January and February saw the
number of U-boat successes rise sharply. The situation
improved
from March when most of the U-boats were withdrawn to cover
the invasion of Norway.
June 22nd:
The fall of France. This gave the U-boats
Atlantic bases for the first time in the war.
July to August:
Provided the first ‘Happy Time’ for
the U-boats, they sank a total of 217 merchant ships.
August 17th:
Hitler proclaimed total blockade of
Britain to all shipping.
October 18-19:
A wolf-pack of six U-boats sank 36 ships
of a total of 79 in two convoys (it was the worst two days
of the battle).
October 26:
The Empress of Britain, en route to
Canada with child evacuees, was sunk by U-32. It was the
only large passenger liner lost during the war.
November 5:
The pocket battleship Admiral Scheer
sank five ships in a westbound Atlantic convoy as part
of a successful five-month cruise which began in October.
In total she sank 16 ships. Without brave resistance from
the armed merchant cruiser Jervis Bay on Nov 5, losses
that day would have been much worse.
