Meanwhile, the blitz on London went on night after night to shatter its enormous port. As many as 20 per cent of a convoy's heavily-laden cargo ships were sunk. At night, groups of U-boats (often as many as six and sometimes more) attacked convoys sailing from North America to Britain. In September of 1940, for the first time, U-boats began using the so-called 'wolf-pack' tactics. Torpedo explosion damage to port lower side of hull of SS Fort Camsun. German naval commanders later referred to the period July to September 1940 as 'the happy time.' These young aces, the German elite, raced each other for tonnage sunk. The U-boats picked off solo ships and stragglers and made bold, single-handed attacks on convoys.

London, many British cities and the English Channel ports were bombed unmercifully, and the U-boats, using their brand new bases in France, attacked convoys and independently-routed ships almost at will.

On June 22, 1940, France surrendered, and Britain and its dominions stood alone against a formidable enemy.Īlthough the United Kingdom proved victorious in the Battle of Britain and managed to stave off Hitler's planned invasion, it remained under siege. With German troops pressing from all sides, the Allied troops in Europe were forced to the Channel at Dunkirk with the sea as the only hope of escape.

On May 10, Germany launched its blitzkrieg against Holland, Luxembourg, Belgium and France. In only a few weeks the Germans had conquered Denmark and Norway and isolated Sweden. In April 1940, the war in Europe took an ominous turn as German troops without warning seized Denmark and launched an invasion of Norway. Campaign Stars and Medals (1939-1954) France and Germany Star

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