HIST 1302 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Escort Carrier, U-Boat, Periscope
Document Summary
Immediate-could detect a u-boat periscope at a range of one mile. Short- worked in the allies favor for detection in order to prevent sinking of ships. Long- this development contributed in shifting the tactical advantage shifting towards allies. Proved to be more effective in detection than the allied sonar. Strategy: to control the atlantic shipping lanes and to catch and destroy allied convoys. Germany- u-boats were successful against allied convoys, sinking merchant ships with torpedoes and then submerging to escape counterattacks by escorting warships. Germans also benefitted from decoded communications of british admiralty. Effectiveness: not effective during 1941 but during 1942 new submarines were entering service quickly, at a rate of 20 per month. Allied losses in atlantic were high in 1942. 1,664 ships were sunk; supplies of petrol and food to britain were extremely low. Response: allies- received 50 american destroyers in exchange for us access to british bases.
