Moderated by John Allen Williams, this distinguished panel discussed the Battle of the Atlantic from a global perspective. The U-Boat threat was greatest from mid-1940 through 1943 as Allied merchant ships traveled between North America and the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. The long and deadly Battle of the Atlantic, a term coined by Winston Churchill, was an essential element in the Allied victory in World War II. German U-Boats, warships, and aircraft, along with submarines from the Italian Royal Navy, attacked the merchant vessels which were in turn protected by the navies and air forces of Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. Historian Marc Milner is the author of Battle of the Atlantic and will discuss the impact the U-Boat threat posed to the entire war effort.

Technology developed quickly on both sides, with the Germans finding ways to avoid the Allied codebreakers and the Allies continually searching for new ways to combat the subs. Stephen Budiansky’s new book Blackett’s War explores the efforts of Patrick Blackett and a group of scientists used science and mathematics to aid the fight against the U-Boats. Eventually, the Allies’ convergence of technology bested the U-Boat threat, though 3500 merchant ships, 175 warships, and 783 U-Boats were lost in the process.

The U-505 Submarine was captured off the coast of West Africa in June 1944 and is the only German submarine in the United States, on display at the Museum of Science and Industry. Kurt Haunfelner, Vice President of Exhibitions at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry discussed the fascinating history of the U-505.