History - War at a Glance

Convoys The Battle of the Atlantic crests during the first months of 1943. Axis subs sink 100 Allied ships in the first two months of 1943. Both sides strive to gain an edge. The Allies begin equipping B-24s with new 10-centimeter radar sets that prove effective at finding U-boats; the radar search receivers installed on the German submarines only work on the 1.5-meter radar. The British Admiralty estimates that the Germans came closest to defeating the Allied convoy system during the first 20 days of March 1943. The Allies lose 72 ships in the Atlantic to U-boats; in response, they shift the terminus of slower convoys from New York back to Halifax. In April U-boats sink over 50 ships, but the Allies sink 15 U-boats. May proves pivotal; the Allies lose only 50 ships to subs, but the Germans lose 41 subs. The Germans attempt to regain the initiative, sending wolfpacks after the Atlantic convoys, but they lose 17 U-boats in June, 37 in July, and 25 in August - the Battle of the Atlantic is essentially over. The remaining U-boats are ordered to perform holding actions while the Germans develop a new generation of submarines. The victory in the Battle of the Atlantic is critical to the success of Operation Overlord. The buildup of men, machines, and materiel necessary to launch the Second Front can now be marshaled in Great Britain, with relative impunity from the U-boat threat.