The Luftwaffe and the War at Sea 1939-1945: As Seen by Officers of the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe by David C. Isby

Author:David C. Isby [Isby, David C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781861762566
Google: aLohAQAAIAAJ
Publisher: Greenhill Books
Published: 2005-09-14T21:00:00+00:00

These sea areas, particularly the central Atlantic, would develop into the main battle areas of combined strategy following the entry of the U.S.A. into the war, which was expected sooner or later. The enemy realised this and made every effort to secure air superiority over the Atlantic and in coastal areas. The effect produced by his air forces on German submarines and the Luftwaffe was of decisive importance to combined strategy on both sides.

1. In the Atlantic

In March 1941 the Fliegerfuehrer Atlantik was appointed by order of the Fuehrer and made subordinate to Luftflotte 3.

His task was to co-operate closely with the C.-in-C. Submarine Fleet in operations against enemy supply shipping in the Atlantic, that is on the convoy routes from the Mediterranean to Britain and on the eastern part of the U.S.–Britain line, as well as on the eastern, southern and western coasts of Britain.

At first successes were surprisingly great, particularly in the Atlantic, as the attacks on enemy shipping encountered only slight opposition, whether from A.A. or aircraft.*

However, in six months this situation had already undergone a radical change.

Owing to strong enemy defensive armament, low-level lateral attacks by Condors which until then were the usual and only possible method of attack owing to the equipment of this aircraft, had to be discontinued, first against convoys and then also against single vessels.

However, the Condors still had a useful task in carrying out reconnaissance for C.-in-C. Submarine Fleet so that submarines could be directed towards convoys.

Attacks on convoys escorted by destroyers and to an increasing extent by aircraft were now presenting even submarines with a difficult task.

The submarines transferred their point of main effort beyond the range of the Condors to attack the important convoys from America and operated exclusively in American waters from the late autumn of 1941.

Thus in the middle of December 1941 co-operation with C.-in-C. Submarine Fleet in the joint campaign against enemy shipping in the eastern Atlantic came practically to a standstill. Some of the Condor Staffeln were used in other theatres of operations. Owing to their limited range, the aircraft still at the disposal of the Atlantikfuehrer (K.Fl.Gr. 106) could be used only for operations against convoys around the British Isles.

For this reason IX Fliegerkorps also took over anti-shipping operations in the waters off the eastern coast of England.

During the period from July 1940 to 31 December 1943 bombers of the IX Fliegerkorps scored the following successes:

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