Canada's Naval History

Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic - U-Boats and Convoys

The struggle between German U-Boats (submarines) and Allied convoys was the core of the battle of the Atlantic. U-Boats sought to destroy Allied merchant vessels and warships, while Allied convoys sought to transport food, supplies, weapons, and personnel across the Atlantic.

Artifact Record

U-877 Life Raft

Lieutenant Stanislas Déry recovered this life raft after the Canadian corvette HMCS St. Thomas sank the German U-Boat (submarine) U-877 on 27 December 1944.

Operating jointly with the frigate HMCS Sea Cliff, St. Thomas made two attacks that badly damaged U-877, which then surfaced so that its crew could escape using life vests or life rafts like this example. Déry, St. Thomas's second in command, was given responsibility for the German sailors rescued from the water and taken prisoner. Printing and diagrams on the raft include instructions on arm signals for communicating with rescue ships and aircraft.

Life Raft
CWM 19500039-002

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