Three U-Boats hunted down
9th February 1944: A long hunt leads to more success for the indefatigable Captain 'Johnnie ' Walker and the Second Escort Group
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In the Battle of the Atlantic, the Allies had proved to be the dominant force ever since May 1943. Yet still the Germans sent U-boats to sea in a desperate attempt to halt the flow of men and munitions to Britain. The life expectancy of a U-Boat was now very limited and more and more boats were being sent to the bottom with all their crew.
This battle still relied on the dedicated pursuit of the U-boats by the convoy escort ships and their commanders.
… imagine any one of twenty-four bombs dropping seven hundred feet through the water and getting a direct hit on the twenty-foot diameter hull of an invisible U-boat!
No one man had made more of a contribution to this battle than Captain Frederick 'Johnnie' Walker. He had first earned a Distinguished Service Order in January 1942 for his 'daring and determination' in the hunt for the U-boats. His determination was undiminished two years later when his Second Escort Group set out on its most successful hunting trip.
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