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War in the Atlantic

War in the Atlantic

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany, announced the day after the declaration of war, and Germany's subsequent counter-blockade. It was at its height from mid-1940 through to the end of 1943. The Battle of the Atlantic pitted U-boats and other warships of the Kriegsmarine (German navy) and aircraft of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) against the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Navy, the United States Navy, and Allied merchant shipping. The convoys, coming mainly from North America and predominantly going to the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, were protected for the most part by the British and Canadian navies and air forces. These forces were aided by ships and aircraft of the United States from September 13th, 1941. The Germans were joined by submarines of the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina) after their Axis ally Italy entered the war on June 10th, 1940.

As an island nation, the United Kingdom was highly dependent on imported goods. Britain required more than a million tons of imported material per week in order to be able to survive and fight. In essence, the Battle of the Atlantic was a tonnage war: the Allied struggle to supply Britain and the Axis attempt to stem the flow of merchant shipping that enabled Britain to keep fighting. From 1942 onwards, the Germans also sought to prevent the build-up of Allied supplies and equipment in the British Isles in preparation for the invasion of occupied Europe. The defeat of the U-boat threat was a prerequisite for pushing back the Germans, Winston Churchill later wrote,

The Battle of the Atlantic was the dominating factor all through the war. Never for one moment could we forget that everything happening elsewhere, on land, at sea or in the air depended ultimately on its outcome.
- Winston Churchill

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German Kriegsmarine Scharnhorst Class Battleship - DKM Scharnhorst German Kriegsmarine Scharnhorst Class Battleship - DKM Scharnhorst (1:1250 Scale)

Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. She was the lead ship of her class, which included one other ship, Gneisenau.

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German Kriegsmarine Leipzig Class Light Cruiser - DKM Leipzig German Kriegsmarine Leipzig Class Light Cruiser - DKM Leipzig (1:1250 Scale)

The Leipzig class was a class of two light cruisers of the German Reichsmarine and later Kriegsmarine; the class comprised Leipzig, the lead ship, and Nurnberg, which was built to a slightly modified design.

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German Kriegsmarine Deutschland Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Deutschland [a.k.a. Lutzow] German Kriegsmarine Deutschland Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Deutschland [a.k.a. Lutzow] (1:1250 Scale)

Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruisers (often termed a pocket battleship) which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. Ordered by the Weimar government for the Reichsmarine, she was laid down at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel in February 1929 and completed by April 1933.

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German Kriegsmarine Admiral Hipper Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Prinz Eugen German Kriegsmarine Admiral Hipper Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Prinz Eugen (1:1250 Scale)

Prinz Eugen was an Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser, the third member of the class of five vessels. She served with the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) during World War II. The ship was laid down in April 1936, launched in August 1938, and entered service after the outbreak of war, in August 1940.

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Royal Navy Admiral Class Battlecruiser - HMS Hood (51) Royal Navy Admiral Class Battlecruiser - HMS Hood (51) (1:1250 Scale)

HMS Hood (pennant number 51) was the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. One of four Admiral-class battlecruisers ordered in mid-1916, her design - although drastically revised after the Battle of Jutland and improved while she was under construction - still had serious limitations.

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German Reichsmarine Konigsberg Class Light Cruiser Konigsberg German Reichsmarine Konigsberg Class Light Cruiser Konigsberg (1:1250 Scale)

The Konigsberg was a German light cruiser that was operated between 1929 and April 1940, including service in World War II. She was the lead vessel of her class and was operated by two German navies, the Reichsmarine and the Kriegsmarine.

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German Kriegsmarine Admiral Hipper Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Admiral Hipper German Kriegsmarine Admiral Hipper Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Admiral Hipper (1:1250 Scale)

The Admiral Hipper, the first of five ships of her class, was the lead ship of the Admiral Hipper class of heavy cruisers which served with Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

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German Kriegsmarine Deutschland Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Admiral Scheer German Kriegsmarine Deutschland Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Admiral Scheer (1:1250 Scale)

Admiral Scheer was a Deutschland-class heavy cruiser (often termed a pocket battleship) which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. The vessel was named after Admiral Reinhard Scheer, German commander in the Battle of Jutland.

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German Kriegsmarine Leipzig Class Light Cruiser - DKM Nurnberg German Kriegsmarine Leipzig Class Light Cruiser - DKM Nurnberg (1:1250 Scale)

Nurnberg was a German light cruiser of the Leipzig class built for the Kriegsmarine. She was named after the city of Nuremberg and had one sister ship, Leipzig. Nurnberg was laid down in 1934, launched in December of that year, and completed in November 1935.

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German Kriegsmarine Admiral Hipper Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Blucher German Kriegsmarine Admiral Hipper Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Blucher (1:1250 Scale)

Blucher was the second of five Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine (War Navy), built after the rise of the Nazi Party and the repudiation of the Treaty of Versailles.

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German Kaiserliche Marine Deutschland Class Battleship - SMS Schlesien German Kaiserliche Marine Deutschland Class Battleship - SMS Schlesien (1:1250 Scale)

SMS Schlesien was one of five Deutschland-class pre-dreadnought battleships built for the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) between 1904 and 1906. Named after the German province of Silesia, Schlesien was laid down at the Schichau-Werke shipyard in Danzig on November 19th, 1904, launched on May 28th, 1906, and commissioned on May 5th, 1908.

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German Kriegsmarine Leberecht Maass Class Destroyer - Z1 Leberecht Maass German Kriegsmarine Leberecht Maass Class Destroyer - Z1 Leberecht Maass (1:1250 Scale)

The German destroyer Z1 Leberecht Maass was the lead ship of her class of four destroyers built for the German Navy (initially called the Reichsmarine and then renamed as the Kriegsmarine in 1935) during the mid-1930s.

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German Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruiser Kormoran German Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruiser - Kormoran (1:1250 Scale)

The German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran (HSK-8) was a Kriegsmarine (German navy) merchant raider of World War II. Originally the merchant vessel Steiermark, the ship was acquired by the navy following the outbreak of war for conversion into a raider.

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German Kriegsmarine Type 1936A Class Destroyer - Z24 German Kriegsmarine Type 1936A Class Destroyer - Z24 (1:1250 Scale)

Z24 was one of eight Type 1936A destroyers built for the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) during World War II. Completed in 1940, the ship spent the first half of the war in Norwegian waters. She was very active in attacking the Arctic convoys ferrying war materials to the Soviet Union in 1941-1942, but only helped to sink one Allied ship herself.

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German Kaiserliche Marine Deutschland Class Battleship - SMS Schleswig-Holstein German Kaiserliche Marine Deutschland Class Battleship - SMS Schleswig-Holstein (1:1250 Scale)

SMS Schleswig-Holstein was the last of the five Deutschland-class battleships built by the German Kaiserliche Marine. The ship, named for the province of Schleswig-Holstein, was laid down in the Germaniawerft dockyard in Kiel in August 1905 and commissioned into the fleet nearly three years later.

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German Kriegsmarine Type 1934A Class Destroyer - Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt German Kriegsmarine Type 1934A Class Destroyer - Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt (1:1250 Scale)

Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt was a Type 1934A-class destroyer built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine in the late 1930s. It was named after Kapitanleutnant Friedrich Eckoldt (1887-1916), the commander of torpedo boat V 48, who was killed when his boat was sunk during the Battle of Jutland on May 31st, 1916.

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German Reichsmarine Light Cruiser - Emden German Reichsmarine Emden Class Light Cruiser - Emden (1:1250 Scale)

Emden was a light cruiser built for the German Reichsmarine in the early 1920s. She was the only ship of her class and was the first large warship built in Germany after the end of World War I.

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German Reichsmarine Konigsberg Class Light Cruiser - Karlsruhe German Reichsmarine Konigsberg Class Light Cruiser - Karlsruhe (1:1250 Scale)

Karlsruhe was a light cruiser, the second member of the Konigsberg class, and was operated between 1929 and April 1940, including service in World War II. She was operated by two German navies, the Reichsmarine and the Kriegsmarine.

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German Reichsmarine Konigsberg Class Light Cruiser - DKM Koln German Reichsmarine Konigsberg Class Light Cruiser - DKM Koln (1:1250 Scale)

Koln was a light cruiser, the third member of the Konigsberg class that was operated between 1929 and March 1945, including service in World War II. She was operated by two German navies, the Reichsmarine and the Kriegsmarine.

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German Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruiser Pinguin (HSK5) German Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruiser - Pinguin (HSK5) (1:1250 Scale)

Pinguin was a German auxiliary cruiser (Hilfskreuzer) which served as a commerce raider in World War II. Pinguin was known to the Kriegsmarine as Schiff 33, and designated HSK 5. The most successful commerce raider of the war, she was known to the British Royal Navy as Raider F.

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German Kriegsmarine Deutschland Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Admiral Graf Spee [With Collector Magazine] German Kriegsmarine Deutschland Class Heavy Cruiser - DKM Admiral Graf Spee [With Collector Magazine] (1:1250 Scale)

Admiral Graf Spee was a Deutschland-class heavy cruiser (originally termed Panzerschiff or armoured ship, sometimes referred to as "pocket battleship") which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II.

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German Kaiserliche Marine Koenig Class Battleship - SMS Koenig [With Collector Magazine] German Kaiserliche Marine Koenig Class Battleship - SMS Koenig [With Collector Magazine] (1:1250 Scale)

SMS Koenig was the first of four Koenig-class dreadnought battleships of the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. Koenig (Eng: "King") was named in honor of King William II of Wurttemberg.

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German Kaiserliche Marine Blucher Class Armored Cruiser - SMS Blucher [With Collector Magazine] German Kaiserliche Marine Blucher Class Armored Cruiser - SMS Blucher [With Collector Magazine] (1:1250 Scale)

SMS Blucher was the last armored cruiser built by the German Empire. She was designed to match what German intelligence incorrectly believed to be the specifications of the British Invincible-class battlecruisers.

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German Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruiser Atlantis [With Collector Magazine] German Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruiser - Atlantis [With Collector Magazine] (1:1250 Scale)

The German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis (HSK 2), known to the Kriegsmarine as Schiff 16 and to the Royal Navy as Raider-C, was a converted German Hilfskreuzer (auxiliary cruiser), or merchant or commerce raider of the Kriegsmarine, which, in World War II, travelled more than 161,000 km (100,000 mi) in 602 days, and sank or captured 22 ships with a combined tonnage of 144,384.

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German Reichsmarine Scharnhorst Class Battleship - DKM Gneisenau German Reichsmarine Scharnhorst Class Battleship - DKM Gneisenau (1:1250 Scale)

Gneisenau was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. She was the second vessel of her class, which included one other ship, Scharnhorst.

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German Kaiserliche Marine Moltke Class Battlecrusier - SMS Goeben [With Collector Magazine] German Kaiserliche Marine Moltke Class Battlecrusier - SMS Goeben [With Collector Magazine] (1:1250 Scale)

SMS Goeben was the second of two Moltke-class battlecruisers of the Imperial German Navy, launched in 1911 and named after the German Franco-Prussian War veteran General August Karl von Goeben.

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German Kaiserliche Marine Nassau Class Battleship - SMS Westfalen [With Collector Magazine] German Kaiserliche Marine Nassau Class Battleship - SMS Westfalen [With Collector Magazine] (1:1250 Scale)

SMS Westfalen was one of the Nassau-class battleships, the first four dreadnoughts built for the German Imperial Navy. Westfalen was laid down at AG Weser in Bremen on August 12th, 1907, launched nearly a year later on July 1st, 1908, and commissioned into the High Seas Fleet on November 16th, 1909.

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German Kaiserliche Marine Scharnhorst Class Armored Cruiser - SMS Scharnhorst [With Collector Magazine] German Kaiserliche Marine Scharnhorst Class Armored Cruiser - SMS Scharnhorst [With Collector Magazine] (1:1250 Scale)

SMS Scharnhorst was an armored cruiser of the Imperial German Navy, built at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. She was the lead ship of her class, which included SMS Gneisenau.

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German Kriegsmarine Leberecht Maass Class Destroyer - Z1 Wilhelm Heidkamp [With Collector Magazine] German Kriegsmarine Leberecht Maass Class Destroyer - Z21 Wilhelm Heidkamp [With Collector Magazine] (1:1250 Scale)

Z21 Wilhelm Heidkamp was one of six Type 1936 destroyers built for the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) in the late 1930s. Completed a few months before the start of World War II in September 1939, the ship served as a flagship throughout her career.

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German Kriegsmarine Bismarck Class Battleship - DKM Tirpitz German Kriegsmarine Bismarck Class Battleship - DKM Tirpitz (1:1250 Scale)

Tirpitz was the second Bismarck class battleship of the German Kriegsmarine, sister ship of Bismarck, named after Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. She was the largest battleship ever built in Europe, with dimensions slightly exceeding those of her sister ship.

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