Finland also used bombers to hunt submarines in World War II. I have plans to make video about that. The Soviet fleet was encircled at the Kronstadt naval base in Leningrad (present-day St. Petersburg). Soviet submarines try to sneak through the Gulf of Finland to attack Finnish and German merchant shipping. Interesting detail: An enemy submarine had to be surfaced to be detected, but submerged to be destroyed. - The Finnish naval aviation did not have radar or other technology for locating submerged submarines. Only Mark 1 eyeball with binoculars. - The Finns used captured SB-2 bombers in these missions. The main armament was 4-8 depth charges, the light machine guns of the SB-2 were not powerful enough to damage the submarine. So the basic tactic was seek visually for surface-going submarines, start the attack run with machine guns and lure the submarine to dive and drop depth charges in the estimated diving direction.

The graphics tell us more about the battle of the Atlantic than any number of film clips or talking heads. Another great video.

Awesome. So much stuff I did not know about the geographical spread of u-boat attacks and the areas of u-boat losses. The wartime analysis generated was priceless in helping to shape allied countermeasures, and I am sure the Axis produced similar. Thank you for this.

@WWIIUSBombers

Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Excellent video as usual. The sheer data these videos provide set the channel apart from others. Always new and rare information. I look forward to the next video.

This is one of THE best videos on the Battle of the Atlantic ever made!

I love your content! This one was continues your excellent "big picture" look at the Battle of the Atlantic series. And, as always, being able to see the actual source material is the icing on the cake.

This is so well organized, I am speechless. Thank you (04/07/23).

great video, thank you!

Another great dive into the battle of the Atlantic . From the maps you've shown , the bay of biscay looks like the graveyard of the kriegsmarine . The area shows consistent U-boat casualties through all of the given periods. Thanks for compiling all of the information given throughout this series of videos .

a big topic run quickly! would be interesting to have an episode on the radar equiped planes that were hunting subs. And I love thoses ww2 maps ! from month to month, visual and clear information

This is one of the best WWII channels.

@WWIIUSBombers

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind channel contribution. It is much appreciated.

Excellent stuff.

Liked,commented and subscribed as requested

Excellent series.

Excellent presentation.

Excellent content! Thank you.

This is amazing

Excellent! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💯

Love your work. I would argue that Black May was not the turning point. That month literally crushed the U-boat service and Doenitz only hope was the Electro boats could achieve operational status before it was too late. The writing on the wall for the U-boats would have been(my argument) March of 1941. In ten days Germany’s most celebrated Aces, Kretschmer, Schepke, and Prien were lost to allied surface escorts who showed that training and tech advances(HFDF, 10cm surface Radar, etc) were too much for the current type VII and IX u-boats. This forced Doenitz to continually shift his U-boats to areas that lacked sufficiently equipped skills, tech and ships to combat the Wolfpack’s.

@Slaktrax

Жыл бұрын

The actual turning points have to be the capture of the Enigma machines and the amazing work done by Bletchley Park and Room 40.

Such data driven content. Excellent 👍

Wonderfull chanell, please keep doing this. Thanks from Germany

1162 u boats built, My fathers ship HMS Thane was damaged by U 1172 in the Irish sea in Jan 45 when its stern was blown off by an acoustic torpedo. It was the 3rd time he had been torpedoed. HMS Thane was an escort carrier being used to transfer aircraft to the UK because its escort carrier duties were being dissolved by a lack of u boat activity. Among her load were the first helicopters to arrive in England which were delivered to Speke airport near Liverpool. Eric Winkle Brown talks of flying them there. U1172 did not survive more than a few days after.

@nickdanger3802

Жыл бұрын

CVE - 48 was returned to United States custody as lying' on December 5th 1945 while still n the United Kingdom at Faslane. She was stricken for disposal by the US Navy in 1946, and was subsequently sold to Metal Industries (Salvage) Ltd. She was broken for scrap at Faslane later that year.

great vid

great stuff

your channel is very special.....best wishes from Orlando Florida, Paul

@WWIIUSBombers

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind Channel donation. Much appreciated!

you have an amazing channel. congratulations on everything you are doing. you deserve 250k subscribers not 25k

This channel is good.

Thanks!

@WWIIUSBombers

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind channel donation, much appreciated.

Note the increases in U Boat sinkings in the Bay of Biscay as the war progresses.

The amount of shipwrecks on the ocean floor is astounding!

Love the videos. You need to write a book. This is serious research.

I’d like to know the impact of escort carriers on the u boat losses?

lets go!

The degree of documentation in these videos never ceases to impress.

“Greyhound” kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time 👍

@Slaktrax

Жыл бұрын

Great film. Watched about 5 times so far 🙂 The only part that's dramatised too much is when the U-boat talks to ''Greyhound'' by radio, Yeah right! That was too far-fetched.

Hi, wonderful videos, can you please make on on uboat attacks on the US mainland. Sounds very interesting. Kind regards.

hunter becoming the hunted, beautiful

The graph shown at 1:37 is brilliant. It is something like I felt should have been presented before, but wasn't in any book I ever saw. It highlights important events. The capture of the U-110 material, the 4-rotor blackout and the capture of the u-559 material, which allowed the breaking of the 4-rotor Enigma code. In separate graphs, one can show the other side of the coin, the periods when the British Naval Cypher #3 was broken. That would be interesting. And it's a little more complex than "What time period was a certain code broken". I think that what is needed is three lines on the same graph: 1. Percent of U-boat messages (to and from) that were decrypted. 2. The amount of time needed to decrypt 50% of those messages from the time the message was broadcast by the Germans. 3. And, as always, a line on the number of Allied ships sunk that month. Or, alternatively for '3', a line on the tonnage sunk that month, per U-boat. That may be more interesting. As I understand this number started high early in the war, but consistently went down as the war progressed. Allied ship loses went up sharply in 1942, to a large extent, due to the large number of U-boats entering service, and not do to the improvement of individual U-boat effectiveness but rather the reverse. Of course, a good deal of research would have to be done to come up with this graph. Also, a graph showing 6 blue mid-winter columns to strikingly show how Allied ship loses went down sharply each mid-winter. Graphs like what you show are the key to presenting information that would otherwise be confusing.

6.00 shows no sign of u331 being destroyed in the Med in 1942?

Question: tonnage sunk refers to ship's weight alone, or its cargo weight, or both taken together?

@Slaktrax

Жыл бұрын

The ships Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT). That is what Germany used.

This kind thing (escorting convoys across the Atlantic) seems like it would have been a good application for airships, for surveillance if nothing else. I don’t recall ever seeing anything on this subject so maybe it’s a dumb idea, but have you come across anything indicating if airships were ever used or considered? I suppose their visibility would be a giveaway, but large convoys were pretty visible anyway.

@joeelliott2157

Жыл бұрын

As I understand it, they were not used very often. Maybe only for convoys along the American East coast. But when used, proved to be surprisingly effective. They can stay with a convoy 24/7. They don't have to leave it after a few hours. They didn't attack U-boats, I don't think, but could spot U-boats and direct convoys around them. At least, this is my impression.

Glad you are addressing this area of operations. The legend, often repeated, is that the American and British "Bomber Barons" resented EVERY strategic bomber that was diverted to maritime patrol missions. Has your document research confirmed this? Second, the legend states that the Mid_Atlantic Gap (in air cover) could have been closed earlier but Admiral Ernest J. King prioritized the long-range patrol aircraft to go to the Pacific. Again, any confirmation on this?

@davidhouston1729

Жыл бұрын

Not only was Admiral King responsible for frustrating President Roosvelt's order to send Liberator aircraft to the war in the Atlantic, but he also refused to accept any advice to counter U boats in US waters during the second "Happy Time". A true US hero?

@nickdanger3802

Жыл бұрын

@@davidhouston1729 It's called the SECOND Happy Time for a reason. If you think you can make a case for the RN preforming better in 1917 than the USN in 1942, please do so.

You wouldn't happen to know what was the most effective ordinance against the U-boat dropped by the b-24. Was it generic bombs or was it depth charges?

@bat2293

Жыл бұрын

I think he said that will be covered in Part 3. Stay tuned.

@markmaki4460

Жыл бұрын

My guess would be depth charges, as they impart far more damage even to surfaced subs.

@joeelliott2157

Жыл бұрын

Regular bombs were tried and were disastrous. They could skip off the ocean and explode in the air, bringing down the aircraft while not harming the U-boat. Depth charges were the best option, set at the shallowest depth possible, 50 feet (as I recall). Twenty five feet would have been better but was not possible with those devices. A depth charge is the most effective against a surfaced U-boat, one that is in the process of submerging, and one that just disappeared beneath the waves a few seconds earlier. An aircrew does not know in advance the state of the U-boat when going in on an attack run. Having a weapon that works in all conditions (unless too much time has passed since it submerged) was ideal. Of course, the deadliest attack was to let the U-boat submerge totally, and then drop a seeking torpedo. But this was only available late in the war. Depth charges were a very good alternative.

Please do not exaggerate the importance of Ultra. Improved radar and rdf combined with better weapons were also important.

It should be noted that the British strongly advised the Americans to adopt convoy tactics and coastal blackout along the East coast, however due to the stubbornness and arrogance of the American naval officer in charge, these measures were only adopted much later. Meanwhile dozens of valuable ships had gone to the bottom with the loss of many hundreds of lives. A similar scenario occurred in North Africa after Operation Torch, culminating in the Kasserine Pass fiasco. Hubris... the fault that the gods always punish.

@nickdanger3802

Жыл бұрын

Army had the authority to order blackouts. If you think you can make a case for the RN preforming better in 1917 than the USN in 1942, please do so.

@ricardodavidson3813

Жыл бұрын

@@nickdanger3802 Whether the Army had the authority or not is immaterial. The fact was that they did not and merchant vessels were silhouetted against a bright backdrop. U-boat captains had a name for this period "Second Happy Time" or "American Shooting Season". The blame for this needless loss of life and ships rests squarely on the shoulders of the US Navy (US government as well). The arrogance they displayed played right into the Kriegsmarine's hands. The USN did quite well in the Pacific, but they had taken a big beating from the IJN which put them on their feet. This attitude of contempt for the British was seen later in Operation Torch, the 8th Army that came round south of Tunisia to link up with the US forces tried to give them some advice on dealing with the panzers, but the US generals fresh out from behind a desk knew better. Read up about Operation Drumbeat (2nd Happy time"), the history of Operation Torch (in particular the battle of Kasserine Pass) and the appalling waste of opportunity and lives that the landing at Anzio represented. In this later episode gen Mark Clark disobeyed a direct order from his commanding officer (who was British...) so that he could look good on the cover of some magazine by being the first to enter Rome, which was an open city anyway. Meanwhile Kesslering regrouped and threw them back into the sea. Clark was not even admonished, he was decorated and sent back to the US (with a promotion I think) by Ike, perhaps to preserve "morale". In any man's army he would have been sent home in disgrace into compulsory retirement. But again the US forces are special...nowadays they even have a lady admiral that until recently was something else... If they come up against a real enemy in a real shooting war I shall fear for the fate of the West. This whitewash of incompetence is not exclusive to the US forces. The landings at Dieppe were a huge loss of men and material, much of this could have been avoided by careful reconnaissance and planning. Mountbatten was never admonished for this fiasco, neither was the shit-head that decided to go on with the landings after they had lost the element of surprise. One thing comes up from all these messes and that is the preoccupation with "morale", this is a convenient justification for any amount of incompetence, as it cannot be quantified. Canadian and British casualties were 6247 dead, wounded or captured (by my sums, I may be wrong). This is quantifiable so the powers that be come up with the morale excuse to justify the arithmetic. Certainly a lot was learnt from the raid, mainly how not to do things in future, but was it really necessary to lose so many men? Operation Market Garden was also a costly flop authored by a vain but well-connected idiot called Browning with Montgomery's blessing. Intelligence reports were ignored, unsuitable anding sites miles from the objective were approved, because the RAF said so, the whole thing hinged on ground forces advancing along a single exposed road to Arnhem. Nothing could come in the way of this opportunity for glory. General Sossobowski objected as he could see it was a cretinous plan so they side-lined him even putting him in limbo after the war, one of the very many post-war British injustices.

@nickdanger3802

Жыл бұрын

@@ricardodavidson3813 Not seeing your case for the RN preforming better against U boats in 1917. Anzio was Churchill's idea. Churchill "In General Clark the United States Army has found a fighting leader of the highest order and the qualities of all Allied troops have shone in noble and unjealous rivalry." above 1209 Hansard LIBERATION OF ROME: LANDINGS IN FRANCE HC Deb 06 June 1944 vol 400 cc1207-11

@ricardodavidson3813

Жыл бұрын

@@nickdanger3802 Churchill's hot air is no excuse for incompetence and vanity, not to mention disregard for orders. Why are you comparing the USN in WW2 with the RN in WW1? In WW1 it was all new, the manual had yet to be written. Actually, both the US>N and the RN were pioneers in the adoption of submarines, in both cases developed from Holland's designs. In the UK there was a lot of opposition to the adoption of submarines, which may be at the root of a lack of a developed doctrine.

@nickdanger3802

Жыл бұрын

@@ricardodavidson3813 Britain had been at war for three years when Germany sank almost as many ships in 1917 as the Axis did in 1942. Britain was at war with Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, none of them had a rep as great naval power. The US went from being "neutral" to at war with Germany, Italy and Japan in four days. In 1940 Italy had more subs than Germany and both operated from bases on the west coast of France. In emergencies U boat's could dock in Spain. At first, the British Admiralty failed to respond effectively to the German offensive. Despite the proven success of troop convoys earlier in the war, the Channel convoys between England and France, and the Dutch, French, and Scandinavian convoys in the North Sea, they initially refused to consider widespread convoying or escorting. Convoying imposed severe delays on shipping, and was believed to be counterproductive, amounting to a loss of carrying capacity greater than the loss inflicted by the U-boats. It was disliked by both merchant and naval captains, and derided as a defensive measure. It was not until 27 April that the Admiralty endorsed the convoy system, the first convoy sailing from Gibraltar on 10 May.[40] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-boat_campaign#1917:_Resumption_of_unrestricted_submarine_warfare

U-559 was captured in Oct' 1942 not U-556.

wild horses wouldn't have dragged me n a uboat

@joeelliott2157

Жыл бұрын

Getting a wild horse, or any horse, into a U-boat would be very difficult. Their is no ramp for them to enter through but even if their was, they have too much horse sense to enter one.

it´s a tragic, that Churchill said "The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril." But he took the side of Bomber Commad when the RAF Coastal Command wanted about 80 4-engined Bombers to keep the sea free, so they only get them when the B24 were delivered! A lot of lives and ships and material could have been saved by redirecting those Bombers 1942 from the fruitless nightbombing to U-Boat patrols!

@joeelliott2157

Жыл бұрын

Both American and particularly British (Hello Bomber Harris. Was there another Allied High Commander who made so many consistently bad decisions? General Gamelin is his only rival) Bomber Command argued that using long range bombers like the B-17 and the B-24 to defensively patrol the Atlantic, was a waste of resources. In truth the most effective use of these planes, particularly the longer range B-24, was, by far, the most effective of these planes. A mere 50 B-24's, which had to be pried from Bomber Harris, and would have quickly disappeared like fluff if used over Europe, was a big factor in turning the tide in the Mid-Atlantic. Never mind the large number of U-boats they sunk. It takes a lot of resources to train a U-boats officers and crew. It takes weeks and weeks for a U-boat to return from patrol. More weeks to prepare it for it's next patrol. More weeks for a U-boat to reach the mid-Atlantic where it can be most effective. Just to get in position to receive that critical message, to proceed at high speed to a point that gets ahead of a convoy so a night surface attack can be launched. Only to be frustrated by a lone B-24, forcing it down, to crawl at two knots. A lone B-24 might force several U-boats to submerge during those critical hours. Leaving the U-boats in the wake of the convoy by nightfall. Weeks and weeks of effort and hardships wasted. Sometimes the best defense is a hell of a good defense.

“…Venezuela declares war on Germany in February, 1945.” ( 6:39 ) Wow, talk about a government putting it’s foot down and taking a firm stand against the scourge of the Nazi menace! Careful now, don’t stick your neck out there boys! 🤣

I have no idea wht the USA with large German and Irish populations backed the Brits

@Kevin-mx1vi

Жыл бұрын

Maybe because when you emigrate to America you become *American* not Irish or German. It's a basic tenet of American society that immigrants adopt American ways and swear allegiance to America. Their former nationality counts for nothing.

Thanks!

@WWIIUSBombers

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the donation to the channel. It is much appreciated.

@marshallgrads

Жыл бұрын

@@WWIIUSBombers I just found the channel and the detailed info you provide with declassified docs is amazing. TY