Download War in the Atlantic, North Africa, and the Mediterranean

Sea Power and Maritime
Affairs
Lesson 11: World War II: The US Navy in
North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the
Atlantic, 1941-1945
Learning Objectives
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Comprehend the internal political situation in the U.S. during the
period before December 7, 1941 relative to American involvement in
overseas problems.
Know that Germany was the greatest threat to European and North
American security.
Know U.S. attempts to remain neutral prior to 1941.
Comprehend the absolute priority given to keeping the sea lanes to
Britain open.
Know the relationship between Roosevelt and Churchill in the
establishment of the United Nations and the broad concepts of Allied
strategy.
Learning Objectives (cont)

Comprehend the confrontation between German U-boat
strategy versus Allied convoy Antisubmarine (ASW)
strategy in the Atlantic.
 Know 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.
Germany’s 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
1 Sep 1939: Germany Invades
Poland
Germany’s 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
British Convoy Strategy

Strategy adopted from the
outset
 Recognizes the importance
of keeping the lines of
communications open with
the U.S.
 Dönitz 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.
17 Sep 1939: U-29 sinks carrier HMS Courageous;
U-47 sinks Royal Oak.
HMS Courageous
HMS Courageous sinking
Hitler giving awards for sinking of HMS
Courageous
HMS Royal Oak
HMS Royal Oak
HMS Royal Oak
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.”
Enlisting American Help
US sends “Neutrality
Patrols” to help British
ASW.
 “All aid to Britain short of
war” includes “destroyerbases deal” and “LendLease” program.
 FDR concedes this is not
Wilson’s neutrality in
thought and deed.

U.S. Enters War
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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. HunterKiller groups run out of U-boats to
sink
Germany’s 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.
Competing Allied Strategies.

British preferred a peripheral strategy
– War of Attrition
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North Africa
Egypt
Sicily
U.S. preferred direct attack on Germany through
western France
– Operation Roundup
US went with Brits

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
Competing Allied Strategies

Sequence for pursuing
peripheral strategy in the
Mediterranean
– Operation Torch
– Operation Husky
Operation Torch

General Dwight D. Eisenhower
 Western Naval Task Force
– Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt
– Major General George S. Patton

D-Day 8 November 1942
 Target is Casablanca
Operation Husky

Invasion of Sicily
 Same General Officers as “Torch”
 More sophisticated amphibious landing
– LSTs, LCTs, LCIs

Night landing
 Mussolini falls from power
Competing Allied Strategies

Allies spend next year building up in
England for cross channel invasion
 Normandy Overlord
– invasion (June 1944)

Southern France Dragoon
– (August 1944)

succeed in pushing Germans back into its
borders.
 Spring 1945: War ends in Europe.
Discussion
Next time: World War II: The US Navy in the Pacific, 1941-1945