How effective were U-boats during WWII?

Tullaian · 08-09-05, 08:23 PM

Early in the war they were hugely succsessful sinking boats faster than Britain could make them and came close to turning the tide of the war. Churchill rated them the greatest threat to Britain's survival at one point in time. However as the war went on and America joined the war the uboats could no longer keep up with the massive increase in manufacturing availiable to the Allies and the % totals started to fall. By 1943 the ASW technology had the clear upper hand and tonnage totals started to fall dramatically.

In late 1942 the uboats were sinking in the order of 700,000+ tonnes of allied shipping a month , by the end of 1943 that had died to a trickle.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Threaded Mode

08-09-05, 08:23 PM	#2
Tullaian Watch Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 17 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Early in the war they were hugely succsessful sinking boats faster than Britain could make them and came close to turning the tide of the war. Churchill rated them the greatest threat to Britain's survival at one point in time. However as the war went on and America joined the war the uboats could no longer keep up with the massive increase in manufacturing availiable to the Allies and the % totals started to fall. By 1943 the ASW technology had the clear upper hand and tonnage totals started to fall dramatically. In late 1942 the uboats were sinking in the order of 700,000+ tonnes of allied shipping a month , by the end of 1943 that had died to a trickle.