SBattleforAtlanticCaseStudyPageEight

Conclusion

Today the USN protects global trade routes, and as a result, the United States
government, economy, and people reap substantial benefits. Sixty plus years ago the Royal
Navy performed this same function. Then an aggressive, largely continental power struck
at the British Empire's greatest weakness - her reliance on the sea. This aggressive upstart
nearly defeated its more powerful foe by using advanced asymmetric warfare. The Third
Reich's U-boat fleet avoided the strength of the Royal Navy's battle fleet and carriers and
nearly brought one of the world's most powerful navy's to her knees. This effort was so
successful a handful of U-boats operating in the American littoral waters of the Atlantic
and Caribbean nearly crippled even the American colossus. Today, as in 1942, the USN
faces a series of asymmetric threats to global trade, whether it be pirates in Southeast
Asian waters, the Chinese Navy near Taiwan and into the Pacific, terrorists in the Arabian
Sea and Indian Ocean, Iran in the Persian Gulf, or insurgents in Iraq or Nigeria.

Threats to the American dominated global trading system are real and demand actions
going beyond those outlined in planning documents from recent years; such as the 2006
QDR. In acknowledging many of these challenges and allocating resources for diversifying
our Navy from just a blue-water fleet to one more adaptive and efficient the USN is taking
measured steps to improve its naval capabilities. Whether we are moving quickly enough is
another matter. I hope that this look back at the Battle for the Atlantic will remind us of
the substantial and costly penalties when failing to adapt to new threats with the requisite
urgency.

1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8

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Endnotes:

1. Steven Douglas Mercatante has recently completed a manuscript exploring both why
Germany came far closer to winning the Second World War in Europe than previously
thought and also why Germany suffered catastrophic defeat; a manuscript stemming from
over two decades researching and studying the Second World War. Steven's work also
draws upon his experience as a former history teacher, from his undergraduate studies in
history at the University of Michigan and his graduate work in history at Eastern Michigan
University. Steven is also a practicing attorney and a published author in the legal field;
combining his interests in writing and history for an article entitled The Deregulation of
Usury Ceilings, Rise of Easy Credit, and Increasing Consumer Debt, published in volume 53
of the South Dakota Law Review.

2. United States Department of Defense, Quadrennial Defense Review Report February 6,
2006 page 1 found at
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/dod/qdr-2006-report.htm site last
visited on April 28, 2006.

3. Id. at 11.

4. Id. at 29.

5. Id. at 29-30.

6. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at page 27. This book is a compilation of papers from a naval conference
on the battle held in 1993 and is one of the most comprehensive sources about the naval
war in the Atlantic during World War Two that currently exists. Internationally known
experts from around the world came to speak and this volume represents their collective
efforts. With over 35 papers this work is one of the premier sources about the Battle of
the Atlantic and is not just a valuable reference but incredibly illuminating on a part of the
war that is often not given the weight of focus that it was due.

7. Richard Overy, The Road to War, (Penguin Books, 1989) at Table III, page 370.

8. A war actually lasting from 1754-1763.

9. See Robert K. Massie, Castles of Steel Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great
War at Sea, (Random House, 2003).

10. See Robert K. Massie, Castles of Steel Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great
War at Sea, (Random House, 2003).

11. Robert Hutchinson, Jane's Submarines, War Beneath the Waves, From 1776 to the
Present Day, (Harper Collins, 2001) at pp. 23-31.

12. Id. at 68-69.

13. Gordon Williamson, Aces of the Reich, (Arms and Armour Press, 1989) at page 147.

14. Elmer B. Potter and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Seapower, (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,
1960), at page 492.

15. (Edited by) John Keegan, Atlas of the Second World War, (Harper Collins Press, 2003)
at page 48.

16. Gordon Williamson, Aces of the Reich, (Arms and Armour Press, 1989) at page 147.

17. (Edited by) John Keegan, Atlas of the Second World War, (Harper Collins Press, 2003)
at page 48. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at page 75.

18. H.R. Trevor-Roper, Blitzkrieg to Defeat, Hitler's War Directives 1939-1945, Edited with
and Introduction and Commentary, (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1964) at pp. 23-24.

19. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at pp. 227-228.

20. (Edited by) John Keegan, Atlas of the Second World War, (Harper Collins Press, 2003)
at pp. 40-41.

21. Mark A. Stoler, Melanie S. Gustafson, Major Problems in the History of World War II,
(Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003) at page 136.

22. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at page 277.

23. Id. at 277.

24. Id. at 277.

25. Id. at 253.

26. Ronald Lewin, Ultra Goes To War, The First Account of World War II's Greatest Secret
Based on Official Documents, (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978) at page 243.

27. Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, Fuehrer Conferences On Matters
Dealing With the German Navy 1942 Volume II, (Washington D.C. 1947), Conference with
Fuehrer on July 25, 1941, page 13.

28. Marc Milner, Battle of the Atlantic, (Vanwell Publishing Limited, 2003), at page 23.

29. Dr. Hans-Adolf Jacobsen and Dr. Jurgen Rohwer (editors), Decisive Battle of World War
II: The German View, (Andre Deutsch Publishing, 1965) at page 265.

30. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at page 279.

31. Id. at 281.

32. Id. at 284-291.

33. Id. at 284-291.

34. John Gooch (editor), Decisive Campaigns Of The Second World War, (Frank Cass & Co.
Ltd., 1990), at page 49.

35. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at pp. 284-291.

36. Preparedness in America More Money for Defense, Mr. Roosevelt's Budget From our own
Correspondent, The Times, Jan. 05, 1940; pg 6; Issue 48505; col D.

37. Dan van der Vat, The Atlantic Campaign World War II's Great Struggle at Sea, (Harper
& Row Publishers, 1988) at page 210.

38. Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, Fuehrer Conferences On Matters
Dealing With the German Navy 1942 Volume II, (Washington D.C. 1947), Conference with
Fuehrer on September 17, 1941, page 37 Annex 1.

39. Mr. Roosevelt's Speech A Challenge Met, "We Have Taken Our Battle Stations", The
Times, Oct. 29, 1941; pg. 9; Issue 49069; col D.

40. Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, Fuehrer Conferences On Matters
Dealing With the German Navy 1942 Volume III, (Washington D.C. 1946), Document
Reference PG 32187 T-14B pages 88-100, May 14, 1942. Russell Buchanan (editor), The
United States and World War II Military and Diplomatic Documents, (University of South
Carolina Press, 1972) at page 23.
Marc Milner, Battle of the Atlantic, (Vanwell Publishing Limited, 2003), at pp. 64-65.

41. Ronald Lewin, Ultra Goes To War, The First Account of World War II's Greatest Secret
Based on Official Documents, (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978) at page 243.

42. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at page 76 and 92-93.

43. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at page 569. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990)
at pp. 176-181.

44. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at page 265. Samuel Elliot
Morrison, History of the United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol. 1, The Battle
of the Atlantic September 1939-May 1943 (Little Brown and Company, 1964) at pp.
127-128.

45. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at pp. 338-339.

46. Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, Fuehrer Conferences On Matters
Dealing With the German Navy 1942 Volume III, (Washington D.C. 1946), Document
Reference PG 32187 T-14B pages 1-9, January 12, 1942. Annex 2.

47. John Gooch (editor), Decisive Campaigns Of The Second World War, (Frank Cass & Co.
Ltd., 1990), at page 52.

48. Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, Fuehrer Conferences On Matters
Dealing With the German Navy 1942 Volume III, (Washington D.C. 1946), Document
Reference PG 332651 T-79, April 13, 1942. Homer H. Hickam, Jr. Torpedo Junction,
(Bluejacket Books, 1989) at page 239.

49. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at page 345.

50. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at pp. 570-571.

51. Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department, Fuehrer Conferences On Matters
Dealing With the German Navy 1942 Volume III, (Washington D.C. 1946), Document
Reference PG 32187 T-14B pages 130-160, August 26, 1942.

52. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at pp. 390-391.

53. Marc Milner, Battle of the Atlantic, (Vanwell Publishing Limited, 2003), at pp. 92-93.

54. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at page 342.

55. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at page 61.

56. John Gooch (editor), Decisive Campaigns Of The Second World War, (Frank Cass & Co.
Ltd., 1990), at page 56. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at
page 389.

57. Ronald Lewin, Ultra Goes To War, The First Account of World War II's Greatest Secret
Based on Official Documents, (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978) at page pp. 242-243.

58. Dr. Hans-Adolf Jacobsen and Dr. Jurgen Rohwer (editors), Decisive Battle of World War
II: The German View, (Andre Deutsch Publishing, 1965) at page 287.

59. John Gooch (editor), Decisive Campaigns Of The Second World War, (Frank Cass & Co.
Ltd., 1990), at pp. 49-52. This book is a collection of essays by historians examining the
key theatres of the Second World War. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper
Collins, 1990) at page 395.

60. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at page 294.

61. Marc Milner, Battle of the Atlantic, (Vanwell Publishing Limited, 2003), at page 103.

62. Ronald Lewin, Ultra Goes To War, The First Account of World War II's Greatest Secret
Based on Official Documents, (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978) at pp. 204-207. Michael
Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at page 152.

63. Ronald Lewin, Ultra Goes To War, The First Account of World War II's Greatest Secret
Based on Official Documents, (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978) at page 209.

64. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at page 374.

65. Id. at 375.

66. Id. at 480-482.

67. Id. at 408-417.

68. Id. at 31.

69. Id. at 31.

70, Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat (Harper Collins, 1990) at page 48. Stephen
Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The 50th
Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland,
1994) at pp. 485-488.

71. Dan van der Vat, The Atlantic Campaign World War II's Great Struggle at Sea, (Harper
& Row Publishers, 1988) at page 322. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper
Collins, 1990) at page 395.

72. Ronald Lewin, Ultra Goes To War, The First Account of World War II's Greatest Secret
Based on Official Documents, (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978) at pp. 216-217.

73. Ronald Lewin, Ultra Goes To War, The First Account of World War II's Greatest Secret
Based on Official Documents, (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978) at pp. 217-219. Stephen
Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The 50th
Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland,
1994) at pp. 294-295.

74. John Gooch (editor), Decisive Campaigns Of The Second World War, (Frank Cass & Co.
Ltd., 1990), at pp. 56-57.

75. Dr. Hans-Adolf Jacobsen and Dr. Jurgen Rohwer (editors), Decisive Battle of World War
II: The German View, (Andre Deutsch Publishing, 1965) at page 298. Michael Gannon,
Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at page 393.

76. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at page 312.

77. Id. at 392-393.

78. Id. at 395.

79. Ronald Lewin, Ultra Goes To War, The First Account of World War II's Greatest Secret
Based on Official Documents, (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978) at pp. 219-221.

80. Marc Milner, Battle of the Atlantic, (Vanwell Publishing Limited, 2003), at page 158.

81. Dr. Hans-Adolf Jacobsen and Dr. Jurgen Rohwer (editors), Decisive Battle of World War
II: The German View, (Andre Deutsch Publishing, 1965) at page 298. Michael Gannon,
Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at page 396.

82. Marc Milner, Battle of the Atlantic, (Vanwell Publishing Limited, 2003), at pp. 106-107.

83. Stephen Howarth and Derek Law (editors), The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1945, The
50th Anniversary International Naval Conference, (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis,
Maryland, 1994) at pp. 436-449.

84. Marc Milner, Battle of the Atlantic, (Vanwell Publishing Limited, 2003), at page 229.

85. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper Collins, 1990) at page xxi.

86. Dan van der Vat, The Atlantic Campaign World War II's Great Struggle at Sea, (Harper
& Row Publishers, 1988) at page 382. Michael Gannon, Operation Drumbeat, (Harper
Collins, 1990) at page 416.

87. United States Department of Defense, Quadrennial Defense Review Report February 6,
2006 pp. 29-30 found at
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/dod/qdr-2006-report.htm site last
visited on April 28, 2006.

88. The Biggest Boondoggle: How the Obama Administration Could Save $100 Billion, by
John Arquilla, Forbes, December 8, 2008.

89. See Navy Plans Westward Expansion, by Steve Liewer Staff Writer for The San Diego
Union-Tribune, February 4, 2006 and found at
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060204/news_1n4quad.html cite last visited
on May 1, 2006.

90. See Why The Navy Needs More Ships, by Milan Vego, Armed Forces Journal, December
2007 feature article and found at http://www.afji.com/2007/12/2955448. Site last visited
on January 7, 2007.

91. Id.

92. The Biggest Boondoggle: How the Obama Administration Could Save $100 Billion, by
John Arquilla, Forbes, December 8, 2008.

93. U.S. Department of Defense News Release No. 550-08, June 30, 2008 and found at
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2008/06/mil-080630-dod03.htm. Site
last visited on December 28, 2008.

94. See Why The Navy Needs More Ships, by Milan Vego, Armed Forces Journal, December
2007 feature article and found at http://www.afji.com/2007/12/2955448. Site last visited
on January 7, 2008.

95. See Iran Encounter Grimly Echoes '02 War Game, by Thom Shanker, N.Y.Times, January
12, 2008 and found at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/washington/12navy.html?_
r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1200150207-VZGkMrD+Vy6WfJcEmHHvyg.

96. See Iran Encounter Grimly Echoes '02 War Game, by Thom Shanker, N.Y.Times, January
12, 2008 and found at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/washington/12navy.html?_
r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1200150207-VZGkMrD+Vy6WfJcEmHHvyg.

97. See A Bid for Better Relations with China, by Gordon Lubold, Staff Writer of The
Christian Science Monitor, January 14, 2008 and found at
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0114/p03s01-usmi.html.

98. See The Biggest Boondoggle: How the Obama Administration Could Save $100 Billion,
by John Arquilla, Forbes, December 8, 2008. See also China's Submarine Challenge, by John
J. Tkacik, Web Memo Published by The Heritage Foundation, March 1, 2006 and found at
www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/ Site last visited on May 1, 2006.

99. China's Submarine Challenge, by John J. Tkacik, Web Memo Published by The Heritage
Foundation, March 1, 2006 and found at www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/
Site last visited on May 1, 2006.

100. Id.

101. See Navy Plans Westward Expansion, by Steve Liewer Staff Writer for The San Diego
Union-Tribune, February 4, 2006 and found at
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060204/news_1n4quad.html cite last visited
on May 1, 2006.

102. See Japan to Step Up Its Asia Security Role by Bennett Richardson Correspondent of
The Christian Science Monitor, May 1, 2006 and found at
www.csmonitor.com/2006/0501/p07s02-woap.html cite last visited on May 1, 2006.

103. See Chinese Submarine Stalks US Carrier, Naval Force News, November 14, 2006 and
found at
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/navy/Chinese_Submarine_Stalks_US_Carrier120
08938.php on January 4, 2008.

104. How We Would Fight China, by Robert D. Kaplan The Atlantic Monthly, June 2005 pp.
49-64.

105. See Why The Navy Needs More Ships, by Milan Vego, Armed Forces Journal,
December 2007 feature article and found at http://www.afji.com/2007/12/2955448. Site
last visited on January 7, 2008.