Hell Below - Episode 4: Atlantic Showdown | Free Documentary History

In March 1943, two Allied convoys, HX.229 and SC.122, set sail from North America to Britain, comprising nearly 100 ships carrying vital food and raw materials for the Allied war effort. Commander John Gordon Luther leads the short-handed escort group protecting the convoy. But with at least two ships missing, he lacks sufficient defenses against the mid-Atlantic U-boat attack planned by Karl Dönitz, grand admiral of the German Navy. For three days, the convoys endure relentless torpedo attacks and a brutal Atlantic winter storm. Many ships are hit, and Luther faces a constant dilemma: protect the convoy or rescue survivors from torpedoed ships. This battle, the largest convoy engagement of World War II, almost costs the Allies the Battle of the Atlantic.

So the massacre of convoy HX 229 is basically the plot of Greyhound but instead of 7 submarines vs 4 escorts it is a 4 v 40. How are the ships even afloat with such heavy balls of their crew despite the inevitable odds stack against them. So brave salute for those who lost their lives in the battle of the Atlantic 🫡

My mate's Father, a merchant seaman, was ship wreaked three times by U-Boat attacks during Atlantic crossings. Happily, he survived the war and has the medals to prove it.

Away from the Atlantic, the U-boat had less scope for pack attacks; Operation Drumbeat against US shipping in early 1942, off the US eastern coast, and Operation Neuland in the Caribbean, were conducted by U-boats on individual patrol, until the introduction of a convoy system there saw the U-boats withdraw to easier hunting grounds. In the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean individual routing by the Allies and small numbers of U-boats active there saw the employment of the lone wolf approach by the U-boat Arm.

Great Series Thank You

Awesome series! Thank you

Great video, Love your work😘😘😘

Very good documentary series 👍👍

Amazing heroism.

4th one. These are good. Im enjoying the series.

Forward firing weapons like Hedgehog were also vital as they could attack while the u-boat was still painted by sonar.

before the war he said give me 300 uboats and i will win the war. In 1939 when the war broke out he had a little over 70 uboat. Just needed to make that clear that it was to late with 300 uboats in 1943.

I have always wondered why they didnt park a couple of the smaller older aircraft carriers that weren't being used in the Pacific in the Mid Atlantic gap. Even older planes like the Swordfish could have been used to drop depth charges.

A simple question... If so many tons of cargo, ships, and men were lost, trying to send supplies, why wasn't an aircraft carrier sent as escort ??

0:13 wow I didn't know flannel was part of the uniform for the Kriëgsmarine. Glad to see they spared no expense for the wardrobe in this documentary. It must have all gotten spent on the captain's hat. It sure has a prominent role!! 😂😂 I can see the producers discussing it. "We only have $50USD for wardrobe." "Maybe we should spend it on some material and see if we can get some volunteers to sew us a few uniforms." Then the executive producer responds "It's all about the captain's hat!!" "A documentary gets all of its credibility from the captain's hat!!" "I know where we can get a reproduction for $35 and we will have enough left for a couple pints." I wonder who won the argumen

can't watch eps 5, says video is set to privet .

Looks like im not the only one who downloaded this torrent! 😂😂😂

My home towns is named after the hms Ajax. And all the streets are named after the men of the Ajax and the Exeter and Achilles

In this part of the video he talks about how Germany thinks that they are winning the war but as Admiral Yamamoto said that we have just awakened a sleeping Giant as he was educated in the United States and I think he was educated at Yale or some Ivy leagues school but Hirohito made a deadly mistake just look at the land mass of George and Japan versus the land mass at population there is no comparison but look at both countries now both are doing very good as America rebuilt both countries with money and technology both are leaders very strong and there currencies are very strong as they are not cheap rather very expensive just look at the Yen,and the Mark as I was stationed there and me got to Southern Korea via Japan that's why in the winter months a lot of Japanese people go to HAWAII and buy up all the Tuna AS they bring there money in cash but Japan is not that big like everything's has to be imported and no live stock no beef, pigs, maybe chicken but seafood is no problem but they are aware of bad people in Waikiki and on the outer islands

I wonder if they ever figured out who lit the cigarette and revealed their position .