PUBLICATIONS OF THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY VOL. 144
THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC AND SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE: U-BOAT TRACKING PAPERS, 19411947
THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY was established in 1893 for the purpose of printing unpublished manuscripts and rare works of naval interest. The Society is open to all who are interested in naval history, and any person wishing to become a member should apply to the Hon. Secretary, Department of War Studies, Kings College London, Strand, London WC2R 3LS. The annual subscription is 30, which entitles the member to receive one free copy of each work issued by the Society in that year, and to buy earlier issues at much reduced prices.
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First published 2002 by Ashgate Publishing Limited
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The Navy Records Society, 2002
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
The Battle of the Atlantic and signals intelligence :
U-boat tracking papers, 19411947. (Publications of the Navy Records Society ; 144)
1. World War, 19391945 Campaigns Atlantic Ocean Source 2. World War, 19391945 Naval operations Submarine Sources
I. Syrett, David II. Navy Records Society 940.5451
Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
The battle of the Atlantic and signals intelligence : U-boat tracking papers, 19411947 / edited by David Syrett
p. cm. -- (Navy Records Society publications ; 144)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7546-3123-0 (alk. paper)
1. World War, 19391945 Cryptography. 2. World War, 19391945 Military intelligence. 3. World War, 19391945 Navy operations Submarine. 4. World War, 19391945 Naval operations, German. 5. World War, 19391945 Campaigns Atlantic Ocean. I. Syrett, David. II. Publications of the Navy Records Society; vol. 144.
DA 70.B34 2002
940.54'51dc21
2002025864
ISBN 13: 978-0-7546-3123-1 (hbk)
Typeset in Times by Bournemouth Colour Press, Parkstone
THE COUNCIL OF THE NAVY RECORDS SOCIETY 2002
PATRON
H.R.H. THE PRINCE PHILIP, DUKE OF EDINBURGH, K.G., O.M., F.R.S.
PRESIDENT
Admiral of the Fleet SIR BENJAMIN BATHURST, G.C.B., D.L.
VICE-PRESIDENTS
Professor D.A. BAUGH
H.U.A. LAMBERT, M.A.
P. K. CRIMMIN, M.Phil., F.R.Hist.S., F.S.A.
M.A. SIMPSON M.A., F.R.Hist.S.
COUNCILLORS
Professor D.M. LOADES, M.A., Ph.D., Litt.D., F.S.A., F.R.Hist.S.,
G.M. HUGHES
Dr H.W. DICKINSON, M.A., Ph.D.
Captain A.B. SAINSBURY, V.R.D., J.P., M.A., RNR
A.N. RYAN, M.A., F.R.Hist.S.
Professor C. DANDEKER
Dr E.J. GROVE, M.A., Ph.D.
B. LAVERY, M.A.
D.G. Law, M.A., Dip.Lib., A.L.A.
Lt-Commander A. GORDON, Ph.D.
Lt. Cmdr. L. Phillips
Professor N.A.M. RODGER, M.A., D.Phil., F.S.A., F.R.Hist.S.
Captain S. JERMY, R.N.
Captain C. PAGE, R.N.
Dr C.S. KNIGHTON, M.A., Ph.D., D.Phil.
Professor D. CANNADINE, M.A., Ph.D.
Dr C. WILKINSON
R. GWILLIAM
Rear Admiral J.R. HILL
Dr C.I. HAMILTON, M.A., Ph.D.
Dr M. DUFFY, M.A., D.Phil., F.R.Hist.S.
C. White
Dr. S.P. Rose M.A., Ph.D
HON. SECRETARY
Professor A.D. LAMBERT, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.Hist.S.
HON. TREASURER
J.V. TYLER, F.C.C.A.
GENERAL EDITOR
R.A. MORRISS, B.A., Ph.D.
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
Mrs A. GOULD
This volume contains papers concerning the employment of communications intelligence by the British and Americans during the Second World War in the campaign against the U-boats in the Atlantic Ocean. Communications intelligence, especially the decryption of enemy radio messages and the location of German U-boats by means of radio direction finding, was pivotal to the Allied conduct of the war against the U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic. These papers, written for the most part by naval intelligence officers during the years 19411947, are of great historical significance for they show how the British and Americans used communications intelligence to fight and win the conflict with the U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic.
This project would never have been possible without the assistance and cooperation given to the editor by a number of people and institutions in Great Britain and the United States. Crown copyright material from the Public Record Office appears with the permission of the Controller of HM Stationery Office. I wish to thank the staffs of the Public Record Office, Kew; the National Archives and Record Administration, College Park, Maryland; the Institute of Historical Research, University of London; and the Rosenthal Library of Queens College, City University of New York. I also wish to thank Sonia Anderson, W.J.R. Gardner, Ralph Erskine, M.S. Simpson, and Matthew D. Syrett. Last but not least, I also wish to thank Dr Roger Morriss, General Editor of the Society. The research for this book was supported, in part, by the City University of New York PSC-CUNY Research Award Program.
In general, the typescript originals of the documents which appear in this volume have been transcribed literally, although spelling has been standardised and words supplied by the editor for clarity of meaning appear within square brackets. Misspelled or erratically spelled geographical place names have also been standardised using the Columbia Gazetteer or The Times Atlas.
In providing factual annotation the editor has assumed that his readers will be naval historians with a fairly high level of expert knowledge. Thus such notes are generally limited to providing the following data:
Whenever a document reports a U-boat sinking, the notes identify the submarine and the Allied ship or aircraft which sank it.
Whenever a U-boat commander is mentioned in a document, the notes identify the officer by full name, rank and, when not mentioned in the text, by the number of his U-boat.
Cross-references are provided to such information in earlier footnotes. Unusual incidents, such as the capture of the U-505, are given additional explanation in the notes.
In addition, footnotes explain all code names, such as Torch, when first mentioned. Significant players in the Battle of the Atlantic and the war against the U-boats are identified in footnotes with full name, title, position etc., when first mentioned. For figures of lesser importance, the editor has, whenever possible, provided full names and ranks within square brackets in the text of the document. Weapons, aircraft, electronic devices etc., are also explained in footnotes when first referred to.
