Log in

View Full Version : Lectues at the TNA - Battle of the Atlantic


Merchant Ship Killer
09-15-09, 05:05 PM
Interesting lecture the other day about the Battle of Atlantic at The National Archives in Kew expected it to be one sided ie British Merchant Navy but no it covered the UBoat campeign very well. Talked about U Boat aces the advancements on both sides. Talked in depth about the Happy Times firstly against the Brits and then the second happy time when the americans eventually joined the war. (The Americans failed to heed the advice of the Brits when it came to the convoy system and suffered accordingly). Anyway very good very informative and very impartial the Brits do history impartially so well (Serious)
Whether you were british commonwealth german or inept Americans it gave you a good grounding in the campeign. Life was hard and all involved were very brave men and women, well done the National Archives!!!!:arrgh!:

SteamWake
09-15-09, 05:10 PM
Inept Americans huh :doh:

The vast majority of merchant sailors at the time failed to understand the threat and followed orders. There was alot of ineptitude if you will early on in the conflict but dont forget whom ultimatly decided the whole axis vs allies thing.

Oh and all those ships, planes, tanks, we 'lent' you... we want them back :rotfl2:

But there is a grain of truth there.

Still sounds like an interesting lecture.

Oh and welcome to subsim. :salute:

Oberon
09-15-09, 05:19 PM
The US learnt eventually ;) They just did it through first hand experience rather than adopting the lessons we'd already learnt. :03: Hence the second Happy Times during Drumbeat.

Merchant Ship Killer
09-15-09, 06:20 PM
Inept Americans huh :doh:

The vast majority of merchant sailors at the time failed to understand the threat and followed orders. There was alot of ineptitude if you will early on in the conflict but dont forget whom ultimatly decided the whole axis vs allies thing.

Oh and all those ships, planes, tanks, we 'lent' you... we want them back :rotfl2:

But there is a grain of truth there.

Still sounds like an interesting lecture.

Oh and welcome to subsim. :salute:
Nothing personal btw you lent us obsolete ships which were refitted at taxpayers expense which we gave back when you joined in.
Secondly the war loan we eventually paid back a few years ago. I suppose the US were the true winners in the end!! Not sour grapes btw but Britain has suffered a great deal from both wars I think and has always been the first in conflict if not recently together with the US. It was a good lecture.
It mentioned the Laconia incident ! I dont have a downer on the US war is always the same mistakes at the start etc You are right there was no doubt inept people on all sides, the bits about coney island fairground lighting the harbour up, navigation lights on etc plus the proganda involved in drumbeat. There is a podcast on the TNA website by Janet Dempsey the TNA Merchant Navy women. You should listen to it :arrgh!:

SteamWake
09-15-09, 08:31 PM
Linkage please... Im lazy :O: