Canada's Naval History

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.

U-Boat U-190 Commissioning

German submarines, called U-Boats, operated in the river and Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1942 and again in 1944, attacking and sinking merchant ships and warships.

This photograph shows the September 1942 commissioning of the German submarine U-190, which was similar to the U-Boats that operated in the St. Lawrence. As part of the commissioning ceremony, the German navy's ensign flies from the conning tower (left), and is being given the Nazi salute by the submarine's commanding officer (centre right) and by spectators (lower right).

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19870078-002