist platform. Later passes
the first peacetime draft.
•FDR knows a German victory
would threaten US security
because it would destroy British
sea power which was thought to
be the “Shield of the Republic.”
Enlisting American Help
• US sends “Neutrality
Patrols” to help British
ASW.
• “All aid to Britain short of
war” includes “destroyerbases deal” and “LendLease” program.
• FDR concedes this is not
Wilson’s neutrality in
thought and deed.
U.S. Enters War:
•U.S. officially enters war after
attack on Pearl Harbor
•Germany U-boat offensive
moves to the U.S. East Coast
•As the Convoy Strategy
becomes more effective, Doenitz
moved his U-boats south
(“tonnage strategy”)
•Doenitz shifts U-boats back to
North Atlantic in 1942. U.S.
counteracts with escort carriers
and HF/DF locations of Wolfpack
•Doenitz forced into Central
Atlantic as allies strengthened
convoys and developed ASW
tactics. Hunter-Killer groups run
out of U-boats to sink
Germany’s Surface Fleet
•Germany used surface
raiders with moderate
success. No large surface
battles in Atlantic, as
German surface fleets had
a hard time breaking out
into the Atlantic.
German Battleship Bismarck
Competing Allied Strategies.
• British preferred a peripheral strategy
• War of Attrition
• North Africa
• Egypt
• Sicily
• U.S. preferred direct attack on Germany
through western France
• Operation Roundup
US went with Brits
• Allowed U.S. to pursue Pacific War
• Drew German resources off the Western Front,
weakening them for an eventual cross channel
invasion
• Allies checked German advances in Egypt;
stalemated on Russian front; attacked Italy
beginning in July 1943
Competing Allied Strategies”
•Sequence for pursuing
peripheral strategy in the
Mediterranean
•Operation Torch
•Operation Husky
Operation Torch:
• General Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Western Naval Task Force
• Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt
• Major General George S. Patton
• D-Day 8 November 1942
• Target is Casablanca
Rommel, I read your book!!!
Operation Husky
• Invasion of Sicily
• Same General Officers as “Torch”
• More sophisticated amphibious landing
• LSTs, LCTs, LCIs
• Night landing
• Mussolini falls from power
Competing Allied Strategies:
• Allies spend next year building up in England
for cross channel invasion
• Normandy Overlord
• invasion (June 1944)
• Southern France Dragoon
• (August 1944)
• succeed in pushing Germans back into its
borders.
• Spring 1945: War ends in Europe.
Lesson Objectives:
• Comprehend the internal political situation in the U.S.
during the period prior to December 7, 1941 relative
to the U.S. involvement overseas.
• Know that Germany was the greatest threat to
European and North American security.
• Know the U.S. attempts to remain neutral prior to
1941.
• Comprehend the absolute priority given to keeping the
sea lanes to British open.
• Know the relationship between Roosevelt and
Churchill in the establishment of the United Nations
and the broad concept of Allied strategy.
Lesson Objectives (cont):
• Comprehend the confrontation between
German U-boats and Allied anti-submarine
convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic.
• Know the German surface raider effectiveness
• Comprehend the differences between British
“War of Attrition” versus American plans for a
direct confrontation with Germany.
• Comprehend how Allied amphibious landings
assisted in ending the war in Europe.
Discussion
Next time: The War in the Pacific, The Defensive Phase
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