Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic  - Atlantic Battleground

Allied forces, including the Royal Canadian Navy, fought against Axis forces in the battle of the Atlantic over a vast and often dangerous oceanic battlefield. Harbours and bases like Halifax were essential for ships, and commanders on shore planned and coordinated the movements of convoys and anti-submarine forces.

Ice on Corvette

Two members of a corvette's crew clear ice from the ship's four-inch gun (centre). The sailor at right is using an axe.

Ice accumulation, an ever-present winter danger, was caused by freezing water coming from waves and from spray carried in the air. Because ice interfered with operation of a ship's equipment, and its added weight endangered a ship's stability, it regularly had to be removed. The sailors seen here are working on a ship in port; clearing ice while at sea was far more difficult and dangerous.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20070195-011