Book Specifics
Author: Mark Lardas
Illustrator: Edouard A. Groult
ISBN 978-1-4728-3603-8
Price: $24.00
Paperback with 96 pages, including over 70 black and white photos and color drawings, detailed maps and diagrams and bird’s-eye views
Available February 18, 2020
What’s Inside
In number 15 of their Air Campaign series, Osprey Publishing goes in depth with the struggles between the RAF’s Coastal Command and the German U-Boat Fleet. The focus is early in WWII when antisubmarine aircraft were first used against the submarines. Due to some inefficient tactics and methods, the battle waged until nearly the end of the war. The book looks at the ups when these aircraft were used effectively, as well as the downs when they were misused and traces the development of the technologies that allowed the aircraft to be better sub hunters, including radar and depth charges.
After an Introduction and Chronology spanning the initial bid to build U-boats in 1935 through to the end of 1941, the book presents the Capabilities of both sides. The Attacker’s side gives descriptions of Coastal Command aircraft, facilities and infrastructure, and weapons and tactics. A detailed map of a strategic overview from September of 1939 is present here, as well as some excellent photos and diagrams of tactics.
The Defender’s Capabilities follow- starting out with an overview of the various U-Boat types as well as a section on the Fw-200 Condor bomber which was an effective deterrent to Allied shipping early on. Similar to the previous section, there is an overview of Facilities and infrastructure, weapons and tactics, and a strategic overview map. The section ends with detailed Order of Battle tables.
The next chapter, Campaign Objectives, provides information on the early war at sea, including Allied and Axis objectives and plans. This brings us to the major section in the book- the Campaign. From it’s origins in 1935-39, the reader is provided with forty pages of close-up accounts through the various stages of the early Battle of the Atlantic:
- The first round: September 1939- June 1940
- The wider war: June to October 1940
- Dark winter: November 1940 through April 1941
- Neutrality patrol: May to September 1941
- Enter the escort carrier: October to December 1941
Scattered throughout this section are interesting sidebars and artwork and bird’s-eye diagrams. The one that stood out to me was titled Skuas Down and spotlighted some Skuas that attacked U-30 and in a couple separate instances, were downed by their own bombs exploding after bouncing back up into the air.
An Aftermath and Analysis section concludes the main content of the book. U-Boats typically took about two years to be built after being ordered, and there is a rather neat photo of workers in an open hatch of one being built.
There is a brief overview of surviving U-boats and aircraft and a page discussing Further Reading.
Conclusion
This is another great issue in the Air Campaign series- full of photographs I have not seen from both sides– and highly detailed maps and diagrams of different subjects including patrol routes, and an account of the Death of U-451 that is quite interesting. The Battle of the Atlantic is not a common theme covered in the history books so this is a great addition for the library for those interested in learning more. My thanks to Osprey Publishing for this review sample.
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