Conflict Over The Bay

Air Classics, Sep 1999

Norman Franks CONFLICT OVER THE BAY Grub Street, London

$34.95

For the first three years of the war, RAF Coastal Command's battle against the German U-boats had been long and hard. But with the Battle of the Atlantic at crisis point for the Germans, following developments in anti-submarine radar and in Leigh Light-carrying aircraft, Admiral Donitz was suddenly forced to drastically change his tactics,

U-boats were most vulnerable when crossing the Bay of Biscay, coming and going from their French bases. Owing to the advances made in detection of U-boats sailing at night across the Bay, Donitz ordered his captains to sail on the surface in daylight and remain there and fight if attacked by Allied aircraft. This they did from May until the beginning of August 1943, singly at first and later in small groups for mutual protection. Almost immediately, Coastal Command crews were presented with a wealth of U-boat sightings, leading to attacks and sinkings. The dangers to these crews were immense as they brought their large aircraft down to within 50 feet of their target in the face of tremendous cannon and machine gun fire in order to drop their depth charges.

This is the story of these battles which raged between Coastal Command, American aircraft and U-boats in these waters, and of the air battles between long-range RAF fighters in combat with the Ju 88s of KG/40 which flew over the Bay in search of anti-submarine aircraft, With the help of many former aircrew members who were engaged in these operations, the author has pieced together an enthralling story of courage and tenacity during a brief but momentous period in the anti-submarine war.