Sea Power and Maritime Affairs

1
Sea Power and Maritime Affairs

• Lesson 13 War in the Atlantic, North Africa, and
  the Mediterranean 1935-1945

2
Lesson Objectives

• Comprehend the internal political situation in
  the U.S. during the period prior to December 7,
  1941 relative to the U.S. involvement overseas.
• Know that Germany was the greatest threat to
  European and North American security.
• Know the U.S. attempts to remain neutral prior to
  1941.
• Comprehend the absolute priority given to keeping
  the sea lanes to British open.
• Know the relationship between Roosevelt and
  Churchill in the establishment of the United
  Nations and the broad concept of Allied strategy.

3
Lesson Objectives (cont)

• Comprehend the confrontation between German
  U-boats and Allied anti-submarine convoys in the
  Battle of the Atlantic.
• Know the German surface raider effectiveness
• Comprehend the differences between British War
  of Attrition versus American plans for a direct
  confrontation with Germany.
• Comprehend how Allied amphibious landings
  assisted in ending the war in Europe.

4
Germanys Invasion of Europe

• Sept 1939, Germany invades Poland. England and
  France declare war on Germany
• 1939-1940 brings inconclusive results on the
  western front.
• Britain moves to blockade Germany.
• Germany begins commerce raiding with U-boats and
  surface raiders Scuttling of the Graf Spree
  after the Battle of River Plate.

5
Germanys Invasion of Europe

• Germany invades Norway, April 1940
• - Action designed to keep Britain from
  tightening blockade by mining northern
  approaches.
• May 1940 Germans launch attack on low countries
  and France. Outflank the Maginot line. France
  falls June 1940.
• Britain withdraws troops from Europe.

6
British Convoy Strategy

• Strategy adopted from the outset
• Recognizes the importance of keeping the lines of
  communications open with the U.S.
• Doenitz organizes U-boats to hunt in Wolfpacks
  to prey on convoys. Was very effective when
  based out of France and Normandy.
• U-Boat sinkings climax in fall of 1940.

7
Enlisting American Help

• British acquire more escorts and the ability to
  break the German Ultra Code.
• The U.S. drifts into undeclared war with Germany
  attempts to maintain neutrality, 1939-1941
• FDR an internationalist/ interventionist
• Congress influenced by isolationist and America
  First propaganda.
• FDR runs for third term under isolationist
  platform. Later passes the first peacetime
  draft.
• FDR knows a German victory would threaten US
  security because it would destroy British sea
  power which was thought to be the Shield of the
  Republic.

8
Enlisting American Help

• US sends Neutrality Patrols to help British
  ASW.
• All aid to Britain short of war includes
  destroyer-bases deal and Lend-Lease program.
• FDR concedes this is not Wilsons neutrality in
  thought and deed.

9
U.S. Enters War

• U.S. officially enters war after attack on Pearl
  Harbor.
• Germany U-boat offensive moves to the U.S. East
  Coast.
• As the Convoy Strategy becomes more effective,
  Doenitz moved his U-boats south (tonnage
  strategy.)
• Doenitz shifts U-boats back to North Atlantic in
  1942. U.S. counteracts with escort carriers and
  HF/DF locations of Wolfpack.
• Doenitz forced into Central Atlantic as allies
  strengthened convoys and developed ASW tactics.
  Hunter-Killer groups run out of U-boats to sink.

10
Germanys Surface Fleet

• Germany used surface raiders with moderate
  success. No large surface battles in Atlantic,
  as German surface fleets had a hard time breaking
  out into the Atlantic.

11
Competing Allied Strategies.

• British preferred a peripheral strategy. War of
  Attrition North Africa, Egypt, Sicily, etc..
• U.S. preferred direct attack on Germany through a
  western France.
• U.S. initially acquiesces to British peripheral
  strategy because
• Allowed U.S. to pursue Pacific War.
• Drew German resources off the Western Front,
  weakening them for an eventual cross channel
  invasion.
• Allies checked German advances in Egypt
  stalemated on Russian front attacked Italy
  beginning in July 1943

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Competing Allied Strategies

• Sequence for pursuing peripheral strategy in the
  Mediterranean
• Montgomery vs. Rommel in N. Africa. Securing the
  Suez lifeline.
• Landing in N. Africa (Operation Torch)
  Casablanca, Oran, Algeria.
• Invading Italy Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio.

15
Competing Allied Strategies

• Allies spend next year building up in England for
  cross channel invasion.
• Normandy invasion (June 1944) and southern France
  (August 1944) succeed in pushing Germans back
  into its borders.
• Spring 1945 War ends in Europe.

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Timeline for the Atlantic War.

• 1 Sep 1939 Germany Invades Poland

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Were on our way to Poland to crush the Jews
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17 Sep 1939 U-29 sinks carrier HMS
CourageousU-47 sinks Royal Oak.
22
HMS Courageous
23
HMS Courageous sinking
24
Hitler giving awards for sinking of HMS Courageous
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HMS Royal Oak
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HMS Royal Oak
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HMS Royal Oak
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13 Dec 1939 Battle of River Plate
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Timeline Cont.

• 9 Apr 1940 Invasion of Norway, Battle of Narvik
  Despite annihilation of German naval forces,
  they maintained control of Narvik
• 11 Jun 1940 Italy enters the war.
• 3 Jul 1940 British destroy French fleet at
  Mers-El-Kebir.
• 15 Oct 1940 Italy invades Greece.
• 11 Nov 1940 Carrier raid on Taranto (Model for
  Pearl Harbor???)
• 28 Mar 1941 Battle of Cape Matapan
• 20 May 1941 Invasion of Crete.
• 22-26 May 1941 Chase of the Bismark24 May
  Bismark sinks Hood26 May Bismark sunk
• 11 Nov 1941 U-81 Sinks Ark Royal.
• 23 Nov 1941 U-331 sinks Barham

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Timeline Cont.

• 19 Aug 1942 Dieppe raid.
• 08 Nov 1942 Operation Torch.
• 14 Jan 1943 Casablanca Conference Decision to
  invade Sicily unconditional surrender proclaimed
  as war goal.
• 10 Jul 1943 Invasion of Sicily
• 09 Sep 1943 Invasion of Italy at Salerno
• 27 Mar 1942 St. Nazaire raid.
• Nov 1943 Teheran Conference Decision to
  invade France.
• 24 Dec 1943 Scharnhorst sunk.
• 21 Jan 1944 Landing at Anzio.
• 06 Jun 1944 Normandy Invasion ( D-Day)
• 15 Aug 1944 Invasion of southern France.
• 12 Nov 1944 Tirpitz sunk by RAF

32
Lesson Objectives

• Comprehend the internal political situation in
  the U.S. during the period prior to December 7,
  1941 relative to the U.S. involvement overseas.
• Know that Germany was the greatest threat to
  European and North American security.
• Know the U.S. attempts to remain neutral prior to
  1941.
• Comprehend the absolute priority given to keeping
  the sea lanes to British open.
• Know the relationship between Roosevelt and
  Churchill in the establishment of the United
  Nations and the broad concept of Allied strategy.

33
Lesson Objectives (cont)

• Comprehend the confrontation between German
  U-boats and Allied anti-submarine convoys in the
  Battle of the Atlantic.
• Know the German surface raider effectiveness
• Comprehend the differences between British War
  of Attrition versus American plans for a direct
  confrontation with Germany.
• Comprehend how Allied amphibious landings
  assisted in ending the war in Europe.

34
Discussion
Next time The War in the Pacific, The Defensive
Phase