Panel 2

WORLD WAR II 1939-1945

THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC WAS FOUGHT AT SEA FROM 1939 TO 1945 AND WAS THE LONGEST (2,075 DAYS) AND LARGEST CAMPAIGN OF WORLD .. WAR II WHICH INCLUDED MORE THAN 100 CONVOY BATTLES AND OVER 1000 SINGLE SHIP ACTIONS.

ON ANY GIVEN DAY, UP TO 125 MERCHANT VESSELS SAILED IN CONVOYS ACROSS THE TREACHEROUS NORTH ATLANTIC.

THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY (RCN) ESCORTED MORE THAN 25,343 MERCHANT VESSELS, CARRYING MORE THAN 181,643,180 TONS OF CARGO TO EUROPE.

ALTHOUGH LARGELY UNPREPARED FOR WAR IN 1939, THE RCN GREW FROM 13 SHIPS AND 3,500 MEN TO THE STRENGTH OF 95,000 OF WHICH 7,126 WERE ENLISTED IN THE WOMEN'S ROYAL CANADIAN NAVAL SERVICE AND 400 SHIPS, THE THIRD LARGEST ALLIED NAVY IN THE WORLD.

THE RCN DESTROYED OR SHARED IN THE DESTRUCTION OF 33 U-BOATS AND 42 ENEMY SURFACE CRAFT.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE (RCAF), THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE "MARINE DIVISION" AND THE MERCHANT NAVY OF CANADA, THE RCN PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE WINNING OF THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC.

TO MOST CANADIANS THE RCN WAS IDENTIFIED WITH THE BITTER SUBMARINE WAR IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, BUT CANADIAN WARSHIPS WERE ALSO ENGAGED IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, CARIBBEAN, PACIFIC THEATRES OF WAR; SERVED WITH THE BRITISH FLEET; ESCORTED CONVOYS TO AND FROM RUSSIA AND PARTICIPATED IN COASTAL OPERATIONS OFF NORTHWEST EUROPE.

BY THE END OF THE WAR, 4,000 CANADIAN SEAMEN HAD SERVED ON LOAN TO THE ROYAL NAVY IN VARIOUS BRANCHES FROM THE FLEET AIR ARM TO THE SUBMARINE SERVICE.

IN 1942, THE RCN PARTICIPATED IN THE FATEFUL RAID ON DIEPPE; THE ALLIED OPERATIONS IN NORTH AFRICA AND ALTHOUGH HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE ATLANTIC WAR, THE RCN WAS LARGE ENOUGH TO SUBSTANTIALL Y CONTRIBUTE TO THE ALLIED LANDINGS IN SICILY AND ITALY.