World Battlefronts: BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC: How to Sink U-Boats

An official British account of two simultaneous convoy actions in May told how aircraft escort carriers, land-based airplanes, and surface vessels are cooperating to beat the U-boats.

Aircraft from the Royal Navy’s escort carrier H.M.S. Biter, first of these American-made auxiliaries to be identified in the Atlantic action, began the battles by depth-charging and machine-gunning two submarines. Long-range Coastal Command planes then joined the escort, and one of them, a Liberator, disabled a submarine. A British destroyer and one of the new British “frigates” (somewhat similar to the U.S. Navy’s new destroyer escorts) led naval aircraft to another submarine. Attacking in turn, they destroyed the U-boat. Other aircraft, including the first Fortresses mentioned in Coastal Command use, and destroyers then attacked. They may have sunk two more submarines.

In a separate action with another convoy, the British destroyer Hesperus in two days attacked three U-boats, probably destroyed at least two.

Of the convoys, 97% reached port.