Battle of the Atlantic

1939 longest continuous military campaign in World War II

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II to defeat the Germans in 1945. The British Royal Navy repeated the blockade of Germany of World War II, and Germany repeated its attempt to blockade Britain by using U-boats. The German Navy also tried to use surface warships in the Atlantic Ocean, but lost them in various battles.

Battle of the Atlantic
Part of the Second World War

Officers on the bridge of an escorting British destroyer stand watch for enemy submarines, October 1941
DateSeptember 3, 1939 – May 8, 1945
(5 years, 8 months and 5 days)
Location
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
 Canada
 United States[a]
 Brazil[b]
 Germany
 Italy[d]
 Vichy France[e]
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Dudley Pound
United Kingdom Andrew Cunningham
United Kingdom Martin Dunbar-Nasmith
United Kingdom Percy Noble
United Kingdom Max Horton
United Kingdom Frederick Bowhill
United Kingdom Philip de la Ferté
United Kingdom John Slessor
Canada Leonard W. Murray
United States Royal E. Ingersoll
United States Jonas H. Ingram
Nazi Germany Erich Raeder
Nazi Germany Karl Dönitz
Nazi Germany Günther Lütjens 
Nazi Germany Otto Schniewind
Nazi Germany Alfred Saalwächter
Nazi Germany Wilhelm Marschall
Nazi Germany Theodor Krancke
Nazi Germany Martin Harlinghausen
Fascist Italy (1922–1943) Angelo Parona
Fascist Italy (1922–1943) Romolo Polacchini
Casualties and losses
36,200 sailors killed
36,000 merchant seamen killed
3,500 merchant vessels
175 warships
741 RAF Coastal Command Aircraft lost in anti-submarine sorties
Nazi Germany~30,000 U-boat sailors killed
783 submarines lost
47 other warships lost
Fascist Italy (1922–1943)~500 killed
17 submarines lost

Notes and References

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  1. 1941-1945
  2. 1942-1945
  3. 1939-1940
  4. 1940-1943
  5. 1940-1942
  NODES
Done 1
eth 1
Story 1