This is the David-and-Goliath story of how RAF Coastal Command battled
with outdated aircraft against the deadly U-boat fleet during the
crucial first years of World War II.
In his six-volume series The Second World War, Winston Churchill wrote
"The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the
U-boat peril." But initially, everyone was surprised at the efficiency
of the submarines. Sonar proved less effective a detection method than
the British had predicted; surface attack made the U-boat invisible,
especially at night; and wolf-pack tactics overwhelmed convoy escorts.
Only faulty German torpedoes and the restricted number of available
U-boats limited their success.
Astonishingly, Britain had the major piece of the solution to the U-boat
threat from the opening days of World War II: the antisubmarine
aircraft. If it had been used assiduously and effectively in the first
months of the war, Britain might have won the Battle of the Atlantic in
its first year. Instead, the opportunity was missed and the Battle of
the Atlantic continued until Germany's surrender in May 1945.
This title examines the role played by aircraft in the early years of
the Battle of the Atlantic. Highlighting their success when employed
effectively, the book follows these early operations to show how and why
aircraft were initially misused. It also traces the development of
technologies which made aircraft more effective submarine killers
including radar and depth charges.
