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Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)

 Subject
Subject Source: UK Archival Thesaurus

Found in 153 Collections and/or Records:

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(Untitled), 23 May 1945

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/238/2
Scope and Contents

Bar chart showing the average number of German and Italian U-boats operating in the Atlantic and the number sunk or probably sunk between September 1939 and April 1945.

Dates: 23 May 1945
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 15 Jun 1945

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/238/3
Scope and Contents

Bar charts showing British, Allied, and neutral merchant tonnage lost by aircraft, surface craft, mines, and U-boats between September 1939 and May 1945.

Dates: 15 Jun 1945
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 1948

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/241/25-81
Scope and Contents Page proofs for a supplement to the London Gazette entitled "Convoy and anti-submarine warfare reports" reprinting contemporary despatches on: the passage of convoys "HX 90" (December 1940), "HX 112" (March 1941), "HG 76" (December 1941), "SC 104" (October 1942), "ONS 5" (April to May 1943), "ONS 18 and ON 202" (September 1943), and "Anti-U-boat operations of second support group" (January-February 1944) and "Operations of 21st Escort Group" (March-April 1945); with later Admiralty forewords...
Dates: 1948
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), [1947]

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/241/101-121
Scope and Contents

Page proofs [for a supplement to the London Gazette] entitled "Sinking of the German Battleship Bismarck on 27th May, 1941" reprinting contemporary despatches and reports from Admiral Sir John Tovey, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet (5 July), and Vice-Admiral James Somerville, Flag Officer Commanding Force H (4 June), with an appendix and later Admiralty footnotes. [annotated by ?Kathleen Hill, WSC's secretary].

Dates: [1947]
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 06 Jan 1941

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/258A/111-113
Scope and Contents

Minute [from F A Lindemann, later 1st Lord Cherwell, Prime Minister's Personal Assistant] to WSC on anti-submarine measures, speculating on the systems used by enemy submarines to detect convoys. [Copy; given running number 200].

Dates: 06 Jan 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 11 Jun 1941 - 12 Jun 1941

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/258B/219
Scope and Contents

Minutes [from F A Lindemann, later 1st Lord Cherwell, Prime Minister's Personal Assistant] to WSC on forecast food imports, referring to "W.P.(R) (41) 39", and a chart showing sinkings [see ?CHAR 20/258B/217-218]. [Copies; given running numbers 315 and 316].

Dates: 11 Jun 1941 - 12 Jun 1941
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 20 Apr 1945

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/215/59
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to British Minister in Sweden [Sir Victor Mallet] informing him of his intention to press Sweden to begin mobilisation and to converse with General Dwight Eisenhower [Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force in Western Europe, United States Army]; and emphasising the damaging effect of the continued German naval presence in Norway.

Dates: 20 Apr 1945
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 02 Jun 1945

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/220/57
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to President Harry Truman marked "Personal and Top Secret" stating that he is sending him a draft of the last joint statement on the Battle of the Atlantic; and that once it has been issued, he is keen to publish a statement on the "British achievement". [Carbon copy].

Dates: 02 Jun 1945
Conditions Governing Access: Open.
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(Untitled), 02 Jun 1945

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/220/58
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to President Harry Truman marked "Personal and Top Secret" sending him a draft of the [last] joint statement on the Battle of the Atlantic, summarising the position over the course of the war.

Dates: 02 Jun 1945
Conditions Governing Access: Open.
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(Untitled), 20 Feb 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/70/79-80
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt]: comments on the pressure and personal stress he is under; comments on the health of "Max" [1st Lord Beaverbrook, earlier Max Aitken]; states that "Democracy has to prove that it can provide a granite foundation for war against tyranny"; comments on Roosevelt's forthcoming radio broadcast regarding the flight of the German ships [the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen] from Brest [France].

Dates: 20 Feb 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 17 Apr 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/73/119
Scope and Contents

Telegram from the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] to Harry Hopkins [Special adviser and assistant to President Roosevelt] for WSC concerning shipping and the decision to lay up all tankers operating on the Atlantic Coast.

Dates: 17 Apr 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 25 Apr 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/74/28-29
Scope and Contents

Telegram from Harry Hopkins [Special adviser and assistant to the President of the United States] to WSC regarding accumulations of shipping for the Soviet Union and asking if more ships can be carried in the next convoys in order to clear this up.

Dates: 25 Apr 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 27 Apr 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/74/46-47
Scope and Contents Telegram from the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] to WSC expressing his concern over plans to limit shipments of supplies to the Soviet Union: asks WSC to review the size of immediate convoys; hopes that Anthony Eden [Foreign Secretary, later 1st Lord Avon] will avoid giving the Soviet Ambassador [Ivan Maisky] any flat statement about the limit to the number of ships that can be convoyed; "It seems to me that any word reaching [Joseph] Stalin at this time that our...
Dates: 27 Apr 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 28 Apr 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/74/54-55
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] regarding shipments of supplies to the Soviet Union: comments on logistics of convoy sizes and tonnage; makes a recommendation for working off the present accumulation held in Iceland; "We are at our utmost strain for convoy escorts.".

Dates: 28 Apr 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 30 Apr 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/74/73
Scope and Contents Telegram from the President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt, to WSC regarding convoys to the Soviet Union: states that Admiral Ernest King [Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations] is communicating with Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound [1st Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff] regarding a further convoy in May; expresses his anxiety that ships should not be unloaded and reloaded in Britain; comments on the problem of moving 107 ships from Britain...
Dates: 30 Apr 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 02 May 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/74/96-97
Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States [Franklin Roosevelt] opposing American proposals for increasing convoys to the Soviet Union: argues that a reduction in transatlantic escorts might have "disastrous consequences"; argues that the difficulty of Soviet convoys cannot be solved merely by anti-submarine craft and describes recent loss and damage to British ships; states that six ships from Iceland have already arrived at the Clyde [Scotland] and that three convoys every two...
Dates: 02 May 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 03 May 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/74/105
Scope and Contents

Telegram from the President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt, to WSC agreeing to acquiesce to British views regarding Soviet convoys; hopes that Britain will be able to keep convoys at a strength of thirty five ships and proposes to press the Soviet Union to reduce requirements as "Bolero" [codename for preparations for the main invasion of France] will require all possible munitions and shipping.

Dates: 03 May 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 06 May 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/74/129
Scope and Contents

Telegram from Premier Joseph Stalin to WSC requesting his help in escorting steamers containing important war materials from Iceland to the Soviet Union.

Dates: 06 May 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 09 May 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/75/7
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to Premier Joseph Stalin regarding convoys to the Soviet Union: outlines difficulties of sailing convoys to the Soviet Union; lists measures required from the Soviet Union to help protect convoys; states that he will be making the broadcast warning of British retaliation to German gas attacks upon Soviet Armies tomorrow.

Dates: 09 May 1942
Conditions Governing Access: Open
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(Untitled), 19 May 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/75/53
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to Premier Joseph Stalin marked "personal and most secret" informing him that a convoy of 35 ships sailed yesterday "with orders to fight their way through to you" but warning about possible severe losses from German bombers, stating that much will depend on the Soviet ability to bomb enemy aerodromes, and suggesting that, if losses are severe, it may be necessary to hold up further convoys until the ice recedes.

Dates: 19 May 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 28 May 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/75/97-98
Scope and Contents Telegram from WSC to the President of the United States, Franklin Roosevelt: informs Roosevelt that he is sending a report of his conversations with Vyacheslav Molotov [Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs] covering "Bolero" [codename for build-up of United States forces in Britain for invasion of Europe], "Sledgehammer" [codename for plan to attack coast of France in 1942] and "Super Round- up" [codename for the liberation of France in 1943, later Overlord]; comments on talks with United...
Dates: 28 May 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the File: Open
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(Untitled), 14 Jul 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/77/127-128
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to President Roosevelt marked "personal and secret" regarding the northern shipping convoys to the Soviet Union: reports on the heavy losses sustained by PQ 17 [June convoy]; advises against running PQ 18 [July convoy]; comments on the future prospects of supplying Russia by this northern route; states that allied shipping losses for week ending July 13 were 400,000 tons, " a rate unexampled in either this war or the last".

Dates: 14 Jul 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the Fonds: The Churchill Papers are made available to researchers using Churchill Archives Centre and worldwide in digital format. The digital edition of the Churchill Papers is published by Bloomsbury Academic and is available online to subscribing institutions at churchillarchive.com. The Churchill archive is freely available in our reading rooms and onsite at Churchill College (via the Churchill College wireless network). Researchers can download images of documents directly from churchillarchive.com and so are encouraged to consider bringing a laptop or other device for this purpose. For conservation reasons, the fragile originals are no longer issued to researchers. This digital edition is open to researchers unless otherwise marked in the catalogue. Some material has been closed by the Cabinet Office or by Churchill Archives Centre in accordance with data protection legislation.
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(Untitled), 04 Jul 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/77/65
Scope and Contents

Telegram from WSC to Harry Hopkins [Special adviser and Assistant to the President of the united States] marked "personal and secret" informing him that he is sending him his own personal return of shipping losses for the first six months of 1942 [see CHAR 20/77/66] and commenting on the "remorselessly increasing losses of American and American-controlled shipping.".

Dates: 04 Jul 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the Fonds: The Churchill Papers are made available to researchers using Churchill Archives Centre and worldwide in digital format. The digital edition of the Churchill Papers is published by Bloomsbury Academic and is available online to subscribing institutions at churchillarchive.com. The Churchill archive is freely available in our reading rooms and onsite at Churchill College (via the Churchill College wireless network). Researchers can download images of documents directly from churchillarchive.com and so are encouraged to consider bringing a laptop or other device for this purpose. For conservation reasons, the fragile originals are no longer issued to researchers. This digital edition is open to researchers unless otherwise marked in the catalogue. Some material has been closed by the Cabinet Office or by Churchill Archives Centre in accordance with data protection legislation.
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(Untitled), 04 Jul 1942

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Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 20/77/66
Scope and Contents

Sheet marked secret of weekly totals of merchant tonnage sunk by enemy action in the period January to June 1942 [Sent by WSC to Harry Hopkins, see CHAR 20/77/65].

Dates: 04 Jul 1942
Conditions Governing Access: From the Fonds: The Churchill Papers are made available to researchers using Churchill Archives Centre and worldwide in digital format. The digital edition of the Churchill Papers is published by Bloomsbury Academic and is available online to subscribing institutions at churchillarchive.com. The Churchill archive is freely available in our reading rooms and onsite at Churchill College (via the Churchill College wireless network). Researchers can download images of documents directly from churchillarchive.com and so are encouraged to consider bringing a laptop or other device for this purpose. For conservation reasons, the fragile originals are no longer issued to researchers. This digital edition is open to researchers unless otherwise marked in the catalogue. Some material has been closed by the Cabinet Office or by Churchill Archives Centre in accordance with data protection legislation.