Historical Context on Final Project<\/p>\n
The Atlantic Ocean played a critical role throughout not only World War II but also World War I. This prestigious ocean allowed trade routes and supply lines to cross over its vast girth and provide allied forces the necessary supply to take control over the various European fronts. Economically the United Kingdom for years had heavily relied on trade across the Atlantic. Long before the war began Europe, Africa and the Americas had been engaged in trade. The Atlantic Ocean served as the gateway for mass slave trade throughout the world and offered trade routes to numerous countries which meant high profit for both parties. It was not always about profit as it also became a means of sustainability and building communities.<\/p>\n
The United Kingdom couldn’t grow or produce certain trade goods that the Americas could and vice versa for the Americas. The exploration of these new goods, land and cultures of life, sparked a new movement of discovery, which allowed the Atlantic Ocean to soar onto the map in the ever-expanding world and as a key player of history. The Axis powers understood the Allied powers reliance on these supply lines, so fighting for control of the supply lines from North America to Europe became very critical and a prime target for the Axis powers to go after. However, this proved to be too much for the German’s to manage as they ultimately failed.[i]<\/a> The importance of Atlantic seas control is sometimes overshadowed by the large land battles that took place during World War.<\/p>\n U.S. Escort carriers and their hunts for German U-boats, played a larger role than given credit for. A great amount of intricate planning went into designing patterns and routes for locating and finding the German U-boats. Although not always engaged in battles or mentioned as much as the convoys, the escort carriers had just as significant impact as they played a crucial role in protecting the convoys. However, as per Y’Blood there was quite a controversy whether the carriers should have gone after the U-boats themselves rather than playing protector of the convoys.[ii]<\/a> Another critical factor discussed within the source was the Allied sources ability to gather intelligence. This largely in thanks to Enigma, an informational intelligence system that provided the Allied force a huge step up throughout the war and allowed for the escort carriers to be positioned accurately to take out the U-boat threats.[iii]<\/a> With the introduction of Enigma, technology played a crucial role as well in the Battle of the Atlantic. German U-boats had the upper hand against the Allied forces until better development of radar capabilities.[iv]<\/a> With these new developments the Axis powers soon faced a newly energized and effective Allied navy. Through the study of these sources, new light will be brought into the Battle of the Atlantic and how the U.S. escort carriers and German U-boats operated and functioned and what their overall intentions were while fighting the war.<\/p>\n The great thing about the primary sources and secondary sources from this era is that they allow perspective from both Axis and Allied forces. Stress is also placed upon the importance of the sea operations that helped drive the War and Allied victory. Maps given within sources or sources themselves create visuals and demonstrate the large span geographically that the Atlantic Ocean and the battle of Atlantic took place and all the key components that were necessary for strategic operations.[v]<\/a> Oral histories, and journals as or within sources, open clearer understanding of the anxiety sailors faced and the seriousness of naval warfare. The patterns shown within sources demonstrate how the Allied forces approached and strategically implemented to eliminate enemy opposition and gain an advantage in the war. Without such patterns, many more U-boats may have escaped and wreaked havoc on more Allied forces.<\/p>\n The biggest area I would love to see this area expanded on is what is known as the black pit which was the most dangerous part of the Atlantic Ocean and consumed many lives. It is mentioned in several sources but lacks an in-depth discussion of the impact it had during the war. This location also known as the mid-Atlantic gap was prime for Axis powers to attack allied forces as they lacked the technology for air cover and other technological advances. Because this was such a deadly location and crossing for many Allied forces not many sources seem to survive and it seems arduous to track down sources from Axis powers.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n [i]<\/a>Milner, Marc. 2003. Battle of the Atlantic. Stroud, Gloustershire, U.K.: St. Catherine’s, Ontario, U.K.: Tempus; Vanwell. 35.<\/p>\n [ii]<\/a> Y’Blood, William T. 2004. Hunter-killer; U.S. Escort Carriers in the Battle of the Atlantic. <\/em>Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press. 273.<\/p>\n [iii]<\/a> Y, Blood, William T. Hunter-Killer<\/em>. 273<\/p>\n [iv]<\/a>Rayner, Denys Arthur. 1955. Escort: The Battle of the Atlantic. London: W. Kimber. 157.<\/p>\n [v]<\/a> \u201cBattle of the Atlantic\u201d, Map, University of Minnesota Libraries, Manuscripts Division, Blake, F. Donald (1908-1997), Created 1944. http:\/\/umedia.lib.umn.edu\/node\/46228<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Working Bibliography<\/p>\n \u201cBattle of the Atlantic\u201d, Map, University of Minnesota Libraries, Manuscripts Division, Blake, F. Donald (1908-1997), Created 1944. http:\/\/umedia.lib.umn.edu\/node\/46228<\/a><\/p>\n Koster, John. 2016. Tightrope Walker: At the Close of the Battle of the Atlantic a Long-range German U-boat Played a Deadly Cat and Mouse with American Warships and Aircraft. Military History. 33, no. 2: 22.<\/p>\n Lambert, Andrew. 2016. Britain, Germany and the Battle of the Atlantic: A Comparative Study. by Dennis Haslop . (New York, NY: Bloomsbury Press, 2014. Pp. Xii, 310. $120.00. Historian. 78, no. 2: 382-384.<\/p>\n Offley, Edward. 2011. Turning the Tide: How a Small Band of Allied Sailors Defeated the U-boats and Won the Battle of the Atlantic<\/em>. New York: Basic Books.<\/p>\n Rayner, Denys Arthur. 1955. Escort: The Battle of the Atlantic. London: W. Kimber.<\/p>\n\n