HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

UNITED KINGDOM MILITARY SERIES

Edited by J. R. M. Butler

WAR AT SEA 1939-1945
VOLUME IIII
THE OFFENSIVE

PART I
1ST JUNE 1943-31ST MAY 1944

By S.W. Roskill

LONDON 1960
HMSO


CONTENTS

Chapter   Page
Author's Preface xiii
  Chronological Summary of Principal Events, June 1943-December 1943 2
I The Background to the Maritime Offensive 5
II The Battle of the Atlantic
1st June-31st August, 1943
The Bay of Biscay Offensive
15
III The Battle of the Atlantic
1st September-31st December, 1943
The Final Defeat of the 'Wolf Packs'
37
IV Home Waters and the Arctic
1st June-31st December, 1943
57
V Coastal Warfare
1st June-31st December, 1943
91
VI The Mediterranean Campaigns
1st June-15th August, 1943
The Invasion of Sicily
105
VII The Mediterranean Campaigns
16th August-31st December 1943
The Landing at Salerno and the Submission of the Italian Fleet
153
VIII The Pacific and Indian Oceaqns
1st June-31st December, 1943
213
  Chronological Summary of Principal Events, January 1944-May 1944 241
IX The Battle of the Atlantic
1st January-31st May, 1944
The Second Campaign in the Western Approaches
245
X Home Waters and the Arctic
1st January-31st May, 1944
267
XI Coastal Warfare
1st Janusary-31st May, 1944
283
XII The Mediterranean Campaigns
1st January-31st May, 1944
297
XIII The Pacific and Indian Oceans
1st January-31st May, 1944
331
APPENDICES
Appendix A The Board of Admiralty, 1st June, 1943-31st May, 1944 361
Appendix B Coastal Command of the Royal Air Force Establishment and Expansion, 1st September, 1943-1st June, 1944 363
Appendix C German U-boat Strength, July 1943-April 1944, and Principal Characteristics of Germany U-boats Types IXC and IXC/40 364
Appendix D German, Italian and Japanese U-boats sunk, 1st June, 194-31st May, 1944 365
Appendix E The Mediterranean Station, Naval Strength on 1st October, 1943 376
Appendix F Italian Warships in Allied Control on 21st September, 1943 378
Appendix G Italian Naval losses, 10th June, 1940-8th September, 1943 379
Appendix H British Commonwealth Warship Losses in the Mediterranean, 10th June, 1940-8th September, 1943 382
Appendix J The Organisation of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1st August, 1943 386
Appendix K British, Allied and Neutral Merchant Ship Losses from Enemy Action, and Causes, 1st June, 1943-31st May, 1944 388
 
Index 391
LIST OF MAPS
Number Subject Facing page
1. 37
2. 43
3. 63
4. 65
5. 71
6. 74
7. 83
8. 91
9. 93
10. 97
11. 115
12. 118
13. 127
14. 159
15. 171
16. 175
17. 177
18. page 181
19. page 182
20. 195
21. page 220
22. 233
23. 273
24. 279
25. 287
26. 293
26A. page 313
26B. page 318
27. 369
28. 381
29. 383
30. 397
31. page 403
32. 409
33. 415
34. 426
35. 429
36. 436
37. 453
38. 457
39. page 465
40. 485
41. page 543
42. 545
43. 565
LIST OF TABLES
Table   Page
1. 31
2. 50
3. 51
4. 67
5. 106
6. 114
7. 149
8. 307
9. 332
10. 336
11. 339-340
12. 439
13. 458
14. 464
15. 507
16. 508
17. 511
18. 512
19. 520
20. 528
21. 531
22. 537
23. 541
24. 544
25. 550
26. 560
ILLUSTRATIONS
Admiral of the Fleet Sir A. Dudley P.R. Pound Frontispece
  Facing page
The Reserve Fleet in Weymouth Bay, August 1939 16
...


Author's Preface

--xiv--

--xv--

--xvi--

--xvii--

Chronological Summary of Principal Events

The 3 "Chronology" sections have been gathered together below. --HyperWar

--1--

Chronological Summary of Principal Events, January 1942-July 1942

1942 Atlantic Arctic Mediterranean Indian Ocean Pacific Europe
January Start of U-boat campaign in American and Canadian waters resulting in heavy shpping losses 1-11 PQ.7B
8-17 PQ.8
21 Start of enemy counter-offensive in North Africa Japanese over-run Malaya 2 Fall of Manila
15 ABDA area established
 

--3--

Chronological Summary of Principal Events, August 1942-December 1942

1942 Atlantic Arctic Mediterranean Indian Ocean Pacific Europe

--197--



Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation