Slaget om Atlanterhavet (1939-1945)

Hentet fra Guri Hjeltnes, Handelsflåten i krig 1939-1945. Bd. 3. Sjømann, lang vakt, Oslo 1995: 164.

"Den største innsatsen ytte Norges skip og menn i slaget om Atlanterhavet. Det var av avgjørende betydning for utfallet av krigen at forbindelseslinjen mellom Nord-Amerika og Storbritannia ble holdt oppe. Størsteparten av de varer som ble fraktet på norske skip under krigen, ble seilt over Nord-Atlanteren fra Canadas og USAs mange havner til Storbritannia. I enda større grad enn under 1. verdenskrig var Storbritannia avhengig av tilførsler. [...] Gjennom alle krigsår ble USAs enorme forråd av krigsmateriell og drivstoff lastet om bord i havner langs hele den amerikanske østkysten og transportert, i hovedsak i konvoier, over til britiske vestkysthavner. Fullastede skip seilte inn og gikk ofte i ballast tilbake til USA for å hente mer. [...] 2. verdenskrig varte i 2075 dager, Slaget om Atlanterhavet i to dager mindre, 2073 dager".

Av hensyn til det enorme omfang, vil det ikke knyttes sjøfolk og skip til denne temaartikkel.

Hentet fra "The Battle of the Atlantic. The Official Account of the Fight against the U-boats 1939-1945" av His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1946, s. 5:

"For the space of sixty-eight months the Battle of the Atlantic raged with ruthless and varying intensity. It started with the sinking of 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.

Until the very end the German U-boat arm fought with discipline and efficiency. There was no relaxation of effort or hesitation to incur risks. Indeed, on the night before Germany's surrender, two merchant ships were sunk near the entrance to Firth of Forth, and a minesweeper in Lyme Bay.

Had the U-boat war continued for any appreciable period, there is little doubt that it would have imposed an increased and severe strain upon Allied resources. In spite of the dislocation and interruption caused by severe Allied bombing of the German building yards, bases, communications and assembly plants, which had a very considerable effect in delaying output, the U-boat fleet would have increased substantially in numbers and power. New and improved types of boats were also coming into operation. Their war potential was not exhausted when the victory of the Allied arms brought about the downfall of Nazi Germany.

In 1940 Grand-Admiral Dönitz had said: "I will show that the U-boat alone can win this war ... nothing is impossible to us." In an order of the day issued simultaneously with his order to cease hostilities, he explained that a crushing superiority had compressed the U-boats into a very narrow area and that the continuation of the struggle was impossible from the bases that remained. But the U-boats nearly succeded. The anti-U-boat war of 1939-1945 was one of the most vital, protracted and bitterly fought sea and air campaigns in which the British Empire and her Allies have ever been engaged."

Kart:

Følgende 8 kart nedenfor er hentet fra bokverket, og viser de 8 forskjellige faser i slaget om Atlanterhavet. 0 viser handelsskip senket og + viser ubåter senket. Bildene er også mulig å laste ned helt nederst i artikkelsiden for å studere kartene i detalj (zoome inn for å bedre se skillet mellom senkede handelsskip og ubåter).