The Battle of the Atlantic

For the space of sixty-eight months the Battle of the Atlantic raged with ruthless but varying intensity. It started with the sinking of the Athenia west of Ireland less than twelve hours after the outbreak of war on September 3rd, 1939, ended with Grand-Admiral Dönitz's signal of May 4th, 1945, ordering his U-boats to cease hostilities and return to base, followed four days later by the unconditional surrender of Germany.

The narrative that follows does not pretend to give a full and detailed account of the Battle of the Atlantic, it is merely the abbreviated story of a few of the more important highlights in the several phases of a ruthless and protracted campaign which, but for the grace of God, might well have brought about not merely the defeat of Britain and the disruption of the British Empire, but the eventual Axis domination of the world.