WHERE DOES IT RANK IN THE PIVOTAL BATTLES OF WORLD WAR II?
Text and web-site by James Bowen The Battle of the Atlantic lasted from the fall of France in June 1940 to the surrender of Germany in May 1945. It was one of the three most important battles of World War II because, until the tide of this battle began to turn against Nazi Germany in mid-1943, the fate of Britain hung in the balance and the Allied strategic plans for liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe could not be put into operation. Allied tankers were priority targets for German submarines during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II because Britain could not survive without imported oil. This photograph depicts the Allied tanker Dixie Arrow torpedoed by the German submarine U-71 in 1942. Nazi Germany turns to submarine warfare after failing to win the Battle of Britain in 1940 When the Battle of Britain demonstrated that the Luftwaffe s bombing could not force a British surrender, the Germans resolved to deploy their navy to strangle the sea lifelines that were vital to Britain
Text and web-site by James Bowen The Battle of the Atlantic opened on 3 September 1939 with the sinking by a German U-boat of the ocean liner Athenia off the Irish coast and lasted until the surrender of Germany in May 1945. It was one of the three most important battles of World War II because, until the tide of this battle began to turn against Nazi Germany in mid-1943, the fate of Britain hung in the balance and the Allied strategic plans for liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe could not be put into operation. Allied tankers were priority targets for German submarines during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II because Britain could not survive without imported oil. This photograph depicts the Allied tanker Dixie Arrow torpedoed by the German submarine U-71 in 1942. Nazi Germany turns to submarine warfare after failing to win the Battle of Britain in 1940 When the Battle of Britain demonstrated that the Luftwaffe s bombing could not force a British surrender, the Germans resolv
