Battle of the Atlantic page

[SMK-at-work]

http://www.naval-history.net/WW2Campaig ... ticDev.htm

A great read....now if only wargames would read like this!

Of particular interest is that subs could pass Gibralter without much bother, and the vast numbes of UK merchant losses in "home waters" - ie close to the UK in 1939 and 1940 - not way out in the Atlantic - both of which are not replicated in any recent WW2 game.

Edit 'cos my typing sucks!

[SMK-at-work]

Another page on all sorts of stats dealing with imports to and from the UK during the war - warning....for real data grogs only!!

This sort of stuff should be mandatory reading for people designing convoy systems

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/U ... ats-3.html

[AlvaroSousa]

Not too many subs got through Gibralter. I think 13 in total. And it was not easy. Hitler ordered them into the med and I beleive they lost a few. It really didnt impact the war.

[SMK-at-work]

According to my info thttp://uboat.net/ops/mediterranean.htm hey sent 62, 9 were sunk in transit and another 10 turned back for various reasons - however none ever made it out - the current flows from the Atlantic INTO the Med and it is too strong for submerged transit out. 10 weer bombed in Touloan, and any survivors were scuttled or captured.

they sank HMS Barham HMS Eagle and HMS Ark Royal, plus another 21 warships including 4 cruisers and 12 destroyers. Merchant sinkings abounted to 95 ships for about 450,000 tons (from Wiki).

so not spectacularly successful, but they certainly did impact the war by sinking the 2 carriers.

[SMK-at-work]

I've read that upwards of 30 Italian submarines actually operated in the Atlantic too, based at Bordeaux.

The first ones weer sent in August 1940, so clearly must have passed Gibralter "the wrong way" - at least one made 2 transits according to wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_su ... Cappellini