North Atlantic Run: The Royal Canadian Navy and the Battle for the Convoys

by Marc Milner

At the height of The Battle of the Atlantic, half of the Allied convoy escorts on the main trade routes were Canadian, but history has largely ignores their contribution and their bitter sacrifices of their struggle against U-boat attacks in 1942 and 1943.In North Atlantic Run, noted military historian Marc Milner tells the story of this drama at sea, detailing the dynamic role played by Canada and The Royal Canadian Navy in the battle for the convoys.

Genres: History, Canada, World War II, Nonfiction, Naval History

326 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1985

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

North Atlantic Run is unique in that Milner describes not the action performed but rather the reason for lack of action by the escorts of the Royal Canadian Navy in WWII. The Canadian Navy experienced such a dramatic increase in ships and personnel that it had severe growing pains. Milner describes how the Canadians were viewed by the Royal Navy and Unites States Navy which is that of a third class navy but yet with a first class size. Milner describes the British view as that of how a parent views the Kindergarten. With somewhat of impatience and not fully allowing the Canadian Navy to develop correctly Milner places the blame equally on the Canadian Navy and the British. To read how the Canadian Navy developed from a small force to a force trying to equip itself as a copy of the Royal Navy to finally realizing and equipping itself to be the force the Allies needed to make the North Atlantic a "milk run" after the Black May of 1943 for the U-Boats (which Milner correctly describes the Canadian's lack of participation in that defeat of the U-Boats). The History of the Canadian Navy deserves to be told and Milner's two books North Atlantic Run and The U-boat Hunters are excellent histories of the Canadian Navy.