Following the declaration of war on September 9, 1939, Canada quickly mobilized militia regiments for defence of its coastline while thousands of volunteers flooded recruiting offices from coast to coast to enlist. By December the first units of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division had sailed for the UK, and the Royal Canadian Navy entered the hostilities with 13 ships, six destroyers, five minesweepers and two small training vessels. And so began the longest offensive in World War II, coined the ‘Battle of the Atlantic’.

The campaign pitted the German Navy and U-boats against the British and Canadiannavies and air forces that protected the convoys bound from the Americas to the United Kingdom and Russia. Read about how our brave Canadian sailors played a pivotal role in this battle and were crucial to the defeat of the U-boat, ensuring the re-supply and survival of Britain and the build up of Allied forces critical in the defeat of Germany.

• On September 16, Saguenay and St. Laurent slowly steamed eastward leading the first convoy from Halifax to Britain on a slow, zigzag course across the North Atlantic
• A classic World War II small ship was the Flower Class Corvette, built in Canada and manned by the Royal Canadian Navy but owned by the British Royal Navy
• After the sinking of the British liner Athenia by the “Unterseeboot” U-30, fighting the U-boat became the navy’s greatest task
• Commander J.D. Chummy Prentice, had the task of turning the brand new, partially equipped corvettes and raw ships’ companies into fighting units, which he did practically overnight with no support
• Canadian aircraft and ships, alone or with other ships or aircraft, sank 50 U-boats

In Canadians in the Battle of the Atlantic you will learn how our boys braved the cold waters of the North Atlantic to protect Canada and the Allies from the threat of German occupation