Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943
Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943
Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943
Ebook777 pages

Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Read preview

About this ebook

In May 1943, Allied sea and air forces won a stunning, dramatic, and vital victory over the largest and most powerful submarine force ever sent to sea, sinking forty-one German U-boats and damaging thirty-seven others. It was the forty-fifth month of World War II, and by the end of May the Germans were forced to acknowledge defeat and recall almost all of their remaining U-boats from the major traffic lanes of the North Atlantic. At U-Boat Headquarters in Berlin, despondent naval officers spoke of "Black May." It was a defeat from which the German U-boat fleet never recovered.

Black May is a triumph of scholarship and narrative, an important work of history, and a great sea story. Acclaimed historian Michael Gannon, author of Operation Drumbeat, has done enormous research and produced the most thoroughly documented study ever done of these battles. In his compelling historical saga, the people are as significant as the technical information.

Given the strategic importance of the events of May 1943, it is natural to ask, How did Black May happen and why? Who or what was responsible? Were new Allied tactics adopted or new weapons employed?

This book answers those questions and many others. Drawing on original documents in German, British, U.S., and Canadian archives, as well as interviews with surviving participants, Gannon describes the exciting sea and air battles, frequently taking the reader inside the U-boats themselves, aboard British warships, onto the decks of torpedoed merchant ships, and into the cockpits of British and U.S. aircraft.

Throughout, Gannon tells the Black May story from both the German and Allied perspectives, often using the actual words of captains and crews. Finally, he allows the reader to "listen in" on secretly recorded conversations of captured U-boat men in POW quarters during that same incredible month, giving intimate and moving access to the thoughts and emotions of seamen that is unparalleled in naval literature. Rarely, if ever, has the U-boat war been presented so accurately, so graphically, and so personally as in Black May.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 9, 2011
ISBN9780062039460
Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943
Author

Michael Gannon

Michael Gannon is Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Florida, where he taught the history of World War II. He resides in Gainesville and is the author of seven books. In the l950s he wrote on military subjects from Europe. In 1968 he served as a war correspondent in Vietnam. Also a scholar in the field of Spanish colonial history, he has received numerous awards and honors, including Knight Commander of the Order of Isabel la Catolica from King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

Read more from Michael Gannon

Related to Black May

Wars & Military For You

View More

Related categories

Reviews for Black May

Rating: 3.6470587 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

17 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Black May - Michael Gannon

    aebook_preview_excerpt.htmlێ#W%+EŤ̌R*ANIzӝKPS5p8O?SԼH/[̶og3)闽muٲ/_={s߬r??lں*_||lwꟿ|K~k7o?&pqZo<.>\:~˼Iަۤ]fI]Ul&,62-g'%TJ,\vIV㻓*m,my ߬d^WdQ:]_OFɪ3L2KdnGmZ_~ճ"_|>pyǛwn7WK~[|b+xL:yﻴnIt>%ϲK|wU O&wYM&|UUd^\\qryhaI:)I*OTϮ.o._'/^^Coq/ydֹ\*[Wu;xOl,)s=K۶0HpWWﯯWo?.oyZdA^<_晬ҫϒw6n.\'.q #o޿xQ;2VDE8y}|:Jos~EfS:m$yyyu}șzuz3J^weۇ~{ܼO^\xBد?C;Ke_;?~<{y7oW?k~M}x&/_\ mz{I+Q-ɒy3mѡ\(pquFWݾlRC?{H/\{sBozr; W~\x֎o'bxDO"+;{Y=s/>}vq~9[yrs%p}^Hw֜^tJIw"=لO޼]^>7N>ʺ_]wo.R˶Oy)z?Z"9zzzvt`VRDO~:O|ZK~c]&J'J|UMUW̒ O"kv .:+h lH~#I#96Sףdofb-BDfb7XStg2MF~O.fb0R.'l6euFte0ވ$]E1~zVvM&˒u%s$"KE[Rsi ezOml'YlnJ6뉝YUx^ɽwZu\K1h6J D+մռxW0#*#=E/ίN^xu7k1?lzB)>H zW4< /e\zZg Hk9id yEF'yt0!kW{:J@) R'HEcznojݷ.Me)D p=ΣiWؑ:B۵oA'[^ղ]vd NW""W8&W=lӺs7G@hGRBlѨ5uyY|O396_;/g|\?@/֗ע5j,9ݥr?cUPBx>5AHas!k̲BֹuU% uel t .UV*^C:$a[y)O]ҵXnѭh~J=;7hJQ@Eγ(eVȯRx4xtݫj:EW-$9p-NkW5vA;8i&ߡ2$zS3A? \ö˗e7V_I#(L}(i(w=Y:rl֬PMErֈ>ޖ}ZJZI~;sXH4EvCdui|zuAFqWԼH=YY8r\-gj#Z>GF{UdXjl/)4V٠QZ {@6]c/!3%p"f:3nv}bM$[S8jsj8Abt jҵ.:P+A~ZF䫀ږ-YY<7hڏϋC1gAPdR=Mf,鲥*Wn/,;Fzܗ .!|umb/Jcm fB ʻ #}ri* 4!ϙNE|U|bj{lQ~Mtޚn3wBl-jEs"LRxIE+WԀ'r g+K8K.P]r%ctbމ=. HԛŽ$]Y%d3(PcLɚw\Fl%7K.Ƞw8\5+8UcVrqLZfBn_8!8P8rD*0rgQ2-hEJV 5CEXNU'WߥFNs&8BXY}#[jjw2P<ΞO$yQVxG.5!yo(棣GOe ׈L.;}͚WE^ܤ,S֌H9 ߥ^̸ЄP߂fַ gwnQD6ZcyK]7S +[ح>Ng Z>yMz<ѣ_C{~;!gt41WHt,;(S H:Wx漢`՟uUiV5#hHu?j$ǯWY+N~}| ,abIH% *hO3uGvd@p3r\1FJxT=#=X6(O[CY1^^&zŇB<mRd! ^STH4MQUk~[njka;Q|osD`> "xM!|=("״ٔ*WAa R ^n:MBZa<5E$f $@"!;dbHs WdZ7$xptӿ.e*`_4i(e렉Shgru:s4d 9k&}46\_;2oDu ;cѓ'#TڑdsEaW/TAs=og? h;W- NSVnSHNC,: 8 S:m;KԞ Qr|—96V5` G!JDLRZY^KkkXVYrNuw̝ Dj"[l%I5eRT zߩUo˪ܮ|_ 5N.Rqi7y@2kB ֩5l-QY*vИPD;7[(^+  o3: a璻WJ+;3 ಅJR7,Uy5R s81 R$e\& vD+ӓi,|B_İ\"FXC6[^Ns$jl@}#ByoBR!IUf)Z$hʈ3!3#&<`/?Ħ)Rm:4cR\ߍއGD"Q ?bRT|a 5)}xW!n8j NJrěji  r.P%XA::f1{*=]`В UbɧMIdB$vz|Nh3p\M:e-21DkRmjx>p`t_FZCPn̽/JK$d.Qڇ]l`.w7O!GդIxŐq|5Qmf~h,q(Ag,d't*\EmͲBIsXg|QlXw'ܨZyEZ=!Or&EPYcuAkWdձJ Ք]M8ˤK0YN^L\*9bY WحBͻ٤EX{MmXZ+1*Q5RNZ1y.;$O>F43ɐQ„Ž|c0S^r_Gɵ8O9My(dg"2oLlc&ϲ41 'oM{Xu ~Vj~/wqw 1~\ٮ]}Ss86mST,2]7^m|oxIYmGJK2tOV?63k`X8*j&*,b|$fQ= y:GII~LH){Ė΄\g0?|"=׺d:? 6*;DtViQLe_b6tzPDq'23SVMz6}%َC{OqMC?\]TY*qw= /c+xx]Zd*Io7ؗt>6KAT$[ KwH>2KOއ[ZKakI6=C̲aQFV]ͳifH3fOـ-`jX:xbZQ;tk=L,%\^iVߕ)4+jvr.pձfZח~ȋ.הsўeBjo4 -{X&)n᪓HK }4cek"}ȃ!8d+/|txx|l{z'kJ'g0FŻ]3kl`d }@^ǯ(+zl桯%>JW= Ajhvzƚq]0s";UAh㽲A7p UI XT|/:4ab0J3˄FCM@/V3DҢ/L Z9Sy˞}6lRӴfEQ%ŐqlݟE!Q"agnrpCCl։! ] ƍeߔ)jYJ=O40<4": x{ApK|%)p-`]Bj+rG߿xCyh#4 !-¤ 8iZKk|cV#rjxGQ sO ,,ǍP‰yM2:n"r8*?|EV:z<rrc=Pyu4KB\NnС)Q~0BI8ӶcpB܄%GGRP77,QiÀY h=Cӓǻ:n:j(Fu`>'O_QlwDe'gt([Qj[,]OwvEҮ`|w(-4BUMT &i?= ]PK@1ayP%3TG7nZD T8+3x- ' 2T\@glw6#6tABP(SC13GiVh!?A/U=K? h5~tz3Ȃ8;JAKhQa^:WR48Jg7jAB{d`0Bp~$Y[[flHL@ΈONNzz4&6G>;K"wbo9lrܷ8`tT Lu;) GuoYٽYnUU,d8Vy3Sn*XmJ3ڈ |Wb3ǭ9#Δ0{me+ѣ'OJ/7 :W +q$n;>94o3lb0[.a!WY WaPCtAPfSR.|W|#olP2n:P7Te+:BVs=@[EW<ۨ *Db_p׬~*D}L*WujPn)e7B_0Sj8{5Yb;G ή&i;wfPaXG!Ԛ  6`$y$}ô = ,[Zuz-3AbYK Jf?>t+ЭOÖe>1tfYTLҙc]!ٷ]uAo#ֈ !!FȚ*rn?~4J۟ǻ5kwHq:cޡGǏI@u~aS)68nfȻkE6|[z"B9)QX Bb  tbuU<(BfRF^p u T!]'aآr$gnhOs2EQhDtHI}KMnYF<}ČGZ%F|k}$Gh׳~if^Opme~@:KR6LiNk ֊|68gG<[2hif9 1Xwyj*ROD@X͘M=R3zn@XWGDs"'l@]6J]]rt%^! -puYS v\lMjYy =[*\to/[*KW@j7Vɷ|9_\_P%А٪/MwVClnVvP Jor_X:Z(ߵCļWA7TaHD`ɡ>v3~' ؖ5- LWAtT4FQ$[XSpjeCbLi lMf,'"e6 u0Ak WJ3aK3KZ,]rRuPxUň" yf/ّ3}K_JX8 lF=K3 kYU Ukg,am4ذ1hGȄ2w-DEaȳ_~\@j&l9Ҷ_;7Yv;1kɒe_'7RCk@Ÿ@ٟwi B%1en!MMh :J2j%I B.8V􉌁{r^: r!n )s&f׫2@@*71- 2Q5Y5;QuITޤfZq IɲZm46`2O漢u?TEM<7uy뻊z`vP$Nnz˖M<r3@ 3eXnάOdH􍺛(a%a\Ȫ~XifzPl (˞IXP޵ c(y^ d{o0!B-{-ʸ,Ycpi7 dAFOg )(@C8Afõ!ILԔ dl&r$Z`9Y(HR7ԟ;%/Er8#^XZ=fn&V]15i$£b~hjwri~a3cx#jTBԆ2D>B濞z욒]Gў ,J8gZWni p)&!{ZQ3va{Oj WV8xN=R.o%4ȣK+&bgۭ@I)>#eۖ‘}aü~GQM` y˒vjZK'4 rWJ`g/(O $!U[,Qfp,0xvw2>=FB|G !b"64N wTͱ9aQFOՄSRe,CJ-vт@DΦ[Ux!;g3 K6ѥXNޒ4ƹ}Wf>)cLM.y3+S 04Edn޲*w)l@4c(TW<"<պڄS3i/ QWuѫk^ o+֎x]* 2M6EBvyCG3K=I*@EI"?= }]Dv3a3%X7}ױ {^ >#A:DOVXUøu a/L X͝j2!pT" ]ɞCtN8on;jАer҉W%1'Î $8~yrTbS+gx4f={ߣóAxFhS OFːM͠,PR\KMOԃYƶS1>L+(TéBc`>PVrkQ*teHͥ9KKI{Aq@t XŌ PtR$(:A=d;OIdDK+jDr~jѓb[e+H){]Y69%q<^p^5 ߄\kϰU.ہrY@#cutBeAS:OL[C)Ƀ_9#07UR{\Z>rM~@Lxl b*{O!E#~7SAKǬ;Dy!Ւ#jZhtikaeiО_/x19 7y΀{^qŧSCDɇA6,n3xqX1E]f5C*_˝Rn  pjdp bA+f6ron۬oR7NRos|47,lŪhXӬOϭB\#Sox nGo2wBи+aoXgFbWaNİY&y-i"pz'KΕs1Z95QqV&svt6H~!ݻ7~nŬi >zxcC &Dá Y}2R7ƹ6gaΈrsv%Ғ%Ӧ鑻nj9܊&q~,9>@c!OhQ 3҇4%aU%ΈXg`U6m̐@Iו2MY%|MWet[@[?mzZ7K999 R3{:SFku~V?Bpȍ,Κ1 LBrB-d(8`Ph59șB)ZY9C;qt"HNA[TZ 3@OO":'Tr7p5!K4ajfo_' ;hUL/]bgg7j.=̠#TxSF4CX${s6 tSu`NDTɥyA@i y\g*M3 \5D+&z0 Sn^_^imtGߊJaC) B^5#B4x3ODKϙxh1A028sLpZb3??89Kr%igAC…k{-{㣨4E}w寧o^EA ӜEfe)~dFp1PFc3T4z|` zn!' F(zoI-BnmhXwU䱜k?Ԍv1hgǣ'qС;9-lF̮xZw@Ԣ}&]ga o[hMocq9Di$$O2eqkJaY#~R99ȵP-#oǀ'xa]v쁑_v,4gęG!  POsJe5`©肥sZ-s2 w@?YebWM!zt$H,}9I u2MQ);b*4I~:mf-j-N7F]74= Pozm{X% 3z)7`wL(V,~M^N'DL}øxPꕇ-hVLg?D3H6,:_){{Z-QU8kKXe mi0(bwTx-ct8&r:\ xE~/_E[wz䦛 ]^j[7|bX,D=}1ʼnRcmɕ8ڛ0E3A=<Ý<9ⵣ$!%VtwT6FYE2#Tݢo_ۉ5}_̷8eJ٣~h\; 6s,U%z^_[Iw*X;Evplۋ/9))Ep[C}r8ZwW2O寈9=b4nɣ~q_dOQ KYYxWvK^T!%{CK2JEO)~GIW[gjEAm(g&;h <3;L> In9LD5z yz tEVT`Ѿy%sټ8 WCX#`bJoQJX%DxtrfMMAFF[~"F>һ3=f{vI~scՠ>Z:O :pH1Oo44yGGHe*B-8MMyȪՙ׳¿rG$UZ4m\g@F դSa!vt_g*ף3Hm0M nUL1ӗ5m?6DDg%}P[6.F5yWEfYQ־PX gtfTPs[keI"V~ WiB,ZOU4(yF L IXZ:Y[Aj(f\-qk}ߡjiY *jNe?6J# Cd2V4{k<-(5?RZ6!:YW?N#]Y'Vc>w'%jS5 v^HW o:9==;y< #c Sa~YݷFI`O7+RT6]MN9lwK ;TTQұةHa)CIY9G'%{g9+džFB󠪖+qթU$STɟkO翜pY`˲)+m4 yR=F6hw|6(u(UV4_&ZG%:EqzWyn%2"jk:|.ލV1 D7Tp++0 ^4lFW{'VdhvM#!w3"  @Fx-%+t;4lM DaBUg-P\9OEoQkX|?RA;{i =ñBCmōJ sj<9;TČ5VTjz0ֱ3cR` C)2" L⼯Pʽ&ѧG.hgMs9oPfX ֳ7AT8.=.CtԺ+o4Mo@tb3ٶL[߻8G|<]pÂ6eVt,2:M?8@muaCnu0qjN%8aٻogU^01{a;Xh]BdꦎihFBy@S麗^@M·hQ!%A6`lӹ'lc>EJnz:#>SXT :L{ s JYтD,=e_?,-hTe n;T<]g<;+ɰc~\NkRVl'u(rJi{p'ê֢*jmUFkc|X]_θ%(iäUP;mf;n8⑓~37*#53MX -JDΆ@/'赽DK~T} 2Y e D?SI2Y648&\nS$^vSEiFLEDK|t,.*v!΢a) bIz9]4 ๜ggǧpL424RUajxw85I:q%\[RkH]آ:[;lUg>TQ2k^sd)pBb\SGnN0[x9e@^ĜrU"8{Ѱ~JO0h*TKnۜH+c% աF$Ym:CM(RQCXhBd2`Ht"aCD]`:rxcB> ^zzFRND'hWElְlr0hc?ViKS[/~f3Э'R.d;yѰ(ksU 9-MT$$I81ޑE^`5yʡN@צD"cB> 2J<'gMaVFgˎ`32ָq6XH}*C]6Hw3TYMߓs.wYm`JR$4=׽0SހLy-ܻ),DCsF5H f隑d#5iPQ2]qRBS-U"Ѩ1),ZckA],ŖPXCTa>xZ3tܻ2'rP$~x/nY@oQo@)4^ QWm\Ì&tW;u )f KviÙZ8^#Uom`pԸ_ПJS{'.!OflcGNءKw>Q 99õea5 }qZXolZ[W#٘I=&rd^z' EfM!#QZ*"ꪭvf5J̹M7L5pcb'7x!Zpzxl6]&c:K7G.e6@\*#QfVÈm (mZ!)WV-fN++^>C W?cyeR(j”E'wRh4k!q>M|f&CJ3]4L)7cў`6zv& YW֓ńA ;S/ޡ%^*y1]_w-b 1Bo(Kg|( (hob8kc:s*DduՖTJbqgK#Yф換QqJ>>T*2rpR,Q%,Bȹ[U9BK7m"j KB$wWlC"wӄ:US5FRѹx/<^4hi*xUiwLpbR@Z-u<9="{Wτ^V[:01)=@RNxn3C26m26F=` c|ԃ}ik#v찅c=El8ӈ]W9) #u"ĽcJ/ QJ$u)aSEUC/3B?ɽb;4*8&"P"lݔÜB;@ K;M YPՅMIEZ(sዩ ]bIû7`#kdh?aN-C+W=ؒZW "'U疏6߽}ZX6}LuFӼ(C2 3#>k5s嬵8BqQ .2E6:6K8=lEn5$F&FqJ/o44~ }崯Y?U7*"zN^-WR_{Iqj/~|}l3MRvfcz?@)Ť!jh@ bνS1`" E^)*G젓,TBdz +yNLg O:]rBئ,z4|)e5gW-W޵(ƂLG NxXlFb@K@Bǒ#AzJ8ϰy$TX )4Sv(:S1YxJ7-m >O7qͼ[aG9)*GO%5d*u\F03\/6+71ʥnek"B|Dd:(ܶZd瞵O6f; r[:L WH,`2b}3:@4j>FO$l=hfyZHR=5ll:&tUcAmL2/ S,m{ytPB-K O##ma!(ܘ[ρ˹L19It_thƁj;d7ܩ*m0pHvSRzh+"͌z$_\ڐ!@7g mt'><߬s8~ p-e4aVH; (Ur XʍKzq&i0SXu9͕ާ^}(_xHb1*Tq nmuґI%zJ V5t_hZ ec$7#L瘄繬啞6Xi*7:B/"}B+4P8z'91@xBs{ [5^b>A7,6LdvڲƩC* i](R{:.ڝrDPƕKvE3 `KdBU^VzwҞ05ra,WO&"ڃtXl羒YBE "tsUχ6h(ipSY7D@OROԛ=5"!fOZae'[s,cVtBl<TF*DPhZmc7уzw(sϏٲ4g 384&B\Ru`Z3V>38@C)1ݓ2;9Q^ԥZ^T܁wq[*á]HdmWa } 5%W@g`N_R@rJ_tRV oh$J',@MW(Gw IArpPAxU&5#Q1.]m@>E. ]GW(J=5cUя9ܓ xE`D1LLt gck)`rO鏊_^̈0t8Y: (]MeeU"o^С)QзVRsg>z|&OؑUU$DEe[ٲ]j:%~E}GVݦKLq'Fts=AX$ܗTp 4ZmV#EaȈhA?o9H==9Mt!PN,5Z8[T%kwpA\r5$VAЩ,JtmX hlf.˾=0# WVmȮBwfӻ2c|;yؤM 6v\qjdGT.2Q:XdѸP=I')oYzI>7$]o uS+sY`Gy[,[̌- BFI5ez30e$GYIP+jƺ[dIHyI Ic} $;kk,i=GKF 6E ]AyɃ8[Zqvkj+*;ȱã>G)‹9>I'q{qIw0 ;k2@-#]rWgúcŤvo'No?hŽc~0xʍ `:d\ˣn\;{dq t11`ÙפQkǘ )3}w&*+JҾH BVGG܆B(@};cZE"Ūr+zaKC'ބ#|!&qNW(T`= zP6!ipYi/# 'A,YELk}3gC.(k'] WK@b"Tl(y9/ ?G0Y^J,!(++\{Jһ1QNh8XAu;%4OdR|V޷Qu45ە'oDT(Oz3+ ;T}@.e-:y^LhJHK1s ^Y=M>[iu61uS%,yXweCxa}Z}#-Lw%\2ApnB`kn+ SRa) tXEE$WNɢڡP$P:F+%QVz)o") W L$iKdJkkt.`K}ќާ{ߊMW xdo$ /0y{)I صGʱmcT'd2"fL43ϳMLq{L`=cO&: ),BB(O"ΆsHt/"XQ'/e-v8{sQ'g019BI7t P?:=S;M\]q8~Y/eiXeę%p#RF'}k8 'Ȏ-(v~h\+/lFT^W`T,\0<lO*7̂h%՜Lk"O} y_b,Jr9ٜԙ&P*iNߓDxS ?]#[a ˃YEVZ"u1xqCrv(ZV,1Zo!4rWGvOv9r$T?YUS(HHGg?uɳN5g#U2O4>m74Fn"Lqz54-[RL# 7.wnQV8A#8q/qF4_+x#F*j^QR|!Kԯ?X܈Cuvn
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1