After tens of thousands of deaths, thousands of ships sunk, and hundreds of aircraft destroyed, the longest campaign of the Second World War came to an end 80 years ago.
On Sunday, May 4, members of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), veterans, cadets and members of the public commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Atlantic at the Victoria Cenotaph on the B.C. Legislature grounds.
The battle began on Sept. 3, 1939, with the sinking of SS Athenia by German submarine U-30. The campaign involved allied naval and air forces fighting against German and Italian submarines, ships, and aircraft to protect convoys of merchant ships carrying cargo from North America to Europe.
"Fought largely by reservists in small ships built in Canada and operating from Canadian bases, the fledgling Royal Canadian Navy that entered the war in the fall of 1939 was very different from the force that would eventually escort almost 25,000 merchant vessels across the Atlantic throughout the campaign," said Capt. Kevin Whiteside, commander of CFB Esquimalt.
According to Whiteside, the RCN had six destroyers and 3,500 personnel at the start of the battle and grew to 373 fighting ships by the end of the war.
The Royal Canadian Navy destroyed or shared in the destruction of 33 U-boats and 42 enemy surface craft, but in turn, the RCN suffered 2,210 fatalities and lost 33 vessels. Canada's Merchant Navy lost almost 70 ships and 1,700 lives, and the Royal Canadian Air Force lost 900 aircrews. In total, 95,000 Canadians fought in the 2,000-day struggle on the Atlantic front.
"Controlling these hostile sea lanes was key to the victory in Europe, and the fact that the victory was ultimately achieved is a tribute to the sailors and aircrew who persevered so that Canada could prosper, and so future generations like ours can enjoy the freedoms that we know to this very day," said Whiteside.
The Battle of the Atlantic came to a close on May 8 with the unconditional surrender of German forces following the Battle of Berlin.
