Woonsocket in Providence County, Rhode Island — The American Northeast (New England)

Battle of the Atlantic

Photographed By Michael Herrick, April 27, 2022

1. Battle of the Atlantic Marker

Inscription.

Battle of the Atlantic. . Battle of the Atlantic September 1939 - May 1945. The Battle of the Atlantic lasted the entire duration of World War II in Europe. It was the desperate struggle by the Allies to organize, man and succeed in convoy operations from North America to supply the British Isles (and later the Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel on the Barents Sea) throughout the war. Initially the organization of the convoys and their few armed escorts was borne heavily by the tiny Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) of the British Commonwealth. The voyages across the North Atlantic were fraught with danger from severe weather but especially from the menacing German U-boats beneath the waves. When the United States entered the war in Europe in December of 1941, the supply convoys grew significantly in size and frequency. Manned by courageous crews of the U.S. Merchant Marine and the U.S. Navy Armed Guard defending them from attack, these sailors suffered a casualty rate during the course of the war exceeded only by that of the United States Marine Corps. At first the losses to the convoys inflicted by the highly organized and efficient U-boats individually or in groups known as Wolfpacks and surface raiders were immense. It was not until the capture of a top secret German code machine known as Enigma and the deciphering of German naval codes from it that the tide would turn. Sonar invented during World War I to detect submarines also played an important role in turning the U-boat hunters into the hunted. The Allies eventually succeeded in making the North Atlantic a deadly place for the U-boats to operate. By war's end, the Germans had lost nearly 800 U-boats and 30,000 of the elite sailors who manned them. The Allies lost 3,500 merchant vessels, 175 warships, nearly 750 anti-submarine aircraft and 72,000 sailors and merchant seamen killed. Without the convoys, Britain would not have survived beyond the earliest stages of the war. And, were it not for the industrial might of the United States manufacturing 3,000 Liberty ships -- 11 of which were built in the Providence Shipyard at Fields Point by a civilian workforce of over 20,000 -- transporting the cargoes to Britain and replacing the ships lost in action, there would have been no Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Battle of the Atlantic
September 1939 - May 1945 The Battle of the Atlantic lasted the entire duration of World War II in Europe. It was the desperate struggle by the Allies to organize, man and succeed in convoy operations from North America to supply the British Isles (and later the Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel on the Barents Sea) throughout the war.
Initially the organization of the convoys and their few armed escorts was borne heavily by the tiny Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) of the British Commonwealth. The voyages across the North Atlantic were fraught with danger from severe weather but especially from the menacing German U-boats beneath the waves.
When the United States entered the war in Europe in December of 1941, the supply convoys grew significantly in size and frequency. Manned by courageous crews of the U.S. Merchant Marine and the U.S. Navy Armed Guard defending them from attack, these sailors suffered a casualty rate during the course of the war exceeded only by that of the United States Marine Corps. At first the losses to the convoys inflicted by the highly organized and efficient U-boats individually or in groups known as Wolfpacks and surface raiders were immense. It was not until the capture of a top secret German code machine known as Enigma and the deciphering of German naval

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codes from it that the tide would turn. Sonar invented during World War I to detect submarines also played an important role in turning the U-boat hunters into the hunted.
The Allies eventually succeeded in making the North Atlantic a deadly place for the U-boats to operate. By war's end, the Germans had lost nearly 800 U-boats and 30,000 of the elite sailors who manned them. The Allies lost 3,500 merchant vessels, 175 warships, nearly 750 anti-submarine aircraft and 72,000 sailors and merchant seamen killed. Without the convoys, Britain would not have survived beyond the earliest stages of the war. And, were it not for the industrial might of the United States manufacturing 3,000 Liberty ships -- 11 of which were built in the Providence Shipyard at Fields Point by a civilian workforce of over 20,000 -- transporting the cargoes to Britain and replacing the ships lost in action, there would have been no Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Lost at Sea series list. A significant day of the year for for this entry is May 31.

Location. 42° 0.444′ N, 71° 31.695′ W. Marker is in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in Providence County. Memorial is on River Street north of 2nd Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Located next to American

Photographed By Michael Herrick, April 27, 2022

2. Battle of the Atlantic Marker

Legion Fairmount Post 85. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 870 River Street, Woonsocket RI 02895, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. World War II Begins (here, next to this marker); Battle of Britain (here, next to this marker); Major John T. Godfrey (here, next to this marker); Pearl Harbor (here, next to this marker); Battle of Midway (here, next to this marker); General George S. Patton, Jr. (here, next to this marker); D-Day (here, next to this marker); Battle of Stalingrad (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Woonsocket.

Markers at the American Legion Fairmount Post 85 Veterans Memorial image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Michael Herrick, April 27, 2022

3. Markers at the American Legion Fairmount Post 85 Veterans Memorial

Credits. This page was last revised on May 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 6, 2022, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 92 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 6, 2022, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.