value of marine communications in the Second World War can not be overestimated.Since 1939, issues of supply of troops, deliveries of military aid, food, fuel, medicines and other strategic goods directly affects the ability of the UK to resist the onslaught of Nazi Germany.
Since 1941 Lend-Lease to the Soviet Union at war annoyed Hitler, and he did everything to prevent the northern convoys on their way to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.The most important role in this battle played the Luftwaffe and submarines of the Third Reich.
role of submarines in the naval theater of military operations has been estimated in the years of the First World.Despite the imperfection of technical base, the main technical solutions that have become the foundation of modern samples were developed then.After the defeat of Germany had lost the right to have a full-fledged navy and in the ensuing years of economic stagnation was not up to him.
However, there are people who dreamed of revenge.Erich Raeder, the hero of sea battles, and the Admiral, who became minister after the scandalous resignation of his predecessor Adolf Zenker, in secrecy has developed a program of revival of Kriegsmarine.
Submarines Third Reich officially step up combat duty after 1935.The Treaty of Versailles with the acquiescence of the European powers was invalid, and his position was possible to ignore.In the summer of that year in London, Germany and Britain signed an agreement abolishing the tonnage limits for the German Navy.
Another event of 1935, which at the time did not appreciate the military experts: submarines of the Third Reich came to the management of Admiral Doenitz.This talented naval commander, respected and beloved by German sailors still create a lot of problems.
By the beginning of World War II all the submarines Reich were divided into three categories: large (600-1000 tons displacement), medium (740 m) and the shuttle (250 m).They were few in number, as part of the Kriegsmarine had only 46 units.It did not bother Doenitz, he knew about the possibilities of the German shipyards and knew that acting skill is preferable, but not the number.
Even then, 22 submarines were refitted for further raids.The German leadership understood the inevitability of conflict with the US, and is ready to cut sea routes across the Atlantic.Later submarines 3 Reich carried out a bold operation near the East Coast.
The effectiveness of submarines in the initial period of the war due to the use of new tactics, previously unknown, and invented by Karl Doenitz.He named his submarine connection "wolf packs," and their action fits into this image.
naval blockade of the British Isles has created a direct threat to the very existence of the metropolis, not to mention its relationship with the colonies.In the summer of 1940 every day went 2-3 at the bottom of the vessel, for seven months Doenitz submarine sank 343 merchant fleet units.Winston Churchill after the war assessed the situation even more critical as the than the result of the air "Battle of Britain".
deal with the threat coming from the ocean depths, helped the new acoustic sonar equipment, and the US, supplying fleets of Britain and the USSR.Submarines of the Third Reich began to suffer serious losses, and bearded "Doenitz Wolves" became something of a Japanese kamikaze.
From 1939 to 1945 The year 1162 produced a German submarine shipyard with an approximate total number of crew members in the 40 th. People.More than 30 thousand. German submariners took a terrible death in their "iron coffins."On the seabed were 790 submarines, Admiral Doenitz, who lost in this terrible war two sons and nephew.
