How did you die this time?

[Wreford-Brown]

I've just been reading 'Atlantic Escorts' by David K Brown and there is some fascinating information that has changed some of my views of the U-boat war. For example, in the early part of the war the most effective method of killing a U-boat was ramming as the pressure hull of a U-boat was resistant to most surface guns (given its curvature and strength) and the guns were also wildly inaccurate in most forms of weather. The most effective method of surviving early war attacks was to fight it out on the surface as the guns carried on most escorts could not traverse as quickly as the U-boat could turn, and U-boats had a speed advantage (try that in SH3!!!).

Causes of U-boat sinkings to May 1940:
Surface Vessels 13.5 (the 0.5 indicates a shared kill)
Aircraft 2.5
Submarine 3
Mines 4
Accidents/Unknown 1 (some of these could be attributed to mines)
Total 24

Causes of U-boat sinkings Jun 1940 to Mar 1941:
Surface Vessels 8.5
Aircraft 0.5
Submarine 1
Mines 1
Accident/Unknown 4

Causes of U-boat sinkings Apr to Dec 1941
Surface 21
A/c 4
Sub 2
Mines 0
U/k 3

Jan to Jun 1942:
Surface 17.5
A/c 10.5
Sub 1
Mine 1
U/k 2

Aug 1942 to May 1943:
Surface 53
A/c 8
Sub 5
Mine 4
U/k 8

Jun to Sep 1943:
Surface 16.5
A/c 64.5
Sub 2
Mine 1
U/k 5

Oct 1943 to May 1944:
Surface 59.5
A/c 83.5
Sub 3
Mine 3
U/k 13

May 1944 to end of war:
Surface 85.5
A/c 163.5
Sub 8
Mine 20
U/k 41