Download or read book The Italian Submarine Force in the Battle of the Atlantic Left in the Dark Coordination with German Navy Kriegsmarine U Boats in World War II Inef written by U. S. Military and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-01-25 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As we reflect on World War II, our minds are often drawn to the atrocities of genocide, and graphic depictions of Nazi Concentration camps throughout Europe. Others reflect on the near 30 million deaths, civilian and military, that occurred in the fierce, destructive battles on the Eastern Front. Few reflect on the "largest, longest, and most complex Naval battle in history," the Battle of the Atlantic. This study analyzed the Battle of the Atlantic from September of 1939 to May of 1945. While studies of the Battle of the Atlantic have traditionally focused on the German submarine offensive, this thesis evaluated the effectiveness of the Italian submarine force as a force multiplier to the German offensive during both coordinated and independent submarine operations (in the Atlantic) from October 1940 to July 1943. This study found that while the Italians provided capable submarines to the German High Command for use in the Atlantic, they were largely ineffective during coordinated operations from October 1940 to May 1941. The research concluded that ineffective coordinated operations resulted from inadequate joint training prior to the conduct of coordinated operations and a failure by the German High Command to treat Italy as a capable ally. Although ineffective during coordinated operations, the Italian submarine force did show improved performance during independent operations from June 1941 to July 1943.At the onset of WWII, the vast ocean that afforded the United States protection from the German conquest in the European theater was filled with 13 million tons of sunken allied shipping, 5000 destroyed allied ships, 180 sunken U-boats, and the remains of some 20,000 mariners, all results from unrestricted submarine warfare during WWI. Nearing the brink of disaster, Britain adapted an escorted convoy system which proved to be the most effective strategy against submarine attacks. As WWII began, neither side (Allied or German) was necessarily prepared for unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic. The British, having largely forgotten the lessons learned in World War I (WWI), were not prepared to provide the necessary escorts to protect the shipping imports required for their very survival. The Germans, while successful in WWI, had too few operational submarines in the Atlantic theater at the onset of WWII to fulfill Admiral (ADM) Karl Doenitz's preferred maritime strategy. Although initially unprepared for the onset of war, both sides exercised the flexibility required in shipbuilding, tactics, technology, and information dominance, resulting in a contracted battle of wills in the Atlantic Ocean.Wolf-packs, air escorted convoys, surfaced U-boat attacks, Asdic (sonar), and Enigma code breaking are all examples of tactics, technology, and information dominance concepts utilized individually, or in conjunction with each other, to change the tide of the battle in the Atlantic. While the factors just described were important, they are focused on Allied defensive measures and German U-boat offensive operations, and often ignore the contributions of the Italian submarine force (a numerically superior force as compared to the Germans with nearly twice as many operational submarines at the onset of the war). How effective was the Italian submarine force as a multiplier to the powerful German submarine force in WWII? What were the major factors which contributed to the Italian submarine force's effectiveness or ineffectiveness?
Download or read book The Italian Submarine Force in the Battle of the Atlantic written by United States Army Command and General S and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-05-07 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As we reflect on World War II, our minds are often drawn to the atrocities of genocide, and graphic depictions of Nazi Concentration camps throughout Europe. Others reflect on the near 30 million deaths, civilian and military, that occurred in the fierce, destructive battles on the Eastern Front. Few reflect on the "largest, longest, and most complex Naval battle in history," the Battle of the Atlantic. This study analyzed the Battle of the Atlantic from September of 1939 to May of 1945. While studies of the Battle of the Atlantic have traditionally focused on the German submarine offensive, this thesis evaluated the effectiveness of the Italian submarine force as a force multiplier to the German offensive during both coordinated and independent submarine operations (in the Atlantic) from October 1940 to July 1943. This study found that while the Italians provided capable submarines to the German High Command for use in the Atlantic, they were largely ineffective during coordinated operations from October 1940 to May 1941. The research concluded that ineffective coordinated operations resulted from inadequate joint training prior to the conduct of coordinated operations and a failure by the German High Command to treat Italy as a capable ally. Although ineffective during coordinated operations, the Italian submarine force did show improved performance during independent operations from June 1941 to July 1943.
Download or read book The Italian Submarine Force in the Battle of the Atlantic written by United States Army Command and General S and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-12-04 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As we reflect on World War II, our minds are often drawn to the atrocities of genocide, and graphic depictions of Nazi Concentration camps throughout Europe. Others reflect on the near 30 million deaths, civilian and military, that occurred in the fierce, destructive battles on the Eastern Front. Few reflect on the "largest, longest, and most complex Naval battle in history," the Battle of the Atlantic. This study analyzed the Battle of the Atlantic from September of 1939 to May of 1945. While studies of the Battle of the Atlantic have traditionally focused on the German submarine offensive, this thesis evaluated the effectiveness of the Italian submarine force as a force multiplier to the German offensive during both coordinated and independent submarine operations (in the Atlantic) from October 1940 to July 1943. This study found that while the Italians provided capable submarines to the German High Command for use in the Atlantic, they were largely ineffective during coordinated operations from October 1940 to May 1941. The research concluded that ineffective coordinated operations resulted from inadequate joint training prior to the conduct of coordinated operations and a failure by the German High Command to treat Italy as a capable ally. Although ineffective during coordinated operations, the Italian submarine force did show improved performance during independent operations from June 1941 to July 1943.
Download or read book Hitler s Attack U boats written by Jak P. Mallmann Showell and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2020-12-19 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The success of German submarines during the First World War in almost cutting off Britain's vital imports had not been forgotten by Adolf Hitler and when, in March 1935, he repudiated the Treaty of Versailles, Britain, magnanimously, signed up to an Anglo-German Naval Agreement. This allowed the Germans to build their submarine strength up to one third of the British Royal Navy's tonnage.When war broke out in 1939, German U-boats went quickly into action, but with only four years of production and development, the main armament of these submarines was considerably weaker than equivalent boats in other navies and many of the other main features, such as living and the fighting conditions, were also significantly inferior. Nevertheless, the German U-boat onslaught against British merchant ships during the autumn of 1940 was highly successful because the attacks were made on the surface at night and from such close range that a single torpedo would sink a ship.Soon, though, Allied technology was able to detect U-boats at night, and new convoy techniques, combined with powerfully-armed, fast modern aircraft searching the seas, meant that by 1941 it was clear that Germany was losing the war at sea. Something had to be done. The new generation of attack U-boats that had been introduced since Hitler came to power needed urgent improvement. This is the story of the Types II, VII and IX that had already become the 'workhorse' of the Kriegsmarine's submarine fleet and continued to put out to sea to attack Allied shipping right up to the end of the war. The Type II was a small coastal boat that struggled to reach the Atlantic; the Type VII was perfectly at home there, but lacked the technology to tackle well protected convoys; whilst the Type IX was a long-range variety that was modified so that it could operate in the Indian Ocean.In this latest book by the renowned Kriegsmarine historian Jak Mallmann Showell, these attack U-boats are explored at length. This includes details of their armament, capabilities, crew facilities, and just what is was like to operate such a vessel, and of course the story of their development and operational history.
Download or read book Betasom written by Marek Sobski and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2022-12-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the operations of a group of Italian submarines that took part in the Atlantic conflict during the World War Two. A total of 32 submarines flying the tricolour flag of the Regia Marina passed through the Betasom base, located at the French port of Bordeaux. Almost two hundred of their combat patrols are presented in detail, all victories and defeats being discussed. The work also covers the story of the base itself, the doctrine of Italian submarines, biographies of commanders, submarines and other factors influencing successes and failures. The Italians commenced their operations in the Atlantic badly, due to a lack of previous experience they turned out to be unprepared for the actions that awaited them, but with stubbornness and hard work, they managed to transform their Atlantic contingent into a very effective fighting machine. Thanks in large part due to the efforts of Betasom's personnel, the Italian Navy can be proud of being the sixth most effective submarine fleet in the history of this type of weapon. A separate chapter presents the history of the Italian blockade runners, which, based in Bordeaux, were to break into the Far East, carrying in both directions material of strategic importance, urgently needed for the war-fighting of Italy, Germany and Japan. The book is illustrated with 100 photos or drawings and 15 maps. List of chapters: I. Betasom Is Formed II. Doctrine, Ships And Commanders III. Road To Bordeaux IV. The First Patrols From The Betasom Base V. Hard Winter In The North Atlantic VI. In The Waters Between The Azores And Gibraltar VII. The Turn Of 1941/1942 In The South Atlantic VIII. In American Waters IX. Twilight Of The Gods X. Italians In The Far East XI. Bordeaux As Base For Italian Blockade Runners
Download or read book Betasom written by Marek Sobski and published by MMP. This book was released on 2020-04-19 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BETASOM (an Italian language acronym of Bordeaux Sommergibile or Sommergibili) was a submarine base established at Bordeaux, France by the Italian Regia Marina Italian during World War II. From this base, Italian submarines participated in the Battle of the Atlantic from 1940 to 1943 as part of the Axis anti-shipping campaign against the Allies. Book covers Italian Regia Marina Italian submarines operations in the Atlantic during WW2.
Download or read book Submarine Warfare in World War I written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-02-28 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes accounts of fighting *includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Submarine warfare began tentatively during the American Civil War (though the Netherlands and England made small prototypes centuries earlier, and the American sergeant Ezra Lee piloted the one-man "Turtle" vainly against HMS Eagle near New York in 1776). Robert Whitehead's invention of the torpedo introduced the weapon later used most frequently by submarines. Steady improvements to Whitehead's design led to the military torpedoes deployed against shipping during both World Wars. World War I witnessed the First Battle of the Atlantic, when the Kaiserreich unleashed its U-boats against England. During the war, the German submarines sent much of the British merchant marine to the bottom. Indeed, German reliance on U-boats in both World War I and World War II stemmed largely from their nation's geography. The Germans eventually recognized the superiority of the Royal Navy and its capacity to blockade Germany's short coastline in the event of war. While the British could easily interdict surface ships, submarines slipped from their Kiel or Hamburg anchorages unseen, able to prey upon England's merchant shipping. The sleek hunter-killers lurking beneath the waves, using periscopes to close in unnoticed on their prey, added a new, nerve-wracking element to naval warfare. The mere threat of submarine attack immediately altered naval tactics and strategies employed by both the Western Allies and the Central Powers, shifting them towards a more cautious approach, especially at the war's start when the submarine threat remained untested. During World War I, German U-boats operated solo except on one occasion. Initially, the British and nations supplying England with food and materiel scattered vessels singly across the ocean, making them vulnerable to the lone submarines. However, widespread late war re-adoption of the convoy system tipped the odds in the surface ships' favor, as one U-boat skipper described: "The oceans at once became bare and empty; for long periods at a time the U-boats, operating individually, would see nothing at all; and then suddenly up would loom a huge concourse of ships, thirty or fifty or more of them, surrounded by a strong escort of warships of all types." (Blair, 1996, 55). World War I proved the value of submarines, ensuring their widespread employment in the next conflict, but by using U-boats against the shipping that kept Britain supplied, it might have ultimately cost Germany and Austria-Hungary the war by providing a reason for President Woodrow Wilson to bring the United States into the struggle. Submarine Warfare in World War I: The History and Legacy of the German U-boats and Allied Efforts to Counter Them analyzes the underwater fighting. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about submarine warfare in World War I like never before.
Download or read book Italian Navy Air Force Elite Units Special Forces 1940 45 written by Piero Crociani and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-01-20 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume assesses the formidable Special Forces fielded by Italy's navy and air force in World War II. Italian Navy Special Forces were particularly active and respected in the Mediterranean, where 10th Motor-Torpedo Boat Flotilla used frogmen, 'two-man torpedoes' and explosive ram-boats. The Italian Air Force formed a special commando unit, ADRA, before the 1943 surrender; it was tasked with attacking Allied airfields and communications in North Africa. Men from ADRA and Army paratroopers formed the new 'Folgore' Regiment, which also continued to fight alongside German forces until 1945. In both cases, the pro-Allied Italian forces also formed 'mirror' units to fight alongside US and British forces, including the Recce Squadron 'F'. Featuring rare photographs and specially commissioned artwork, this book tells the story of the little-known elite forces fielded by Italy's navy and air force in World War II, some of whose successors remain in service with today's Italian armed forces.
Download or read book The Hunters and the Hunted written by Aldo Cocchia and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Italian Navy Air Force Elite Units Special Forces 1940 45 written by Piero Crociani and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-01-20 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume assesses the formidable Special Forces fielded by Italy's navy and air force in World War II. Italian Navy Special Forces were particularly active and respected in the Mediterranean, where 10th Motor-Torpedo Boat Flotilla used frogmen, 'two-man torpedoes' and explosive ram-boats. The Italian Air Force formed a special commando unit, ADRA, before the 1943 surrender; it was tasked with attacking Allied airfields and communications in North Africa. Men from ADRA and Army paratroopers formed the new 'Folgore' Regiment, which also continued to fight alongside German forces until 1945. In both cases, the pro-Allied Italian forces also formed 'mirror' units to fight alongside US and British forces, including the Recce Squadron 'F'. Featuring rare photographs and specially commissioned artwork, this book tells the story of the little-known elite forces fielded by Italy's navy and air force in World War II, some of whose successors remain in service with today's Italian armed forces.
Download or read book The Italian Navy in World War II written by Marc'Antonio Bragadin and published by . This book was released on 1957 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Dark Navy written by Vincent O'Hara and published by Nimble Books LLC. This book was released on 2009-11 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In July 1943 Benito Mussolini, Italy's warlord and the father of fascism fell from power in a hastily arranged plot, the details of which even today remain controversial. A cabal of generals took the nation's reins and bungled their way toward an accommodation with the Allies. When General Eisenhower announced an armistice with Italy on the evening of 8 September he believed he had struck a deal that included Italian military cooperation against the Germans. In fact, the generals had promised more than they could deliver and Germany's terrible, swift reprisal shattered Italy's confused air force and army. The armistice likewise caught the navy by surprise, with its battleships raising steam to attack the Allied fleet landing at Salerno. Nonetheless, the Regia Marina obeyed its government's orders and honored the pact the generals had negotiated. Rather than evaporating like Italy's other services, however, it proceeded to fight a three-week campaign against Germany, without Allied support, and in the process retained complete control of its ships, regardless of the ports necessity forced them to seek refuge in. This is the story of the Regia Marina and the Italian armistice of September 1943. It is a deeply-researched and highly readable exploration of this confusing and fascinating corner of history. It refutes the conventional notion that Italy's fleet abjectly surrendered to Allied power. It shows how the navy paved Italy's path from enemy to co-belligerent with the blood and unconquered spirit of its men. Despite German and Allied intentions to secure Italy's fleet for their own uses, it remained Italian to the end: a dark navy - not victorious, but undefeated. Vincent P. O'Hara and Enrico Cernuschi have collaborated for publications including "Warship, World War II Magazine, World War II Quarterly, " and the new "Seaforth Naval Review." Mr. O'Hara has written several books including "Struggle for the Middle Sea: the Great Navies at War in the Mediterranean 1939-1945" (Annapolis, 2009). Mr. Cernuschi is a regular contributor to Rivista Marittima and Storia Militare. He has published a dozen books including "Le navi da guerra italiane 1940-1945" (Parma, 2003) and "Domenico Cavagnari: Storia di un Ammiraglio" (Rome, 2001) About DARK NAVY The huge tragedy suffered by the Italian navy and nation has been reduced, until today, to a brief mention in the very few books available abroad about the Regia Marina's war between 1940 and 1945. It is thus quite important that a new essay directed toward English speaking readers is dedicated, at last, to these events, allowing them to sortie beyond the confines of Italian naval historiography--which has long debated these themes--and beyond the scanty circulation abroad of the Italian language.--Erminio Bagnasco, editor of STORIA Militare DARK NAVY is a masterful account of the Regia Marina's role in the Armistice of September 1943. The authors are to be commended for overturning the propagandist mythology which has often marred English-language histories of this difficult period in Italian history. A riveting story.--John Jordan, editor of WARSHIP DARK NAVY gives an excellent overview of the naval, air, and land impact on the Italian military at the time of the 8 September 1943 Armistice. It clearly shows the hesitancy of various leaders, on both sides, as they grappled with "what to do?" in this radically changed wartime environment and gives solid detail on the actions that resulted.--Jack Greene, author (with Alessandro Massigiani) of NAVAL WAR IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 1940-1943.
Download or read book Submarines and the World Wars written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-02-27 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes accounts of fighting *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Submarine warfare began tentatively during the American Civil War (though the Netherlands and England made small prototypes centuries earlier, and the American sergeant Ezra Lee piloted the one-man "Turtle" vainly against HMS Eagle near New York in 1776). Robert Whitehead's invention of the torpedo introduced the weapon later used most frequently by submarines. Steady improvements to Whitehead's design led to the military torpedoes deployed against shipping during both World Wars. During World War I, German U-boats operated solo except on one occasion. Initially, the British and nations supplying England with food and materiel scattered vessels singly across the ocean, making them vulnerable to the lone submarines. However, widespread late war re-adoption of the convoy system tipped the odds in the surface ships' favor, as one U-boat skipper described: "The oceans at once became bare and empty; for long periods at a time the U-boats, operating individually, would see nothing at all; and then suddenly up would loom a huge concourse of ships, thirty or fifty or more of them, surrounded by a strong escort of warships of all types." (Blair, 1996, 55). World War I proved the value of submarines, ensuring their widespread employment in the next conflict, but by using U-boats against the shipping that kept Britain supplied, it might have ultimately cost Germany and Austria-Hungary the war by providing a reason for President Woodrow Wilson to bring the United States into the struggle. One critical innovation in World War II's Atlantic U-boat operations consisted of wolf-pack tactics, in which Admiral Karl Dönitz put great faith: "The greater the number of U-boats that could be brought simultaneously into the attack, the more favourable would become the opportunities offered to each individual attacker. [...] it was obvious that, on strategic and general tactical grounds, attacks on convoys must be carried out by a number of U-boats acting in unison." (Dönitz, 1990, 4). However, even the wolf-pack proved insufficient to defeat the Atlantic convoys and stop Allied commerce - the precise opposite of the Pacific theater, where America's excellent submarine forces annihilated much of Japan's merchant marine and inflicted severe damage on the Imperial Japanese Navy. Submarines exercised a decisive impact on the outcome of the Pacific Theater in World War II. The U.S. submarine fleet, largely though not exclusively under the overall command of Vice Admiral Charles Lockwood, strangled the supply lines and shipping traffic of the Empire of Japan. Their commerce raiding crippled both Japan's ability to keep its frontline units supplied and to manufacture the weapons, vessels, and vehicles needed to successfully carry on the struggle. Though constituting only 1.6% of the total U.S. Navy's tonnage in the Pacific, the submarine fleet inflicted massive losses on the Imperial Japanese Navy and Japan's crucial merchant marine. Submarines sank 55% of the merchant shipping lost, or approximately 1,300 vessels; overall, the Allies sank 77% of Japan's shipping. The submarines also sank 214 Japanese warships, including 82 of 1,000 tons or more - 4 carriers, 4 escort carriers, one battleship, 4 heavy cruisers, 9 light cruisers, 38 destroyers, and 23 submarines - or approximately 30% of the entire Imperial Japanese Navy. The sleek, predatory craft made in the shipyards of Virginia, Wisconsin, or Washington state devastated the naval and freighter assets of the Empire of the Rising Sun out of all proportion to their numbers, at a cost of 42 submarines on "Eternal Patrol." Submarines and the World Wars: The History of Submarine Warfare in World War I and World War II analyzes the underwater fighting during both great conflicts.
Download or read book The Tenth Fleet written by Ladislas Farago and published by New York, I. Obolensky [1962]. This book was released on 1962 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Italian Submarine Scire 1938 1942 written by Carlo Cestra and published by Super Drawings in 3D. This book was released on 2017-03-19 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Musashi battleship was the second ship of the Yamato class of Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War. She and her sister, Yamato, were the heaviest and most powerful battleships ever constructed, displacing 72800 tons at full load and armed with nine 46 cm Type 94 main guns. Musashi was commissioned on August 1942 and assigned to the 1st Battleship Division. In early 1943 the ship was transferred to Truk, that was the Empire of Japan's main base in the South Pacific. During this year she sortied several times with the fleet searching for American forces, without success. In 1944 she was used to transfer forces and equipment between Japan and various occupied islands. In early 1944 she was damaged by an American submarine attack and was forced to return to Japan for repairs. In thiso ccasion she was strongly enhanced with antiaircraft armament. She was present during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June, but she didn't engage in combat with the American forces. On 24 October 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, after several hours of fighting, Musashi was sunk by a large number of torpedoes and bombs hit from the American carrier-based aircraft. The wreck was located in March 2015 by the team of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, to a depth of about 1350 meters (4430 feet).
Download or read book Battle of the Atlantic written by Marc Milner and published by St. Catherine's, Ont. : Vanwell Publishing. This book was released on 2003 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first modern one-volume history to challenge the orthodox view of the "Battle of the Atlantic that was established sixty years ago. It refutes the idea that the British were unprepared, restores the threat from surface raiders to its proper place, demonstrates that victory was never within Germany's grasp and argues the Ultra intelligence was not decisive. It fully integrates the huge outpouring of new material from Canada into a totally new model for the Atlantic war. At its heart, this book charts the development of U-boat capacities and provides the most sophisticated analysis yet in print of Allied tactics used to defeat them, including a comprehensive account of the final two years of the Atlantic war, a topic most popular histories ignore completely. Part of the Battles and Campaigns series, edited by Hew Strachan, Chichele Professor of the History of War at Oxford at Oxford University.
Download or read book War Secrets in the Ether written by Wilhelm F. Flicke and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The story of German 'code-breaking' successes and radio-espionage during and between the world wars"--Cover.
