Post by Administrator on May 4, 2016 23:47:15 GMT
Seventy three years ago tomorrow 5th May 2016, will commemorate the major turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic, which took place on the 5th May 1943. The 46 ship Convoy ONS-5, departed Liverpool on the 21st April 1943 bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Four days after sailing the British code breakers suffered a temporary setback as the Germans suddenly changed their enigma codes and on the 28th April the convoy was sighted by U-650, one of sixteen U-boats, which had formed up a patrol line and one American Merchant ship was torpedoed and sunk on the 29th. The following day the weather began to deteriorate scattering a number of ships from the main and at the same time U-boat contact was lost with the convoy. Struggling through mountainous seas the convoy had been struggling to make 20 miles a day when U-boat contact was re-established and by the 4th May fifty-seven U-boats were in position to attack and the convoy screen was finally broken after one straggler was sunk. In the early hours of the morning of the 5th May 1943 the convoy was attacked no less than twenty-five times and by the end of the day eleven Merchant ships had been torpedoed and sunk. The battle for Convoy ONS-5 was believed to be the turning point of the Battle of the Atlantic, as the Germans lost six U-boats and a further seven damaged. In fact, in the weeks following this disaster, the Germans were unable to mount an attack on any other convoy but continued to suffer severe losses. Although Merchant shipping continued to be sunk up until the last day of the war in Europe, never again were the U-boats to have the same previous successes on shipping, which they referred to as the “happy time” and “second happy time” respectively.
Just under 5000 British & Allied Merchant ships lost were during WWII, of which about half were flying the Red Ensign. Below is the gross tonnage loss of Merchant shipping from September 1939 to the end of May 1943, where it was announced the Battle of the Atlantic had been won.
1939 781,747grt
1940 3.993.198grt
1941 3.964.015grt
1942 7.620.389grt
Up to end May 1943 1.975.043grt.
Lest We Forget.
Billy McGee
Just under 5000 British & Allied Merchant ships lost were during WWII, of which about half were flying the Red Ensign. Below is the gross tonnage loss of Merchant shipping from September 1939 to the end of May 1943, where it was announced the Battle of the Atlantic had been won.
1939 781,747grt
1940 3.993.198grt
1941 3.964.015grt
1942 7.620.389grt
Up to end May 1943 1.975.043grt.
Lest We Forget.
Billy McGee
