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Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic  - The Battle of the St. Lawrence

The struggle on the Atlantic between Allied navies and German U-Boats (submarines) brought the naval war into Canada, turning the river and Gulf of St. Lawrence into a battleground. From 1942, German U-Boats sank 23 merchant and naval ships; improvements in anti-submarine defences ultimately stemmed these losses.

German Map of the St. Lawrence
German Map of the St. Lawrence

This 1943 map, providing a general overview of the River and Gulf of St. Lawrence, formed part of a German U-Boat (submarine) navigation handbook.

The legend at the upper left identifies locations including navigation lights and lighthouses (Signalstelle), coastal radio stations (Küstenfunkstelle) and facilities that could help a U-Boat determine its location. It also identifies threats like coastal defence batteries (Küstenbefestigung) and civilian airfields that could serve as bases for Allied military aircraft (Zivilflugplatz).

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19730174-002_b





St. Lawrence Convoy
HMCS Chaleur at Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec, 1939
Jig-Saw Puzzle, "Canadian Warship Captures First Italian Prize"
Crew Members, HMCS Bras D'Or
U-Boat U-190 Commissioning
HMCS Fort Ramsay
"Minor war vessels at Gaspé, 1942"
Bridge of Motor Launch
HMCS Raccoon
Funeral of Able Seaman Donald Bowser, HMCS Charlottetown
Burial at Sea
"Remember the Caribou and Her Gallant Crew"
Damaged Fairmile Motor Launch, 1944
The Torpedoing of HMCS Magog
Damage to HMCS Magog
Iced Up
HMCS Shawinigan
German U-Boat Navigation Handbook
German Map of the St. Lawrence