Themes

The Battle of the Atlantic

Royal Navy ships protect merchant vessels from German attack

One of the main commitments of the Royal Navy during both World War One and World War Two was halting German attacks on merchant ships aimed at cutting off Britain from her empire and Allies. This interrupted the essential supplies the population and forces needed to survive during wartime.

The Navy made some advances in convoy organisation during the interwar period, but they only made real progress when war seemed inevitable. The plans made during the interwar did little to stop an aggressive first few months of convoy attacks. By the end of the 1939 in just 4 months the Germans had sunk over 100 ships. As a countermeasure the Royal Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy built ships for escort and anti-submarine warfare. One of the new designs was called the Flower Class Corvette.

On board a destroyer on patrol in the Atlantic (RNM)

On board a destroyer on patrol in the Atlantic (RNM)

Article Highlights


Follow the links to learn more about...

The Battle of River Plate

The Battle of the Atlantic

Arctic Convoys

Mediterranean Campaigns

Dunkirk

D-Day

Other invasions

Forgotten fleet