Keeping up with the Winston Churchill theme, this book’s title is derived from a Churchill quote — describing his concern over the threat posed by the German U-boat campaign.
Author Richard Snow uses his father’s experience serving in the Navy to share the history of the battle for control of the Atlantic Ocean’s shipping lanes before and during World War II. He offers a well-told story, and a personal perspective, of a fascinating chapter in American naval history. Snow’s father served on a destroyer escort (DE), a stripped-down version of a destroyer which was designed to protect shippings convoys from the the threat posed by U-boats.
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563 destroyer escorts were built; just one survives today. If you happen to be in New York’s Capital District, be sure to check out the restored U.S.S. Slater, which is docked in Albany on the Hudson River.
And if you happen to be in the Chicago area, check out the Museum of Science and Industry. It is the home of U-505, the only German U-Boat in the United States.