Black May (1943)

Black May

Depth charges exploding from the destroyer HMS Vanoc during an Atlantic Convoy in May 1943

Date	29 April – 24 May 1943
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Result	Decisive Allied victory

Belligerents

United Kingdom

Nazi Germany

Commanders and leaders

Sir Max K. Horton

Sir John Slessor

Admiral Karl Dönitz

Strength

Royal Navy
Merchant navy
RAF Coastal Command

240 operational U-boats

118 at sea

Casualties and losses

Allies lost 58 ships in the same period, 34 of these (totalling 134,000 tons) in the Atlantic

43 U-boats were destroyed in May, 34 in the Atlantic

25% of operational U-boats

37 damaged

240 operational U-boats

43 U-boats were destroyed in May, 34 in the Atlantic

‘Black May’ refers to a period (May 1943) in the Battle of the Atlantic campaign during World War II, when the German U-boat arm (U-Bootwaffe) suffered high casualties with fewer Allied ships sunk; it is considered a turning point in the Battle of the Atlantic.

After February battles around convoys SC 118, ON 166, and UC 1, Black May was the culmination of the March– May 1943 crisis in the Battle of the Atlantic.

March had seen the U-boat offensive reach its peak, with a series of major convoy battles, first around convoys HX 228, SC 121, and UGS 6; then followed the battle for HX229/SC122, the largest convoy battle of the war.

Allied losses for March totalled 120 ships of 693,000 long tons (704,000 t), of which 82 (476,000 long tons (484,000 t)) were lost in the Atlantic. The German U-boat arm (U-Bootwaffe) (UBW) lost 12 U-boats during this time.

A Royal Navy report later concluded "The Germans never came so near to disrupting communications between the New World and the Old as in the first twenty days of March 1943".

April saw some respite, as UBW was unable to maintain such a large presence in the Atlantic in April. Many of the boats heavily involved in March had withdrawn for replenishing; nevertheless the boats still operational in the month remained active. A particular shock at the end of April was the attack by U-515 on convoy TS 37, which saw the loss of four tankers in three minutes, and another three over the next six hours.

Allied losses in April were 64 ships totalling 345,000 long tons (351,000 t); 39 ships (235,000 long tons (239,000 t)) were lost in the Atlantic. UBW lost 15 boats from all causes.

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Wikipedia